Posted on 11/01/2006 5:29:26 PM PST by NautiNurse
ORLANDO, Fla. - Republican Katherine Harris and Democrat Bill Nelson clashed on taxes, the Iraq war and the future of Social Security in their final debate before next week's U.S. Senate election.
Harris, a Longboat Key congresswoman, again attacked Nelson as a liberal who would raise taxes. Nelson, the incumbent senator, said he voted against President Bush's initial tax cut bill because it was flawed but has voted 81 times to cut taxes or extend tax cuts.
"I'm not going to let her get away with this," Nelson said, sitting at a table with Harris and moderator Tim Russert in the televised debate. "She has made a number of statements that are not true, and credibility has a been a problem for my opponent in this campaign."
The debate was seen as critical for Harris, who lacks the money to run statewide TV commercials. She was feistier Wednesday than during the first debate last week, but there were few fireworks and it's questionable whether she got the boost she needed to close the gap between her and Nelson, who has a big lead in the polls.
Continually pressed by Russert to say whether she would vote for the war now knowing that Iraq did not have the weapons of mass destruction, she repeatedly declined to answer.
Instead, she said, "If we knew today what we knew back then, there never would have been a vote called to go to war."
Nelson told Russert he would have voted against the war with the knowledge that Iraq did not have the weapons.
"The word is not mistake, the word is misrepresentation," Nelson said of what lawmakers were told about weapons in Iraq. "We were given the wrong information. We were given massaged information."
When asked if Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was doing a good job conducting the war, Harris said it was "adequate" and added that "he needs to focus on a new strategy, one that is flexible."
Both candidates said a new strategy is needed in Iraq, including work toward a political solution. They also agreed that a timetable cannot be set for military withdrawal. But they had opposing views on the whether troops can be win the war.
"We can clearly win this war. When you talk to the troops, they say it's winnable," Harris said.
After Harris criticized Democrats for not offering solutions to protect Social Security, Nelson accused her of making it a partisan issue.
"Listen to the words of my opponent - the Democrats this, the Democrats that," he said. "The only way we can solve these kinds of problems and lot of the other problems, including Iraq, is to reach out to both sides of the aisle and bring people together."
On the stump Harris paints Nelson as a far-left liberal who tries to raise taxes, coddles illegal immigrants and undermines President Bush's policies.
Nelson's campaign repeatedly has attacked Harris' claims and credibility, characterizing him instead as an effective freshman senator who has fought for tax cuts, voted in favor of the Senate immigration bill supported by President Bush and leans more toward the center than the left.
Harris, 49, gained the adoration of the Republican rank-and-file - and the scorn of Democrats - in 2000 when as Florida secretary of state, she oversaw the recount that put George W. Bush in the White House. She won her congressional seat in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004.
She continues trying to repair the damage that has plagued her campaign all year.
Support was lacking initially from state GOP leaders, including Gov. Jeb Bush, who tried to recruit someone else to run. Campaign workers have defected in droves, she has made questionable public statements and has had to answer questions about her dealings with a corrupt defense contractor.
As of Sept. 30, she had less than $1 million in her campaign coffers, compared with $6.8 million for Nelson, 64, who is seeking his second six-year term in the Senate.
Nelson has been running statewide TV ads and also has donated $500,000 from his campaign treasury to the state Democratic Party.
Why are you posting these comments in a public conservative forum during election week? What new information are you attempting to impart beyond what the MSM has so eagerly been ramming down our throats for the past year? What are you trying to accomplish here?
Yep, and I've told them every time they called for $$$.
Because of the 2000 election and because she is easily characterized, Kitty has been under more scutiny than most candidates but that doesn't mean she is without fault and that her candicacy has not been a total disaster. The MSM is not to blame and her "grass roots" are non existant. Follow the $$$.
Indeed, I noticed Nelson was virtually invisible for the past year. Did a news search awhile back, all I could find was a groundbreaking ceremony for some pork project Nelson landed for a little airport. Even my elderly mother noted the other day that Nelson doesn't look healthy.
Katherine Harris is pretty darn gutsy. She went to the wall for the GOP and they hung her out to dry. Pres. G.W. Bush is my hero and I like Jeb a lot, too, but what are they thinking?! I cannot in good conscience vote for Nelson.
The Dems are keeping Nelson around as a prop. Otherwise, he surely appears to have a case of grey matter atrophy.
Fair enough. Keep your chin up.
There is a good old boy network entrenched in Florida that the democrats can count on. Katherine Harris certainly cuts against that grain among others. I remember thinking that senator Bob Graham had signs of dementia when he was on his way out a few years ago. But it was just a symptom of an angry left mind.
Interesting analogy. Had forgotten about Graham's seasonal color coded notebooks. Thanks for the reminder.
Katherine isn't debating Nelson...she is having to debate Timmy Russert...he is in NO WAY being non-partisan.
He is HOUNDING that poor woman...and then Nelson calls her a liar..and when she offers to produce proof...Timmy ignores that, and jumps down Katherine's throat.
Dang...Nelson is having to interrupt Timmy so HE can "get in on this"..which means browbeating Harris.
This is sickening.
I'll be stuned if she wins.
We were just talking about the first time Nelson faded out. They were talking about taxes or something, and Nelson completely lost his mentation...started babbling about his newspaper endorsements. I'll bet the farm those things won't be addressed in the press coverage.
So agree with you. Russert was debating Katherine and at the same time making himself (supposedly) look good. Who ever agreed to Russert for the moderator? He was the show and it was awful. Did think Harris had her facts and did pretty well.
No..they won't...
I thought that Nelson pretty much just spoke in talking point phrases...some of them over and over.
I thought Katherine's closing remarks were good..and Nelson's didn't make much sense.
I tell you what....this country is in a LOT of trouble, judging from the Senators that are predicted to win.
The Senate was pretty much a joke for the last 5 years anyway..because of the absolute hatred of Bush by the dems...but, now we are "keeping" Byrd, Warner, Specter, Reid, Lautenberg, Nelson, ....and adding possibly, Casey, Webb, McCaskill,...those are the noobies that have ZERO common sense from what I have seen.
Plus, you add that half of the Senate will be running for POTUS, starting midnight of Nov. 7th...and the other half will be helping the House try to impeach Bush, if they get control of the House...
And you have the makings of DISASTER...and our government won't work any better than Iraqs....
I live in Florida and will cast my vote for Harris. That being said, I couldn't bear to watch this debate for very long. Both Harris and Nelson are complete airheads.
Wow! 2 hrs and no reply. Guess you called him out.
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