Rep. Bill Orton and Chris Cannon returned to their old stomping grounds Wednesday for a debate at the Brigham Young University law school, where they tangled about war and peace instead of crime and punishment.
Both 3rd Congressional District candidates agree that U.S. troops should not be placed under United Nations command. Despite that agreement, Cannon, a Republican, still found room to criticize his Democratic opponent.Cannon said Orton voted three times in Congress to not preclude the president from putting American soldiers under U.N. control. He said President Clinton wants to sit down with world leaders with the blood of U.S. troops behind him because it gives him more credibility.
Orton denied having made such votes. He said the votes Cannon was referring to were in support of the president as commander-in-chief. Orton said his vote would have been the same whether the president was George Bush or Bill Clinton.
The fast-paced, hour-long debate at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, where Orton and Cannon were classmates in the late 1970s, covered a variety of issues. The two candidates showed some clear differences while also landing on common ground once in awhile.
They agree that the United States should continue developing missile systems for national defense. But Orton said he doesn't favor spending $30 billion to $60 billion on Star Wars. Neither candidate, however, believes the United States should continue to test or deploy nuclear weapons, although Cannon hemmed and hawed before replying "no" during a series of yes-no questions asked each candidate.
Orton was asked specifically to name three areas in which he disagrees with the Democratic Party. He listed being pro-life, favoring a balanced budget amendment and supporting mining reform and grazing rights. Because Cannon wasn't asked the same question about the Republican party, Orton tried to get him to answer it. Cannon declined, saying only that there were some minor things.
The two chastised each other for continuously bringing other politicians into the race, namely Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich.
"My opponent would love to make this a referendum on Bill Clinton," Orton said. The three-term congressman asked the audience of budding lawyers to focus on his record, not the president's.
Cannon charged Orton with using Gingrich's name 30 or 40 times a debate in an attempt to tie him to the House speaker, whom Orton believes is an extremist. Gingrich campaigned and raised money for Cannon earlier this month. Cannon intimated Orton might be confused about who his opponent is.
In response to a question about the flag desecration amendment, Cannon said he would have supported it. Protection for the flag, he said, should rise to the status of free speech in the Constitution, he said.
Orton voted against the amendment, noting Republican Sen. Bob Bennett did as well. He said the amendment was more symbolic than substantive.
"I believe the haze hanging over the valley is not the smoke from burning flags," a veiled reference to Geneva Steel, a company Cannon helped re-open about 10 years ago. While the crowd laughed at the remark, Cannon made no response.
The two also disagreed on whether Congress should make English the official language of the United States.
Cannon said it should happen because children who don't have to learn English have a disadvantage when they reach working age. Orton, who voted against the bill in Congress, said the government doesn't need to tell people that English is the language spoken in the United States.