Campus groups prepare to debate

The Presidential debates ended two weeks ago, but campus political groups have one more chance to go head-to-head. \nCollege Democrats, College Republicans, IUB Greens and IU Libertarians will debate at 8:30 p.m. today in State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union. \nGolden Key National Honor Society is sponsoring this debate, the last in a two-part series. One member from each group will speak in a format similar to that of the third presidential debate, with the opportunity for audience members to ask questions of the debaters.\nSenior Carrie Friedrich, President of Golden Key, said the debate will feature short opening statements by each party followed by a traditional question-and-answer segment. Each debater will have up to three minutes to respond, with a chance for rebuttal once all parties have answered.\nCollege Republicans President Anne Scuffham, a senior, said she hopes other students will get as excited about the debates as she is. \n"I think these debates are the perfect opportunity for the students of IU to see each party on campus represented fairly," Scuffham said. "From (the debates) I hope people will pick the party that best represents them."\nJunior Cassidy Cloyd, president of College Democrats, said she too is excited for the chance to explain how her party differs from the others. Cloyd will be the Democrats' debater this time around, and she was hard at work Tuesday night putting the final touches on her speech.\nToday's debate will focus on taxes and the war on drugs, which didn't receive much attention from Vice President Al Gore or Gov. George W. Bush in the national debates. But the Green and Libertarian parties hope to bring the issue to the forefront of political discussion. \nBoth groups believe the federal government's fight to keep illegal drugs -- especially marijuana -- out of the country is financially draining and in violation of individuals' natural rights. \nAccording to a release from the IU Libertarians, Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne recently purchased a television ad slamming Gore and Bush for their alleged drug use during the 1960s and 1970s. \nIn the ad, which was shown on UPN Friday, Browne asks, "Would Al Gore and George Bush be better off today, if, for their youthful indiscretions, they had served 10 years in prison?"\nOn the matter of taxes all four groups have a vocal history; representatives expect debate about their candidates' widely differing tax plans to be a focal point of the evening. Bush and Gore have both said they are committed to reducing taxes, with Bush calling Gore's tax plan fiscally irresponsible and Gore accusing Bush of reducing taxes mainly for the wealthiest Americans. \nGreen Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader, said on his Web site that he advocates progressive taxation, or an increase in tax rates corresponding with an increase in personal income. Additionally, Nader said he supports taxing of pollution, stock market speculation and other "things we don't like."\nBrowne and the Libertarians, in contrast, support an eventual elimination of taxes, relying instead a "user fee." The Libertarian Party was founded on the principle that government's only role is to protect its citizens from fraud and follow the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution.