Pause. Long pause.

"I doubt it," Webb said. "I seriously doubt it."

* * *

Oh, The Horror: Poverty is a Democratic issue. Civil rights is a Democratic issue. The environment is a Democratic issue. So I expected the debate between campus Democrats and campus Republicans on those topics to be a total rout.

It was a rout. A Republican rout. An undeniable, unmistakable, wire-to-wire massacre.

The evening's prime performance was turned in by Stephen Howe '93, who wore an extremely sporty red bow tie but clearly knew very little about poverty. After prattling on about Republican "smokescreens" for a while (the Democrats really seemed to love that word), Howe produced a bold three-plank proposal:

1. Educate our children. (He didn't say how.)

2. Work should pay. (He didn't say how.)

3. The Earned Income Tax Credit.

In the Q&A session, Howe was asked if he had any concrete proposals, any policy prescriptions. He had three:

1. Educate our children.

2. Work should pay.

3. The Earned Income Tax Credit.

Of course, there already is an EITC. Not to worry. Howe said that the EITC hasn't worked under Reagan and Bush. Under a Democratic regime, Howe said, the EITC could be fixed.

He didn't say how.