Immigration, Iraq rule debate

Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Miller and his Republican challenger, Vernon Robinson, sharply disagreed Friday on the war in Iraq. Miller called for a gradual withdrawal of troops, while Robinson charged that Miller was undermining the morale of U.S troops

In a 30-minute debate to be aired tonight on WRAL-TV, the candidates for the 13th U.S. House District also sharply disagreed on such issues as immigration and homosexual rights.

The debate reflected the division in the country over Iraq -- an issue that polls suggest is dominating the midterm elections in North Carolina and across the country.

Miller, a Raleigh lawyer who is seeking a third term in Congress, said the American presence in Iraq is resented by many Iraqis and that U.S. troops are caught in a crossfire.

"Part of what we need to do to let the Iraqi people know we are not there to stay ... is to negotiate with their government a flexible timetable for withdrawal," Miller said.

But Robinson, a former Winston-Salem council member, said Miller's stance in the campaign was different from a resolution he supported last fall which called on President Bush to begin withdrawing troops as soon as possible. "Gas up the trucks," Miller was quoted as saying a year ago.

"The bottom line is you are undermining the morale of our troops," Robinson said. "I know you didn't serve. I did serve."

Robinson, 51, is a former Air Force officer who now operates a group that advocates for charter schools. Miller, 53, did not serve in the military.

"What we need to do in Iraq is to win," Robinson said. "If we don't, then one day one of the al-Qaeda members is going show up in New York, Washington or Raleigh with a thermonuclear device and kill millions of Americans."

Robinson said he could not offer an objective measure of when the troops should be brought home, saying they should stay until the insurgency is crushed.

Robinson has gained national attention for his provocative TV ads against illegal immigrants.

Robinson said he did not favor expelling the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. But he said he supported tougher penalties on employers who hire illegal workers, and sending in 5,000 Marines to seal the U.S. border with Mexico.

"Illegal immigrants will go home if they have no jobs," Robinson said.

Miller defended his vote this fall in favor of a bill that builds 700 miles of fence along the border, after having voted against a similar proposal last year.

Miller said he voted against the earlier bill because "it was more political," and because it would turn illegal immigrants into felons, overwhelming law enforcement. He also said it would make "unrealistic" demands on businesses in screening people they hire.

Miller said more money is needed for border security, which he said has been underfunded by the Bush administration.