001002.txt Debate season in full swing Melanie Fonder News-Chronicle WASHINGTON - While the political world gears up for the first of three debates between the presidential candidates beginning tomorrow night, the state's congressional candidates have already completed a few of their own face-offs. On Friday, Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., faced his Republican challenger John Gillespie, Appleton, in Wausau. Much of their debate focused on abortion, following Thursday's Food and Drug Administration's approval of RU-486, a so-called "abortion pill." Gillespie, the founder of the Rawhide Boys Ranch, said he would work to overturn the approval of the rule if elected. Kohl, who is pro-choice, said he would not support a reversal of the FDA's ruling. In the Senate, Kohl said he has voted in favor of some restrictions on abortion, including a ban on late-term abortions, except if the mother's life is in danger. Kohl, who was first elected in 1988 and re-elected in 1994, is heavily favored to win in November. A poll released by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WTMJ-TV Channel 4 last week gave Kohl a 64-23 percent lead over his opponent. At another debate on Friday, Rep. Jerry Kleczka, D-Milwaukee, and his Republican opponent, Tim Riener, sparred over the recent public debate on energy policy generated from high oil prices. Riener attacked President Clinton's decision last week to release 30 millions barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, while Kleczka argued the move will help consumers across the state in lowering gas prices at the pump and in heating their homes this winter. Kleczka is also expected to win a ninth term in the House. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who arguably has the most contested re-election race in the state, has also agreed to several debates with her GOP challenger John Sharpless, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor. Details are being still being worked out, according to Jerilyn Goodman, Baldwin's campaign spokeswoman. ADS BATTLEGROUND If political ads in Green Bay seem dominated by Vice President Al Gore commercials, that's because they are. Since June 1, the Democratic National Committee and Gore have aired more ads there than in any other media market. Milwaukee comes in fourth. Bush's top television ad campaign targets have been in several markets in Florida. While presidential nominees Gore and Gov. George W. Bush have spent considerable time and money in the "battleground" states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Florida as part of their respective campaign strategies, the question of who is footing the bill for their televisions campaigns is intriguing. According to an ongoing study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, outside groups like Handgun Control Inc. and the AFL-CIO have considerably aided Gore in the critical states. While the Republican National Committee spent greater than $1.3 million more on TV ads for the week ending Sept. 20 than Gore, according to the study, Gore has the outside groups picking up $1.1 million in slack. For the same time period, Bush had only $17,227 funding from groups. SLOW GOING TO BREAK Both the House and Senate inched forward last week on the legislative action they need to complete before the end of the session. While lawmakers are acutely aware of the need to wrap up their work in time to campaign in their districts, many pet projects are landing in the final versions of bills. On Thursday, the House passed a $23.3 billion Energy and Water appropriations package 301-118. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, criticized this week's version and said it had more than $2 billion than a version he approved of in July. Wisconsin lawmakers split strictly along party lines, with four Democrats opposed and five Republicans voting in favor of passage of the bill. President Clinton has promised to veto the bill over environmental language concerning a project to protect wildlife in the upper Missouri River. The version is now under consideration in the Senate. Even though the fiscal year ended at midnight Saturday, there are 10 remaining appropriations bills that need to be finalized. Lawmakers approved an interim measure to keep the government running until this Saturday. This column by Fonder, a staff writer for The Hill, a Washington-based weekly newspaper that covers Congress, appears every Monday in the News-Chronicle. You can send her comments via e-mail at melfonder@yahoo.com.