Posted on 10/16/2002 6:08:32 PM PDT by The Doctor
Who would you vote for in the 7th Congressional District?
Eric I. Cantor (R) Ben "Cooter" Jones (D)
Story: Rivals spar over foreign policy, taxes Cantor urges quick action against Iraq; Jones says Bush must build coalition first
BY TYLER WHITLEY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 15, 2002
Want to join or start a conversation in our forum about political issues? Click the link to speak up in the politics forum. Times-Dispatch NBC12 Poll Who would you vote for in the 7th Congressional District? Eric I. Cantor (R) Ben "Cooter" Jones (D)
U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, and Democrat Ben "Cooter" Jones sparred over foreign policy, taxes and the environment yesterday in the second and last debate of the 7th District congressional campaign.
The district stretches from the west end of Richmond north and west through the Richmond suburbs to Page County in the Shenandoah Valley.
During the debate, Jones agreed that Iraq's Saddam Hussein should be overthrown, but he said the United States should build up an international coalition before doing so.
"We should be the head of the posse, not the Lone Ranger," he said. Jones added that he supports the resolution Congress passed last week. It gave President Bush broad authority to attack Iraq unilaterally, to remove Saddam and to dismantle Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Cantor, a floor manager of the resolution, said he does not expect Saddam to comply with weapons inspections and he said the record of the United Nations is not a good one in the face of danger.
"I would advocate [going in] as quickly as possible," he said. "Saddam is not a rational person."
Cantor and Jones fielded questions from listeners and moderator Jimmy Barrett in a two-hour debate and joint appearance over radio station WRVA (1140 AM) yesterday morning.
Reflecting the relaxed style of a television entertainer, Jones showed up at the studio by himself, dressed in a black leather jacket and bluejeans.
The more formal Cantor, dressed in a black suit, arrived with his wife, Diana, and campaign consultant Ray Allen Jr.
Jones, who played Cooter on the "Dukes of Hazzard" television show in the 1970s, lives in Rappahannock County and runs two stores that sell the show's memorabilia.
Cantor, a lawyer and developer, lives in Henrico County.
Cantor agreed that the economy is in bad shape. The solution to getting it moving again is to lower taxes and encourage business investments, he said.
But Jones said the Bush tax cuts implemented last year were irresponsible because the president knew at the time the nation was heading into a recession.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/vametro/MGBL69Q4B7D.html
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
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http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/index.shtml
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