Campbell’s Differences : THE AD

* Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Palo Alto) launched a new television commercial Friday that offers the Campbell view of differences between him and his leading opponent, conservative Los Angeles broadcast commentator Bruce Herschensohn, in the campaign for the six-year U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Alan Cranston, who is retiring. Showing Campbell in a head shot speaking to voters, Campbell says: “I’m pro-choice--he’s not. He doesn’t believe government should provide Social Security--I think it should. He wants to stop all federal funding for AIDS research--I disagree. I want to strengthen the Department of Education--he wants to abolish it.”

ANALYSIS

* Campbell does support a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion, although in the past he opposed federal funding to pay for abortions. Herschensohn says there is no agreement on when life begins, so his position is to “err on the side of life.” He had supported a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn Roe vs. Wade, but now believes that is unnecessary because of the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court.

As a commentator, Herschensohn proposed the privatization of Social Security. However, he also has said that as a senator he would not do anything to jeopardize anyone’s Social Security benefits. If an acceptable privatization program can be found, it most likely would increase benefits, he said.

Regarding AIDS research, Herschensohn says, as he does with most issues, he prefers that private business take over such activities. If that is not possible, the work should be done at the most local level of government possible, and at the federal level as a last resort.

Herschensohn does support abolition of the U.S. Department of Education, with its functions transferred to other federal agencies and the states.