Clements and Foe on Their Best Behavior, Almost
j^fcJSTIN, Oct. 12ÛÓA sharp rise in Texas un-|l|ipldyment and a nearly statewide audience put G'6\CBill Clements and his Democratic challenger. Attorney General Mark White, on their best behavior when they me* here for their second television debate.</br></br>In contrast to their noisy confrontation last month, the candidates, locked in a tough election fight, kept themselves focused on national and Texas issues ranging from the economy to utility rates to campaign spending, and mostly avoided the insults that highlighted their earlier meeting.</br></br>White abandoned his charges that Clements was a mudslinger in favor of a steady barrage of criticism that the governor consistently had ÛÏsided with the rich against the average Texan.Û</br></br>Clements, under orders from his aides to restrain himself, carefully corrected many of WhiteÛªs statements without resorting to overkill or questioning WhiteÛªs competence, as he had done.</br></br>ÛÏI am a businessman,Û he said, ÛÏnot a politician.Û He argued that he had managed state government effectively in his first term and could do so in a second term.