Election 2000: Sabers Drawn on Issues During GOP Debate as Candidates Vie for California
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Election 2000 rolls on, and from the Buckeye state, one of several states taking part in Election 2000 come Super Tuesday four days away. Ohio is the third-largest state voting on that date, and a boatload of delegate up for grabs. For the Democrats on Tuesday: 1,315 delegates; that's more than 60 percent needed for the nomination. It's a similar story for the Republicans: 605 delegates up for grabs for the Republicans. Again, that is close to 60-percent needed for that nomination. Specifically in Ohio, the delegate count stacks up like this: 146 for the Democrats, 67 for the Republicans. It is winner-take-all. Meanwhile, on the topic of the Republicans, last night all three candidates did engage in a debate you saw live here on CNN. In Los Angeles two were there in person, one was there electronically. Jennifer Auther has a look back at last night.</s>JENNIFER AUTHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The candidates told the audience they wanted to debate the issues, but where there were issues the sabers were drawn. On campaign finance reform:</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Bush just said that he wants unlimited contributions from individuals. Maybe that explains why there have been the sleepovers in Austin at the governor's mansion by the Pioneers.</s>GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You talk a lot about the iron triangle, and you're ringing it like a dinner bell with all those fundraisers and lobbyists in Washington,</s>D.C. AUTHER: Former U.S. Ambassador Alan Keyes called that frontrunner banter hypocrisy.</s>ALAN KEYES (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They've shoveled the money in their mouths hand over fist, then walk into the arena professing to be shocked at the discovery that it's there.</s>AUTHER: Arizona Senator John McCain denied labeling George W. Bush as anti-Catholic following the Texas governor's visit to Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Among other things, the campus prohibits interracial dating.</s>MCCAIN: We wanted to tell people exactly what Governor Bush had done. He was there and waited three weeks before he repudiated it.</s>BUSH: If you don't think those phone calls labeled me an anti- Catholic bigot, then you weren't paying attention to what your campaign was putting out, I guess.</s>AUTHER: Both bush and McCain went after the Clinton/Gore administration's foreign policy, specifically Taiwan's battle for independence from China. But it was Keyes who lobbed the strongest attack against Clinton when asked if he'd credit the president for a strong economy and a drop in crime.</s>KEYES: You don't give to a shameless, lying, oath-breaking president any kind of credit for an improvement in the nation's moral atmosphere, which he as polluted.</s>QUESTION: Which of these two gentlemen is better equipped to carry your message?</s>KEYES: Well, that's a...</s>AUTHER: Keyes also said neither Bush nor McCain could win in November, but obviously McCain and Bush disagree.</s>AUTHER: George W. Bush so far is leading in the polls among the Republican candidates for the nomination, and only the Republican registered voters in California count toward delegate allocation in this state. There are 162 delegates from California, it is a winner- take-all state. In the new open primary, independents and Democrats can cast their vote for McCain, but it will only count towards a beauty contest. Going to toss it back now to Bill in Cleveland.</s>HEMMER: Jennifer, before we let you go, quite obvious, there, Alan Keyes, George W. Bush in person there at the "L.A. Times" building in downtown Los Angeles. Did it hurt John McCain, though, not to be there in person and to show up by way of satellite?</s>AUTHER: Well, I can tell you what the pundits say. The pundits say that poor California Republican voters really need to feel at home with John McCain. They just don't know him very well, and I think that the pundits are feeling as though if he had a stronger presence here he might do better. But again, the -- only the registered Republicans will be counting toward a delegate allocation, so if a California voter wanted to cast their vote for McCain and they happen to be independent or they happen to be a Democrat, they would have had to reregistered as a Republican one month before the March 7th Super Tuesday -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: All right. Interesting on Tuesday. Jennifer Auther, live in Los Angeles. With the Republicans: 162 delegates at state -- at stake there, rather, in the Golden State.