Deeds, McDonnell battle in final debate

SALEM, Va. | Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates aggressively clashed over transportation, the economy, health care and social issues Tuesday night in their fourth and final debate with two weeks remaining until Election Day.

Democratic candidate R. Creigh Deeds resumed a line of attack he began during a debate last week in Richmond, repeatedly accusing his Republican rival, Robert F. McDonnell, of undergoing an “election year conversion” after spending years in the General Assembly attempting to advance a socially conservative agenda.

“Virginia needs a governor in these trying times who will focus on the big issues,” Mr. Deeds said. “Bob McDonnell has spent his career as a legislator focusing on social issues.”

Mr. McDonnell similarly returned to a theme Republicans have used repeatedly in the campaign, charging that Mr. Deeds would need to raise billions of dollars in taxes to pay for his plans to upgrade transportation infrastructure, especially in Northern Virginia.

“He’s making promises he has no way to pay for,” Mr. McDonnell said.

The first half of the hourlong debate took the form of a conversation between moderators Jay Warren of WSLS-TV and Virginia Tech professor Bob Denton and the candidates. The format allowed the candidates to engage each other. Several times, one would interrupt the other to challenge characterizations of their plans and proposals.

Mr. Deeds, who has been behind in recent polls, was especially aggressive, but both men leveled stinging shots.

When Mr. Deeds was asked what taxes would be raised under his administration, Mr. McDonnell quickly said, “I can answer that.”

“No, you can’t answer that,” Mr. Deeds fired back. Mr. Deeds said he would consider increasing any tax that is related to transportation, and when pressed on whether that included taxes on alcohol or cigarettes, Mr. Deeds said, “Anything that has a nexus to transportation.”

During the second half of the debate, the candidates delivered their answers directly to the moderators.

Asked about health care reform and a public option that would establish a government-run health insurance program designed to compete with private insurers, Mr. McDonnell said, “Virginia should opt out of any public option passed.”

In response to the same question, Mr. Deeds said he thinks it’s important to reduce the cost of insurance and to cover more people but that the public option isn’t required in his view.

“I’m not afraid of going against my fellow Democrats when I think they’re wrong,” he said. “I dont think the public option is necessary in any plan, and I would certainly consider opting out if that was available to Virginia.”

The candidates continued their argument over Mr. Deeds’ stance on a federal cap-and-trade proposal that would require polluters to either reduce their emissions or offset their pollutants by buying permits to pollute.

Mr. McDonnell reiterated that he does not support the bill and cited an estimate that said it would add up to $1,700 annually to the electric bills of some Virginia families.

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