Democrats Play Nice in Final Debate

GOFFSTOWN, N.H.--Everyone played fair and nobody got hurt Sunday night at St. Anselm's college, where the five major Democratic candidates squared off in their last debate before today's primary election. The candidates agreed on most issues, and all voiced their unity in planning to defeat George Bush in November.

There was no clear winner and no clear loser in Sunday's debate, leaving today's balloting as unpredictable as ever.

The debate was largely uneventful, with the exception of a minor energy policy scuffle that occupied almost half of the 45-minute open discussion time of the debate. During that argument, former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas, who is leading in New Hampshire polls, was besieged by his fellow Democrats for his refusal to support the scrapping of all nuclear power plants.

"Having been through debates when I was patronized," Tsongas said at a press conference after the debate, "I enjoyed being in the battle for a change."

As the front-runner, Tsongas had the most to lose in the debate. He chose to open by lashing out at Bush, a tactic he maintained throughout the evening. The candidate, who has billed himself as pro-business though others have called him economically conservative, also took a firmer stand on trade policy.

While in the past he has criticized American "Japan-bashing" and has called for improving the quality of American goods, this time he hinted that there is more to the problem and introduced the idea of boycotting Japanese products.

"The Japanese have not been fair. They are restrictive, " Tsongas said. "If the Japanese are not willing to be reasonable, then you have to play hardball."

While Tsongas has made an increased effort in recent weeks to use humor on the campaign trail, he toned down his routine somewhat Sunday night. He also wore thick, black-rimmed glasses to de-emphasize the swelling caused by a wood chip lodged in his eye last week.

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, who trails Tsongas in the polls, was characteristically smooth throughout the debate.

Both Clinton and his fellow Democrats steered clear of the two major controversies of Clinton's campaign, the alleged extramarital affair first reported by a supermarket tabloid last month and the more recent charge that, as a student, he may have tried to avoid being drafted to serve in Vietnam.

'A Clean Break'

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin spoke the most loudly against Bush, befitting the image he has created for himself as "The only real Democrat" in the campaign. Early in the debate, Harkin cited his "proven record of beating Republicans," and called for "a clean break with Reagan-Bush trickle-down economics."

Harkin got off to a questionable start, responding to the first three questions he was asked with speeches on other topics. Asked about defense spending cuts, for example, Harkin took the opportunity to "thank the people of New Hampshire" for their generosity and support. Later in the debate, however, Harkin outlined specific proposals of his five-point economic plan.

Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerry made what was probably the strongest showing relative to previous position in the polls, turning on his charm for the event.

Kerrey framed his Bush-bashing in terms of foreign aid, saying that the president had "his head outside the Cold War but his body still in it."

He said the president should be addressing the issue of national health care, a topic which the candidate emphasizes so heavily that many accuse him of being a single issue candidate. Kerrey tried to defuse this charge by calling health insurance "not the end [of his platform] but the beginning."

It was Brown who came out with the most novel strategy, pitting himself against front-runner Tsongas in a two-person race despite his lackluster place in the polls. He said Tsongas represented conservative, business-oriented concerns, while he maintained "a reform view."

While sharply critical of Bush, Brown was also more willing to put down his competitors, accusing Tsongas of supporting nuclear power, for instance.

In his closing statement, Brown prompted applause and laughter from the media hall next door when he gave out his toll-free contribution number for the third straight debate.