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Cuccinelli, McAuliffe talk shutdown, abortion – and more

Posted at 11:37 PM, Oct 10, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-10 23:37:07-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) -- You've seen the campaign ads, with Ken Cuccinelli and Terry McAuliffe vying for your vote.

With less than a month remaining until Election Day, Midlothian resident Betty Garrett tells CBS 6’s Lorenzo Hall, she is still undecided.

“I really don’t know what either of them are standing for,” says Garrett.

That's why Garrett attended a forum at the University of Richmond Thursday night, where Cuccinelli and McAuliffe answered questions from the university’s president about a range of issues like the government shutdown.

While the two agreed on bipartisanship when it comes to a resolution in DC, their differences were clear throughout the night, from healthcare and creating jobs to generating business and improving education.

The stark contrast was more evident when both were questioned about social issues. Cuccinelli made it known, he wanted to avoid that discussion but did clarify his stance on funding abortion.

“We’ll do that in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother. That's it,” said Cuccinelli.

McAuliffe responded by saying, “For him to stand up on this stage and do a deliberate falsehood and mislead the Virginia voters as it relates to such a fundamental women’s right issue is just plain wrong.”

At the same time, Cuccinelli wanted to show the difference between the two when it comes to relatability, constantly painting McAuliffe as a disingenuous businessman--- like pointing out his role as an investor in a Rhode Island insurance scam that targeted the terminally ill.

“You can't make this stuff up. He was investing in people dying,” says Cuccinelli.

“I was a passive investor in a life insurance annuity pool and that's all I knew,” responded McAuliffe.

Missing from U of R’s forum was Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Robert Sarvis.

The university says it will hold a similar forum for Sarvis on Oct. 23.