University of Virginia Library

State Party Chairmen Debate Election,
Trade Shots On Corruption, Inflation

By LIBBY WITHERS

Virginia political party
chairmen Joseph T. Fitzpartick
and Richard D. Obenshain
exchanged praise and criticism
of the Nixon administration in
a Charlottesville debate
Tuesday night.

Mr. Fitzpatrick, state
Democratic party chairman,
spoke first in the forum,
sponsored at Walker Jr. High
School by the Thomas
Jefferson Lodge chapter of
B'nai B'rith.

He began with a humorous
tirade on former Va. Gov. Mills
Godwin (a Democrat for
Nixon) saying "The
Republicans have got Godwin
and they can have him. He left
large debts to the Democrats."

Mr. Fitzpatrick discussed
Mr. Godwin's part in the Byrd
organization, "which has
always stood for integrity." He
mentioned the Nixon
administration's $100 billion
national debt, the ITT scandal,
the Watergate incident, the
Russian wheat deal, and
Republican secret funds.

"Think about integrity and
responsible leadership, and
explain these things to
Virginia," he said.

Attacking the Nixon
administration for higher
corporate profits while
workers' wages are frozen, he
said, "I'm a banker and I say
it's not fair to freeze wages and
not interest rates."

"George McGovern wants to
eliminate some of the waste in
the military budget," Mr.
Fitzpatrick added. "Waste like
the cost overrun for C-5
A's–an amount which equaled
the entire budget for the State
of Virginia."

In his endorsement of Sen.
William B. Spong Jr.,
incumbent U.S. Senate
candidate, he compared Mr.
Spong's voting record to that
of his opponent, William Scott.

Mr. Fitzpatrick attacked Mr.
Scott for voting against
revenue sharing and
environmental programs while
voting for big-spending
programs, such as Lockheed
and SST.

He praised Mr. Spong for
voting against Mr. Scott on all
these issues.

Mr. Fitzpatrick lent support
to Murat William's Seventh
District Congressional
campaign, quoting Sen. John
V. Tunney's (D-Calif.)
statement, "Murat has the best
credentials I've seen this year of
anyone running for Congress."

Mr. Obenshain, state
Republican party chairman,
praised President Nixon's
accomplishments, saying "The
heart of this campaign is the
fact that the people of this
country are very pleased with
the moral stewardship of
Richard Nixon."

He emphasized Mr. Nixon's
impact in arresting the national
crime rate and calming college
campus unrest. Our campuses
"Can now return to pursuits of
serious study," he said.

Mr. Obenshain praised Mr.
Nixon for beginning to control
the U.S. drug abuse problem
by training teachers, military
officers, and students.

He also cited favorable
impressions created in other
countries and in the U.S. by
Mr. Nixon's "dynamic,
progressive policies abroad. He
has balanced negotiation with
military power," Mr.
Obenshain said.

He attacked Congress for
passing "big-spending bill after
big-spending bill" and for
"saddling the President."

"Nothing is more important
in 1972 than sending a
Republican Congress to
Washington...therefore, the
Seventh District must elect Bill
Scott and J. Kenneth
Robinson," Mr. Obenshain
said.

Mr. Obenshain's speech
attacked Mr. Spong's voting
record and his habit of
overriding Mr. Nixon's veto at
every chance.

Each speaker issued brief
rebuttals and the forum
concluded after questions from
the audience. Assoc.
Government and Foreign
Affairs Prof. Ralph Eisenberg
moderated the forum.