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By LOU HATTER Rappahannock News Staff Writer WILLIAMSBURG — For the five Democratic candidates for President who debated here Monday, it was the 24th time they had faced each other — and the voters. The strain of the long campaign was evident. After a debate in Atlanta on Sunday, Sen. A1 Gore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gov. Michael Dukakis, Sen. Gary Hart and Rep. Richard Gephardt arrived in Colonial Williamsburg late Monday afternoon. Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, who indicated last week that he intended to participate, did not. Sen. Simon’s campaign is on hold until after Super Tuesday. The debate, which centered on economic issues, was marked by fractious exchanges between the participants, who chided each other over previous votes and alleged “flip-flops” on campaign promises. Rep. Gephardt found himself the target of particularly hostile exchanges: Sen. Gore asked Rep. Gephardt if he thought the “ReaganGephardt tax bill” of 1981 was fair. Mr. Gephardt responded that he thought any tax bill which cut taxes to middle income families was a good idea. “Is it fair?” Sen. Gore persisted, “Is it fair?” “Are you finished?” Rep. Gep-hardt shot back. “Are you finished?” “If you’ll answer the question,” Sen. Gore replied. “I thought they taught you manners at St. Alban’s,” was Rep. Gep-hardt’s terse response, adding, “You bet it’s fair to give two-thirds of the cuts to families that earn less than $50,000.” “But was the bill fair?” Sen. Gore asked again. "Can you hear, Al?" Rep. Gep-hardt replied testily. After the debate, Sen. Gore told reporters he thought Rep. Gep-phardt’s ad campaign, attacking Democrats who had voted against the tax cut, was “scurrilous . . . It’s outrageous for a Democratic candidate to tout the Reagan tax bill —and to criticize those who voted against it.” Gov. Dukakis promised a reply to the ads, and Sen. Gore said he would probably — albeit reluctantly — respond also. Gov. Dukakis crossed swords with Rep. Gephardt as well, when the Massachusetts governor explained that the oil import tax favored by Rep. Gephardt would wreak havoc on the economy of Mexico. “Are you running for President of Mexico or President of the United States?” Mr. Gephardt retorted. Sen. Hart, who has refused to take any political action comSee DEBATE, p. 14
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