"HAMPDEN-SYDNEY - U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. went on the offensive Tuesday night, attacking his opponent Al Weed, a Nelson County Democrat, in the opening minutes of the candidates’ final political forum before Election Day.

During his opening statement at the Hampden-Sydney College forum, Goode demanded an apology from Weed, a candidate he called more liberal than U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, for comments he made to a pro-gay marriage crowd in Charlottesville earlier this year.

Weed called opponents of gay marriage - including state Republicans - part of an American Taliban.

Weed didn’t apologize and instead sought to quell any attempts at defining him as a liberal candidate, saying the dictionary defines a liberal as a generous, open-minded person.

The two candidates for the 5th Congressional District have appeared together at least seven times over the past two weeks, debating at various venues and trading the occasional barb over social and economic issues.

Tuesday’s forum covered topics including immigration, the draft and health care.

Weed said porous borders hurt America, but something must be done to help immigrants who come to the United States for work.

“Industry would not exist without them,” he said, adding that fair enforcement of the existing immigration laws would solve the problems.

Goode said he has no problem with legal immigrants, those with work visas. It’s the illegal immigrants that come across the border for health care that trouble him.

“Illegals simply want into this country and pose a significant impact on the economy,” he said.

On the draft issue, Goode said it is not needed.

“The volunteer force has worked well, is working well,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t support a draft “under any circumstances.”

Weed characterized the current stop-loss orders that retain active duty personnel beyond their scheduled end date, a back-door draft.

“If recruitment was that good, that wouldn’t be necessary,” he said. “The Army is very nearly broken.”

Also Tuesday, Weed said his solution for Southside Virginia’s ailing economy, health care problems and free trade issues, is a single-payer health insurance system.

That frees Americans’ entrepreneurial spirit, he said, which allows them to create jobs while knowing they will be covered under a federal health care system.

America’s health care system is 2.5 times more expensive than any other industrialized country, Weed said. “We’re wasting [money] because we’re recycling funds into a broken system.”

Goode said the single-payer plan is too expensive and still wouldn’t solve the problems facing the uninsured.

He supports a health insurance check off on taxpayer’s federal tax returns to help the uninsured.

“It’s not a cure all, but it is a way that doesn’t cost the taxpayer any money,” he said.

Goode also supports refundable tax credits to help offset health care costs for all Americans.

Weed called his opponent’s four terms in office ineffective, saying the few things he has managed to accomplish “is a fix to a boil when what we need is major surgery.”

Goode, responding to a question about the tobacco buyout legislation that recently became law, said, “Al Weed can’t stand it because I’ve delivered the goods and carried the freight.”" (Kevin Crossett, The Daily Progress, October 27, 2004)