Democrats turn up heat

The three Democratic candidates for governor tangled in a spirited and tense debate last night, arguing over a host of policy issues, the economy, tax cuts, healthcare, and, in heated exchanges, over personal wealth and career track records.

Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, former corporate lawyer and federal civil rights chief Deval L. Patrick, and businessman Christopher Gabrieli dramatically sharpened their differences in the televised debate at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. It set a new, aggresssive tone for the final stretch to the Sept. 19 primary.

Reilly accused Gabrieli of leaking a damaging background report on Reilly's choice of running mate in January; Patrick and Reilly charged that Gabrieli is using his wealth to attempt to buy the governor's office; and Patrick criticized Reilly's handling of the Big Dig. Reilly also tried to paint Patrick and Gabrieli as out-of-touch millionaires while arguing that he represents ``regular people."

``Chris, I have to tell you I am very disappointed in you," said Reilly, adding the leak that led to a story in yesterday's Boston Globe came from Gabrieli's campaign chair, whom he did not name. The Globe reported that Reilly had received a full background report detailing St. Fleur's financial problems just hours before he announced she was his choice. St. Fleur dropped out of the race a day after the announcement, when the Globe reported she was delinquent on her taxes.

Reilly launched the attack last night just a few minutes into the debate, ignoring a question about tax policy. His charge seemed to catch Gabrieli and the moderator, former New Hampshire governor Jeanne Shaheen, off guard. Shaheen interrupted Reilly because he was not responding to the question.

But a few minutes later, when asked by a panelist if his handling of the decision to choose St. Fleur raised questions about his management skills, Reilly attacked Gabrieli again, accusing him of violating the Dorchester lawmaker's privacy by exposing the details of her financial problems.

``What does it say -- and I say this to you Chris very seriously -- about the character of a person who is running for governor that they would use something like this for political gain and advantage," Reilly asked Gabrieli. ``What is wrong is that someone would take confidential privacy information and turn it around for political advantage."

Gabrieli did not deny during the debate that he or his campaign was the source of the leaked report, but suggested that Reilly should focus on the issues and not resort to ``personal attacks." He later told reporters the financial information did not come from his campaign.

``I think my character is pretty clear," Gabrieli said, citing his record in public and private life.

Patrick then jumped into the fray, saying the issues raised in the Globe article are relevant.

``What's wrong is that apparently you knew about this information and then you told the public you didn't, and that's the reason why the question about trust is a valid one," Patrick said.

The much-anticipated debate has been looked upon by the candidates and their strategists as a pivotal moment in the Democratic primary campaign.

With polls showing the three candidates in a tight race, the campaign strategists and other observers felt that at least Reilly and Gabrieli needed to shake up the campaign by highlighting differences among the three candidates.

The event was sponsored by the Globe, NECN, WCVB-TV, WGBH-TV, WHDH-TV, and WBUR radio.

After the debate, Reilly said he was suggesting that the source of the background report was a Gabrieli campaign supporter, Cheryl Cronin, a Boston lawyer and close friend of St. Fleur. She is not the chairwoman of the campaign and last night denied being the source.

``That would have been impossible because I was never provided with a copy of the report," Cronin said. ``That type of baseless accusation is really unfortunate."

In the debate, Reilly also turned his sights on Patrick, pointing to a previously reported federal tax lien filed after Patrick and his wife missed payments on their 1996 returns. He also rebuked Patrick for serving on the board of Ameriquest Mortgage, the firm that earlier this year settled a $325 million predatory lending case brought by 48 states.

``Deval, you've just criticized me for Marie St. Fleur. You had your own tax problems as well. You were a private lawyer and a high-ranking official at the Justice Department. The United States of America has imposed a tax lien on you to pay your taxes," Reilly said. ``Now, if Marie St. Fleur can't be lieutenant governor because of her tax liens, why can you be governor?"

The lien was filed in August 1996 and satisfied in March 1997.

Reilly said that, as an attorney general who participated in the Ameriquest case, he had collected $12 million from the settlement funds for Massachusetts consumers while Patrick was collecting $360,000 a year as a director of the company.

``I've been on the side of the people," Reilly said, looking at Patrick. ``You've been on the side of Ameriquest, the largest, most notorious, predatory lender in the history of this country."

Responded Patrick: ``You know perfectly well that I was brought in to be a part of that solution. I helped deliver that settlement and I am proud of that and you ought to be proud of it too."

But Reilly also found himself on the defensive when Patrick suggested that his criminal investigations into contractors and the recent fatal ceiling collapse and his cost-recovery attempts on the Big Dig did not hold the public's confidence because he had taken large donations from contractors who worked on the project.

Patrick said the public would trust only an independent review of the Central Artery/Tunnel project. ``Frankly, I don't think it can come from you," he said to Reilly.

Reilly said that his office is working vigorously on the case, promising that his investigation and legal actions will bear fruit. Reilly also said he would not be pushed into making quick decisions because he is running for governor.

``The one thing I won't do is put this case on a political calendar," Reilly said.

Patrick brushed aside the shot at him with another criticism of Reilly's stewardship of the Big Dig investigations.

``Frankly Tom, if you had shown this kind of curiosity about the Big Dig, we'd all be better off right now," Patrick said.

Reilly and Patrick both accused Gabrieli, a self-made millionaire who has spent nearly $8 million of his own money on his campaign, of trying to buy the governor's job.

``We have 20,000 donors," said Patrick. ``Chris Gabrieli has one. People will decide and can decide whether a form of government that is about the grass roots, encouraging people to check back in, is what they want or a form of government that is about the rich seizing it and taking advantage of it because they can pay for it."

Said Reilly: ``You can't buy the governor's office in Massachusetts. It's not for sale. What really matters is whose side you've been on. I've been on the side of the people of Massachusetts for 16 years, fighting for safer streets and neighborhoods and taking on the big corporations that you and Deval were making millions of dollars on."

Gabrieli said his record in business appeals to voters. ``In this campaign, yeah, I'm putting in everything I've got -- my time, my energy and significant personal resources -- 'cause I care about this state. I don't need the job. I care about whether this state finally gets back on track.

``The fact I've been a success . . . I think most people look at me and say, ``that's the kind of governor we want. Someone who knows how to succeed.' "