RICHMOND, Va. -- Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine and Republican Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, the likely nominees for governor in the 2005 election, debated each other at St. Paul's Episcopal Church yesterday, discussing a wide variety of policy issues and clashing over issues of leadership, values and the Republican eavesdropping scandal of 2002.
Although the session, part of the Associated Press' Day at the Capitol, was billed as a one-on-one question-and-answer session, each candidate answered questions from moderator and University Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato and journalists in the audience and had the opportunity to give rebuttals. Sabato noted that the debate was the first of several likely to occur during the upcoming campaign season.
Kilgore and Kaine agreed on several points but offered different proposals on key issues such as transportation, higher education and the budget surplus.
When asked about the chartered universities proposal, Kilgore declared his support for the plan and noted his position as attorney general was involving him in discussions of the details of the proposal.
"My office is working with [the University, William & Mary and Virginia Tech] on the details as I speak," Kilgore said.
Kaine said he supported certain features of the charter plan but was wary about others, such as losing the government's say over tuition and the ratio of in-state to out-of-state students. Regardless of the charter plan's fate, Kaine said various components of state funding for higher education were critical.
"Those will be the top budget priorities in a Kaine administration," Kaine said.
The candidates also debated several proposals on transportation. Kilgore called the gas tax an "antiquated" method of funding roads and instead said he supports ideas such as using money from the state's general fund and getting private interests involved in road construction.
"It's been proven time and time again that you can build roads faster if you get the private sector involved," Kilgore said.
But Kaine argued that using general fund money would take funding from higher education and health care and said he was open to discussions about raising the gas tax as long as the money would not go to non-transportation spending.
"The legislature and people of Virginia have to lock up the transportation fund," Kaine said.
Both candidates also sought to distinguish themselves in terms of values and leadership. Kaine repeatedly criticized Kilgore for his actions during a 2002 eavesdropping scandal involving the then-executive director of the Republican Party, accusing the attorney general of a failure of leadership. Transcripts of the eavesdropping trial recently were released, following a $750,000 settlement between the Republican Party of Virginia and Democratic lawmakers whose conversations were illegally recorded.
Every time Kaine raised the issue, Kilgore appeared annoyed and accused Kaine of beating a dead horse. Kilgore also said his office had helped expose the eavesdropping.
"But for the actions of my office, none of this would have come to light," Kilgore said.
At the same event last year, Kaine and Kilgore ended up in a shouting match over the eavesdropping scandal. This year, the politicians were more restrained but still tense.
Kaine and Kilgore did agree on several issues, such as the necessity of allowing Virginia's governor to serve a second term and the need for a new college in southside Virginia.
The AP-sponsored event also included panels on the divisions within the Republican Party over taxes and transportation issues.
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