Hopefuls in 5th offer war strategies

By Bob Gibson

Published: October 24, 2006

LYNCHBURG - The only televised debate in the 5th District congressional race produced many divergent views but no surprises Monday night from Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, Nelson County Democrat Al Weed and Greene County Independent Green Joseph Oddo.

Goode, Weed and Oddo differed on the war in Iraq as well as the need for reform in Washington as the three responded quickly to a series of questions at the Liberty University event carried live on WVIR-TV (NBC 29) in Charlottesville.

Goode, who is seeking a sixth two-year term in Congress, has supported President Bush on the war and said he looks for Bush’s Iraq Study Group chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton to determine a reasonable exit strategy.

“I think Sen. [John W.] Warner is on target when he says we need to change direction in Iraq,” Goode said. “I hope that the United States could reasonably and responsibly withdraw from Iraq in a way that is in the best interests of the United States.”

Weed blamed the Bush administration for a failed policy in Iraq and said, “We need to pull out as quickly as we can and as safely as we can.”

“I would have voted against going to war in Iraq,” said Weed, a veteran of the U.S. Army special forces. “There was never a strategy. There was never a plan. We have a disaster in Iraq today and the Republican administration is entirely responsible for it.”

Oddo said the United States is militarily involved in too many places in the world and needs to get out of Iraq.

“We have to get out of this mess, folks,” the independent candidate said. “When we go into places like Iraq, we never seem to leave.”

Goode defended his record of seeking and getting earmarked spending items for the 5th District, while Weed said that federal spending earmarks are part of the problem in Washington and have ballooned the deficit. Oddo called himself an advocate for the “Fair Tax” proposal to replace the Internal Revenue Service and income taxes with a national sales tax of slightly more than 23 percent.

Goode said the federal deficit could be slashed if Congress would cut foreign aid and close the nation’s borders to illegal immigration.

“Illegal immigration is a huge problem facing this country,” Goode said. “I believe we need to secure our border and stop the illegals from coming across.”

Weed said that Goode has done little to go after those who hire illegal immigrants, but the congressman said he sponsored legislation with a California congressman to propose a $50,000 fine for every illegal immigrant a business hires. The bill has not become law.

Weed said he, like most Virginia voters, believes “America is on the wrong track” under Bush. “It’s time for a change.” He said that Goode “is reluctant to call himself a Republican candidate” this year.

Oddo provided some of the debate’s lighter moments as he challenged both the Democrat and the Republican as symptomatic of the problems in Washington.

“The independents are not going away. They are gaining,” Oddo said. He called himself “a common-sense conservative - more conservative than these two.” He said several times that more people should seek public office as independents.

All three candidates agreed that alternative fuels are needed to replace the nation’s dependence on oil, and they complimented each other on proposals to promote switchgrass as a biofuel alternative.

The candidates debate once more from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on public radio station WVTF (88.5 FM).

They also will appear together at two debates not scheduled for broadcast, one tonight in Danville and one Nov. 1 at Hampden-Sydney College.

Contact Bob Gibson at 434 978-7243 or .