Originally appeared in the Star Ledger on 10/17/01
BY JOE DONOHUE AND THOMAS MARTELLO
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

The gloves came off last night in the New Jersey gubernatorial race as Democrat Jim McGreevey and Republican Bret Schundler clashed over social issues, taxes and auto insurance in a rowdy radio debate.

Appearing on New Jersey 101.5 WKXW, the two candidates turned the volume up on campaign charges, accused each other of lying about their records and positions, and reinforced themes that are playing in their campaign commercials. Their attacks were much more blunt than in their first televised debate one week ago.

Responding to one question about guns, Schundler and McGreevey talked over each other so much, neither candidate's point got across. At one point, Schundler called McGreevey a "hypocrite" and said he was "lying flat out" about his stance on guns. McGreevey said some of Schundler's figures were "gibberish." When Schundler interrupted him McGreevey said: "Could you please be respectful?"

Following the hour-long debate in the station's Ewing studio, McGreevey accused Schundler of diminishing the tone of the campaign, saying there was more civility when he ran against former Gov. Christie Whitman four years ago.

Schundler responded by saying he has "never seen anybody who is as dishonest as Jim McGreevey. If he finds it regrettable that I respond to his outright dishonesty, I'm sorry, Jim."

With just three weeks left before Election Day, both candidates sought to press home the issues they are featuring in campaign ads. And every chance they got, the two bickered over their records as mayors.

McGreevey kept hammering Schundler's school choice plan, contending it would sap dollars from public education. Schundler continued his mantra that McGreevey would raise taxes. The two kept returning to these points, even when callers to the station had asked about completely different subjects, sometimes exasperating moderator Eric Scott.

Again and again, Schundler pounded away on taxes.

"This guy has raised every tax he's ever seen . . . He voted for every single Jim Florio tax increase. He voted against the Republican tax cuts when they came into power. He has never been a friend of the taxpayer."

When Schundler was asked whether he would refrain from raising taxes, he replied: "Absolutely that's what I'm saying. I will cut taxes."

McGreevey criticized Schundler for proposing "upwards of $3.2 billion in spending" and said the state "has to live within our means."

"I'm saying today as governor that there's no reason why we should raise taxes and I'm committing to cut government so that we live within our means and not raise taxes," McGreevey said.

McGreevey pounded away on Schundler's school choice proposal, which would help parents pay for their children to move from public schools to private ones, at a state cost of up to $585 million for tax credits to businesses and individuals donating to a scholarship fund.

"Mr. Schundler wants to drain public education, literally, of $600 million," McGreevey said.

Schundler said the school choice program would save tax dollars and help school children. He consistently derided McGreevey for supporting a recently enacted school construction program, saying it would funnel $8 billion into urban schools. The plan would actually spend about $6 billion on poor schools and about $2.5 billion to help school construction in districts of all means.

The two also debated auto insurance. McGreevey derided Schundler's proposal to allow motorists to drop pain and suffering coverage in return for lower rates, saying it would hurt New Jersey drivers. Schundler was equally disdainful of McGreevey's talk about reducing rates by cracking down on fraud and the uninsured.

"Jim, your time is over," Schundler said. "Everything that you've proposed has been done and it hasn't changed anything."

"No, it hasn't been done," McGreevey fired back.

McGreevey, who has consistently said Schundler's views on guns and abortions are not in line with most voters, hit him again on the issues.

"The big difference between me and Mr. Schundler is I believe it's a personal decision. It's a woman's decision. Mr. Schundler believes the state or Mr. Schundler should make that decision for the women of New Jersey," McGreevey said.

Schundler said he opposes abortion, and that he would work for a ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions.

"The reality is you can't do much with regard to abortion. It has already been decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. What we could do is end partial-birth abortion.

"Jim McGreevey has constantly misrepresented my position on issue after issue after issue," Schundler added.

At one point, Scott gave the candidates 45 seconds to say something nice about each other.

McGreevey replied first. He praised Schundler as a "hard worker" and said he respects his passion. He said he worked with him as a mayor and thought he was a "decent person." Even so, he used just 15 seconds.

Schundler started out by calling McGreevey "very disciplined" but then, after four seconds, said with a laugh, "I think he memorizes extremely well." At 36 seconds, Schundler started taking issue with McGreevey's remark about state aid to Jersey City.

"That doesn't sound very complimentary," Scott said.

The two candidates will face each other again on Thursday at a town hall meeting at Rowan University. The second of two mandatory televised debates will be held Oct. 25 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

Staff writer Ron Marsico contributed to this report.