1,000 JEAR BUCKLEY'S MCGOVERN'S PHILOSOPHIES; CONSERVATISM, LIBERALISM TOPIC OF SEMO DEBATE

Conservative William F. Buckley and liberal George McGovern sparred over their political ideologies before a packed house Thursday morning at Academic Hall Auditorium.

A crowd of over 1,000 showed up for the political debate between two of the nation's most prominent elder statesmen of political philosophy.

The event was part of a day of activities that culminated in the afternoon inauguration of Dr. Dale Nitzschke as Southeast Missouri State University's 16th president.

Some in the audience had difficulty hearing the soft-spoken Buckley.

The conservative columnist, commentator and publisher, accused McGovern of engaging in "political poetry."

"It is fun to listen to, but not anything to be guided by," said Buckley, who founded the National Review magazine in 1955.

Liberals, said Buckley, are attracted to the tax-and-regulate power of the federal government.

Buckley said the answers to the nation's problems rest largely with the private sector. Government, at any level, should be the last resort, he said.

McGovern defended liberal ideology. He said liberal policies and programs such as the G.I. Bill have helped this nation. The G.I. Bill funded college for veterans after World War II.

Said McGovern: "I am still a proud liberal. I honestly believe most Americans are liberals."

McGovern, a longtime friend of Nitzschke's, acknowledged that it takes tax money to fund programs. "It is true there is no such thing as a free lunch," he said.

The former U.S. senator and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate said he isn't a deficit-spending liberal. "I do believe in fiscal integrity. I think that is a mark of a responsible liberal," he said.

Buckley said money spent in the public sector is money taken out of the private sector.

Much of the tax money that goes to Washington is wasted, he said. The money that goes to Washington "spends the night out on the town," said Buckley.

McGovern said he hopes the conservative and liberal ideologies survive into the next century. The genius of American politics is the "creative tension" of conservative and liberal ideas, he said.

McGovern grew up in a conservative, Republican family in South Dakota. His father was a Methodist minister.

But he said he first saw the benefits of federal programs during the Great Depression when the government put people to work.

"They provided Social Security for our grandparents," said McGovern.

Buckley said the welfare system has been a failure. Crime, illiteracy and other social problems have become rampant, he said.

The family unit is falling apart, he said.

Buckley said he doesn't believe all Americans should go to college.

He said 25 percent of college students drop out after the first year, and half of all college students don't graduate.

Buckley pointed out that conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh was a Southeast dropout. "He has done alright," said Buckley.

Southeast paid $20,000 to Buckley and $10,000 to McGovern for the debate. The money came from private donations. The debate was taped for later broadcast on C-SPAN.