DALTON —
Nathan Deal told voters Saturday that they deserve a governor with a college degree. Karen Handel said they deserve one with ethics.
The two GOP candidates, locked in a tightening runoff campaign, took aim at each other in a televised debate sponsored by Channel 2 Action News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM.
The candidates answered questions but gave few specifics about what they would do in terms of transportation, water and education policy, both contending they would be able to work best with the Legislature to find solutions for tough problems.
Deal, a former congressman from Gainesville, said state lawmakers, many of whom have announced their support for him, want a governor who would listen to them. Handel, the former Secretary of State, said her record of working successfully as chairwoman of the often fractious, Democratic-dominated Fulton County Commission proved she had the political skills to get things done.
Handel said she supports passing some version of the Arizona immigration law that has been partially knocked down by a federal court. She said she would watch the court case to see how to shape such a law and she wants to hold employers accountable. Deal noted the state already has four counties that are working with federal officials to identify illegal immigrants and argued that policy should be statewide.
But the candidates spent much of the 30-minute debate assailing each other — as they have throughout the campaign.
Deal said Handel’s lack of a college degree would send the wrong signal to young people regarding the importance of education. Handel said Deal was ethically challenged, citing the ethics investigation against him while he was a member of Congress that has now morphed into a federal grand-jury investigation. Deal said he was not the target of the federal investigation and had cooperated fully with authorities.
A bipartisan congressional committee found Deal likely acted improperly when he and his staff intervened to protect a state program that earned Deal’s company nearly $300,000 a year.
Handel said that was an example of why she supported strong conflict-of-interest laws. She said state officials shouldn’t be permitted to have business relationships with the state. “I know it’s uncomfortable perhaps for some, certainly for Nathan and maybe others out there, to talk about ethics,” Handel said. “Ethics matter.”
Deal said it was unfair to prohibit part-time legislators from having business relationships with the state. He said what mattered was whether the relationships were transparent.
He tried to turn the ethics issue against Handel by saying the watchdog group that brought the charge prompting the congressional investigation also had brought charges against Handel’s best-known supporter, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Handel wanted Palin’s support while giving credibility to the group that attacked her, he said.
“You know Ms. Handel says she believes she has lipstick and a pocketbook,” Deal said, alluding to Handel’s negative political ads against him. “I don’t believe her handbag is big enough to carry enough lipstick to cover that kind of hypocrisy.”
Local News
August 8, 2010
Deal, Handel short on specifics at debate
- Local News
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