KATZEN, KAINE AIR DIFFERENCES ON RADIO SHOW

The two major-party candidates vying for lieutenant governor went head to
head Tuesday night, Republican Jay K. Katzen trying to tar his Democratic
opponent, Timothy M. Kaine, as a liberal, and Kaine accusing Katzen of
needless labeling and mud-slinging.

I'm unapologetic about being a conservative, Katzen, a Fauquier County
member of the House of Delegates, declared in his hour-long debate with
Kaine on WVTF's Evening Edition, hosted by Daily Progress political writer
Bob Gibson.

I'm very proud of the progress we have made, Katzen continued, citing new
public-school standards and parole reform. He added that government should
get the taxes back to the people and make sure that our streets are safe
for the people of Virginia.

Kaine, the mayor of Richmond, shunned any liberal-conservative distinctions
and instead sought to portray himself as a results-oriented, can-do
centrist who has forged alliances between gun-rights and gun-control
activists, among others.I've been a crime-cutter, a tax-rate cutter, a
school-builder and I think we'd be better off just skipping labels,' Kaine
said.

Katzen also contended that Kaine supports homosexual marriage and would
rather make room for homosexual groups to use public-school facilities in
Richmond than the Boy Scouts.

Kaine replied that he was once a Boy Scout and his children are Boy Scouts
and that he had never countenanced homosexual marriage.

I've only advocated that people not get kicked out of their apartments or
lose their jobs because of who they are, Kaine said.

Kaine further voiced support for spending more money on public schools and
universities.

Asked if he would support greater school choice a hallmark of Katzen's
campaign, which supports tuition tax credits Kaine said he would agree to
multiple choices within the public framework.

While the candidates disagreed on a slew of polarizing issues from the car
tax to abortion rights to handgun restrictions they both voiced unequivocal
opposition to legalizing marijuana, libertarian candidate Gary Reams issue
of choice.

At one point in the radio show, Reams called in to promote his campaign and
voice his support for a referendum on marijuana legalization.

It amazes me that these experienced politicians could turn their backs to
this constituency, Reams said, observing that other states have supported
using marijuana for medical purposes.

Reams call prompted a handful of other callers to weigh in on the
legalization debate. One caller, a self-described conservative veteran who
said he'd used marijuana for medical purposes, sounded on the verge of
tears as he slammed Katzen for turning his back on legalization and said
he'd be voting for Reams this fall.

Both candidates also more or less agreed the state should share some of its
income-tax revenue with localities.

And both candidates said after the radio show that their politics and the
values that underlie those politics stemmed, in part, from their
experiences abroad, Kaine citing his year on a Jesuit mission in Honduras,
Katzen, his career in the Foreign Service.