Pubdate: Sat, 12 Aug 2000
Source: Oakland Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2000 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
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Author: John Sanford, Staff Writer

GOP MAVERICK BEGS TO DISAGREE

Tom Campbell Is Cool, Contrary In Senate Bid

SAN RAMON -- U.S. Senate-hopeful Tom Campbell made good on his reputation as a Republican party maverick Friday during a town hall-style meeting at the San Ramon Community Center.

Campbell, a U.S. representative from Campbell, answered questions from an audience of 20 area residents. On more than one occasion, he chose to "respectfully disagree" with his queriers' positions that were more closely aligned with mainstream GOP views.

For example, he said he is against the idea of drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Preserve.

He said the oil gained from such a venture would have only a "negligible" impact on the domestic oil supply. But he said he supported the idea of quadrupling the National Oil Reserve by purchasing foreign oil when prices are low. That way, he said, the United States would have some leverage against Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. He also said he is against Federal policing of the Internet to regulate the unsavory material that appears there.

"I will oppose ... to my last breath censorship by the government," he said.

Responding to a query about narcotics, Campbell said the war on drugs "is doomed to failure."

He said the U.S. plan to send more military resources down to Colombia to help with drug interdiction is an exercise in futility -- that even if the drug production were stopped in Colombia, another South American country would become the center of production, then another, and another, and so on.

"As long as we demand drugs, the supply won't go away," he said.

He said he favored using the money spent on interdiction in Colombia for drug rehabilitation, noting that there are many drug addicts that want to become clean but can't find a place to do so.

One questioner opposed the right of American Indian nations to permit gambling casinos on their reservations.

Campbell, who has been a professor at Stanford University Law School since 1983, pointed out that the American Indian nations are sovereign entities.

And while Campbell touts his belief in "compassionate social policies," he is a fiercely conservative from a fiscal standpoint.

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation rated Campbell most fiscally responsible of all members of the House of Representatives.

He voted to impeach President Clinton but also voted against Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House.

But he faces an uphill battle to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who leads in the polls.

Feinstein, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate in 1992 and has a strong name recognition throughout the state.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager