THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210542
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
The chairmen of the state's Democratic and Republican Parties offered different views of Virginia's upcoming legislative races during a civil 40-minute debate Thursday.
GOP Chairman Patrick McSweeney said he hoped to offer voters a clear choice between Republicans favoring limited government and Democrats hoping to expand services.
``We believe you have to lift yourself up by the bootstraps, as opposed to Democrats, who will give anyone the shirt off your back,'' McSweeney said during a luncheon debate sponsored by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
Democratic Chairman Mark Warner predicted, however, that efforts to tie state Democratic candidates to the tax-and-spend stigma of the national party will fail. ``Virginia Democrats have always been fiscally responsible,'' he said.
Republicans need gain only three seats in the House and Senate this fall to control the General Assembly for the first time.
Warner predicted that Republicans will fail. McSweeney said ``there is a very good chance Republicans will take control of one or both houses.''
Both chairmen agreed that partisan debate will be defined by Republican Gov. George F. Allen's unsuccessful efforts last winter to reduce services and cut state income taxes. Under Allen's proposal, average middle-class families in Virginia would have seen their annual levies reduced by $33.
Warner said that Democratic lawmakers' rejection of the plan - much of which would have been financed by cuts to state colleges and universities - have helped define Democrats as ``the party of education.''
Although there was little public support for Allen's tax cuts, Warner acknowledged that Democrats may face difficulty this fall explaining their opposition to the plan.
``Support for the governor's program will make wonderful sound bites,'' he said. ``The challenge for Democrats will be to explain that, yes, we do want to cut taxes, but not at that high a price.''
McSweeney said he hopes the campaign can proceed ``without too much sloganeering or scare tactics.''
He called on Republican candidates to conduct ``a straight-up conversation on our vision of government. If we do that, we'll win the right way. I don't want to win the wrong way.''
McSweeney and Warner are considering running for the U.S. Senate next year. After the debate, Warner said he expects to resign his chairmanship this year to focus on his candidacy. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff
Post-debate, Democrat Mark Warner, left, talked with Patrick
McSweeney, Republican. During their debate, they agreed that this
year's legislative races would be defined by Gov. George Allen's
failed effort to cut taxes and services.
by CNB