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Reaching for simple truths, GOP debaters overstep
By Calvin Woodward, Associated Press, 12/14/99 WASHINGTON -- Texas Gov. George W. Bush stressed the need to enforce existing gun laws in Monday's Republican presidential debate. But a striking shortcoming in gun-law enforcement happened under his watch.
"I'm in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them, like felons," Bush said. Yet Texas officials were stung by revelations last week that during Bush's tenure the state failed to investigate more than 771 felons who applied for concealed weapons permits since 1996. Federal and state law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. Kathleen Jamieson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, found less hyperbole in Monday's debate than in the earlier sessions. But she cited several oversimplifications and exaggerations, such as Alan Keyes' assertion that the World Trade Organization violates every constitutional principle. "There's no way the WTO violates every constitutional principle," she said. Also in the Iowa debate: -Gary Bauer said there are 1.5 million abortions a year. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 1.2 million abortions in 1996, down from more than 1.4 million in 1990. -Arizona Sen. John McCain challenged Bush to side with him on the spot and seek to end the unlimited and unregulated donations to political parties known as soft money. "We can get the special interest money out of American politics," McCain asserted. McCain was forced to answer questions last week on how he collected $10,000 in donations from AT&T executives within two weeks of introducing legislation that would have made it easier for the phone giant to get federal approval for purchases of cable companies. McCain has denied that donations influenced his decision on the legislation and showed he had long favored such a bill. Still, a campaign spokeswoman acknowledged the timing created a perception problem. In addition to the donations, a citizen watchdog group noted that one of McCain's advisers, former Rep. Vin Weber, lobbies for AT&T and was co-host of a $120,000 fund-raising event for McCain. -Bush, declaring his support for ethanol subsidies important to Iowa farmers, stated flatly that ethanol in fuel is "good for the air." But that question is not settled. Ethanol, a gasoline additive made from corn, evaporates readily, particularly in hot summer months, and releases organic pollutants. For that reason, it is used in cleaner-burning fuel mainly during the winter. -Bauer portrayed China's entry into the WTO as bad for farmers. But as a precursor to entering the trade organization, Beijing already has struck a deal allowing wheat to be shipped from Pacific Northwest ports to China for the first time since 1972. And farmers have been pushing for expansion of foreign markets like China. Some of their hopes were dashed when the WTO talks in Seattle last week ended with little progress. Bush occasionally has stretched his record as governor during the GOP debates, and again Monday he overlooked problems in his state's performance. State records show some of the felons who escaped scrutiny in their gun applications were nonviolent offenders with decades-old convictions. Others, however, were convicted murders and other violent criminals. Texas officials acknowledged they failed to refer the felons to federal or state prosecutors to investigate if they illegally were in possession of firearms. State public safety officials said they didn't consider turning over information about possible gun violators a top priority, but are changing that now. Bush's spokeswoman has said the governor learned about the problem earlier this fall and moved quickly to remedy it. |
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