Dec. 3, 1999
By
Tom Cronin
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University
DES MOINES, Iowa--In his first debate appearance Thursday night, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the front-running candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, was challenged by five candidates also pursuing the nomination.
The candidates discussed issues including Social Security, income taxes, Internet regulation and abortion during the 90-minute debate, which occurred in Manchester, N.H. and was broadcast by Fox News.
Early in the debate, magazine publisher Steve Forbes criticized Bush for his tax cut proposal and for considering raising the age at which people begin receiving Social Security benefits.
"Concerning Social Security, it's typical of the political culture today to make promises and then break the promises," Forbes said. "Gov. Bush ... said he would consider raising the retirement age. It's already been raised from 65 to 67. That's a betrayal. Now what are they going to raise it to, governor? 70? 75? That's not fair to the people. [Washington lawmakers] made a promise, and it should be kept."
Bush responded to Forbes' comments by reading an article, in which Forbes advocated raising the age at which people can begin receiving Social Security benefits.
"'Alas, the unaffordable promises have to be scaled back, and the best way to do that is to gradually raise the age at which one may collect his full benefits,'" Bush said, reading Forbes' article. "'Those now in their 20s would not be eligible until they're 67 or 68.' The author of that: Mr. Steve Forbes."
Arizona Sen. John McCain took a different approach. Instead of criticizing Bush, McCain said he would change the status quo of Washington by eliminating special interests and involving young Americans in the political process.
"We're going to return the government to the people of this country who deserve it and who have lost it," McCain said. "We're going to have young men and women involved again in the political process instead of becoming cynical and alienated, and I believe that I can motivate them to do so, but first, I'm going to clean up Washington."
Former White House official Gary Bauer said abortion is the most important issue of the campaign, and he emphasized the importance of choosing a pro-life running mate.
"I think that a Republican presidential nominee must be clear that his running mate will be pro-life," Bauer said. "Mine will be. I hope tonight that Gov. Bush will clarify and finally agree that his will be."
Bush did not address the abortion issue, but he took a stand on the issues of Social Security and income taxes. Following his response to Forbes' comments on Social Security, Bush said he would not raise the age at which people can receive such benefits.
Bush said his tax proposal, which he revealed Wednesday, would encourage entrepreneurs, make the tax system simpler and reduce the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 33 percent.
Bauer criticized Bush's proposal for being too timid, and he compared it to "moving chairs around on the deck of the Titanic."
Other candidates agreed with Bauer. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, former ambassador Alan Keyes and Forbes said the Internal Revenue Service should be eliminated.
Forbes said the "rules" of Washington need to change in order to create a government that works for the American people.
"It's going to take ... a firm outsider to get rid of this monstrous tax code, to do what is truly right on Social Security, health care and education," he said. "It's not going to be done playing by their rules."
Following many of his statements, Bush repeatedly referred to his experience with foreign policy and his leadership ability.
"I was overwhelmingly re-elected because the people in my state realized I know how to lead, and I've shown good judgment," he said.
Keyes' primary criticism was not of Bush but of the media. Keyes said the reason he has received less media coverage than other candidates is because he is black, not because he is behind in the polls.
When one "phony poll" ranked Keyes third in the race, the media began addressing the campaign as a two-person race, he said.
"... Suddenly, people in the face of those polls were acting as if it had become a two-man race, because they wanted to continue the black out, which means that you keep the black out," Keyes said.
Hatch, whose Web site displays the names of all contributors to his campaign, spoke out against Internet regulation, except in intellectual property matters.
"[The Internet] is probably one of the greatest sources of information that ... we've ever had in this world, and I want to keep it that way," Hatch said.
Both Hatch and McCain said the Internet should not be taxed.
"The Internet is the greatest thing that's happened to the world, somewhere between a combination [of] the invention of the printing press and the industrial revolution," McCain said. "It has unlimited potential to spread knowledge, information and freedom throughout the world and [an unlimited potential for] economic development."