Associated Press - Gilmore Pummels Warner on Bailout

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Last Senate Campaign Debate

Bob Lewis

Republican James S. Gilmore III denounced Friday's federal bailout of the financial industry during the race's final debate and relentlessly attacked Democrat Mark Warner for supporting it.

"It rewards people with $700 billion of taxpayer money and sends that money into the hands of Wall Street high rollers who in fact took risks and should not have taken those risks," Mr. Gilmore said during the debate, held at the Taubman Museum of Art.

Combative throughout the televised and hourlong confrontation, Mr. Gilmore, 58, put Mr. Warner, 53, on the defensive several times, frequently cutting into the Democrat's rebuttals. Mr. Warner explained that while he disliked the bill and the pork spending inserted into it, he would have voted for it to avert a failing credit market, millions of job losses and global economic catastrophe.

"I would have supported this package, not because it's a perfect package, but too often in politics, the perfect can be the enemy of the good," Mr. Warner said, noting that the bailout had bipartisan support.

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