JERRY M. GOWE
Bill Orton rebuked accusations of illegal acts in spending taxpayer money for his re-election campaign while his challenger, Chris Cannon, was interrogated for breaking a promise not to spend more than $150,000 of his own money.
Monday evening, the Provo City Chamber of Commerce was filled with heated tension as the two congressional candidates for the 3rd District held the first of many public debates while surrounded by television cameras and a standing-room-only crowd of citizens desiring direct answers to their questions.
Questions for the debate came from both campaigns as well as from the audience themselves.
Chris Cannon began the charge by scolding his opponent for not knowing who will get his vote for president.
“I have not decided who I am going to vote for president,” Orton said. “There are several things I agree with President Clinton. There are several issues where I agree with Sen. Dole. There are several issues where I agree with Mr. Perot.”
Cannon said he was taken aback by Orton’s position, considering the congressman had led his party’s delegation to Chicago and supported and voted for the nomination of President Clinton.
Cannon also said he had no doubt that he would vote for Dole in November.
“Clinton is saying, re-elect me because things are good and we can afford a little more government. Sen. Dole, on the other hand, is saying we are way over-taxed. We have women who are working. They are working today because their taxes are so high they have to work to make ends meet in their home,” Cannon said.
The major issues discussed at the debate included balancing the budget, welfare and the creation of a national monument in southern Utah. The greatest tension was during the discussion on the issue of campaign spending.
Cannon openly charged Orton with spending taxpayer money for his re-election campaign. He said that the congressman had a franking privilege for congressional correspondence and added that his staff members were working on the re-election campaign.
“That is an outrageous allegation, and, in fact, if that were true, it would be a violation of law,” Orton said. “Those working on my re-election bid are being paid by the campaign or they are volunteering.”
Orton said he was dismayed by the continual allegations from Cannon throughout the campaign.
“I think it is very inappropriate to allege illegal activity on my part. I view that as a personal attack to which you better put up or shut up and apologize, or I look forward to some kind of evidence that you have that it is going on,” Orton said.
Cannon clarified his position and said that there was no criminal activity on Orton’s part.
Orton countered Cannon’s claims on campaign spending by saying that Cannon had promised not to spend more than $150,000 of his own money. He cited newspaper accounts in which Cannon said he wouldn’t give his campaign more money unless he was personally targeted by character accusations.
In Federal Election Commission reports through June 30, Cannon had reported spending more than $568,000, $460,000 of that coming from his personal investments. Orton reported spending $288,748, with 72 percent of the money coming from political action groups.
Cannon said the reason he has had to spend so much money is that it has been hard to get his name out to the public to defeat the incumbent.
Both candidates said they were opposed to the president’s decision to establish the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah.
Orton said he was able to get concessions from the president including involvement by Utahns throughout the monument building process. Cannon said Orton should be embarrassed to claim those concessions.
“I think we need a watchdog, not a lap dog,” said Cannon, referring to the congressman’s alleged inability to stop the president from declaring the national monument.
Bill Orton focused his closing statement of the debate on the differences between the two candidates. He thanked those in attendance for wanting to be informed.
“I think I could probably boil down the principal difference between my opponent and myself in the way I believe we would do the job in representing you,” Orton said. “You elected me six years ago, and I told you that I’m a Democrat and proud to be a Democrat, but I believe that there is a place for political parties, and that place, by the way, is here in this kind of forum by people who have adequate information and knowledge and choices to make a decision.”
Orton said he has been criticized by Cannon because he isn’t a member of the Utah delegation.
“My opponent has criticized me, saying you should elect him because the district needs a member of the Republican team. I don’t believe the district needs either a partisan Republican or a partisan Democrat; we need people who are going to look at the issues and consider what is best for the people of Utah,” Orton said.
Cannon said he would bring a consistent, understandable and effective approach to congress. Cannon concluded the debate by saying that he shared Ronald Reagan’s vision of America as being a shining city on a hill.
As part of closing comments, Orton challenged Cannon to debates in more rural areas of the 3rd District. Following the debates, Cannon said Orton only wanted more debates because his (Cannon’s) camp was booming in the polls and Orton wanted more coverage.
Orton said that Cannon’s comment about the polls was ludicrous, considering the fact that he (Orton) is leading in the polls. Orton said that he loves debates because they bring out the truth and help inform the voters.
Lance Lighthall, a BYU student from New York, said he attended the debates to be informed and said that Orton was the clear winner of the debate in his mind.
“Cannon didn’t say where he would specifically cut spending for the Dole budget and spent most of the time dodging the issues and attacking Rep. Orton,” Lighthall said. “Orton did a good job of alienating himself from an unpopular President Clinton in the state of Utah.”
Cal Monson, mediator for the debate, said the event was a great success.
“I was pleased so many people came. There were lots of people from the media, and perhaps the debate will be rebroadcast for others to see. I hope it is: that way more public can hear from the candidates,” Monson said.
