DES MOINES George W. Bush and John McCain clashed over campaignfinance, taxes and federal subsidies for agriculture Monday night ina televised forum aimed at Republican activists who vote in Iowa'spresidential caucuses.
Bush told McCain that his signature issue, an overhaul of thecampaign finance laws, would help Democrats and amount to "unilateraldisarmament" for Republicans.
McCain retorted that there was no such thing as six-figure laborand corporate contributions in 1980. "How did Ronald Reagan getelected?" he asked Bush.
Orrin Hatch, Steve Forbes, Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer sat bysilently as Bush and McCain engaged in their first back-and-forth ofthe campaign during the 90-minute forum.
Bush also said he favors continued federal subsidies for ethanol,a fuel derived from agricultural products. McCain said he opposes it.
"Ethanol is not worth it," McCain said. "It does not help theconsumer . . . everybody here on the stage - if it weren't the factthat Iowa is the first caucus state - would share my view," he said.
Bush said a few moments later: "I support ethanol and I supportethanol strongly. And I support ethanol whether I'm here in Iowa ornot."
Forbes stuck to a middle position, saying he supports a "fairtest," and at the end of that, "if it can't stand on its two feet, itought to go."
Bush and Bauer clashed sharply at one point as well.
Bauer said he would be a strong defender of Iowa farmers. Bushstepped in to note that the former Reagan administration aide opposesChina's entry into the World Trade Organization.
"Opening up Chinese markets is good for Iowa farmers, yes sir,"Bush said.
Bauer said: "Governor, here's the fallacy. You believe the Chinesewill keep the agreements. They haven't kept their agreements in 20years."
Monday night's forum was the third all-candidates forum in thelast few weeks - and the last before the calendar turns to theelection year. It was televised on MSNBC.
The opening question dealt with the shooting at Columbine HighSchool in Colorado last spring, and each of the six stuck with well-rehearsed answers they have offered many times while campaigning.
Bauer and Keyes both said a ban on abortion is needed to helpreverse a cultural decline that they said is pervasive in the nation.
While Bauer and Forbes have been quick to go after Bush in theearlier debates in New Hampshire and Arizona, McCain has beenrelatively gentle.
Bush has dominated the Republican field in raising money and inthe early polling. While McCain has erased Bush's polling lead in NewHampshire, the Texas governor remains the leader in Iowa's leadoffcaucuses and in other important early states.
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