Great observation!
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.
Huh? Was Harris wrong in what she said? I don't get it.
First major debate - a PBS liberal asking the questions. Second major debate - an ABC liberal so unprepared he must have gotten his dem "talking points" in the cab on the way to the debate. And now, last night, an NBC liberal.
Two out of three of these so called journalists worked for democrats before they became "objective" members of the MSM.
Change is needed.
It's not fair. Liberal moderators didn't ask my questions, address my concerns, or follow up on the answers I care about.
What would it be like if the tables were turned?
Rove would be the moderator for the first debate.
Rush would moderated the governors debate.
And Brit Hume would run the Harris/Nelson debate.
Would liberals show up for those debates? No, they would not... Dems wouldn't put up with that level of unfairness. Why do we?
Two against one wouldn't work for them. Why does it work for us?
Dems would object if Rove was a moderator, and their friends in the MSM would scream like a stuck pigs for them. We need to object when it's Chris Matthews.
Next time? Next time, demand fairness. No to being double teamed. No to that level of bias. No to both sides answering the questions only liberals care about.
No advantage, just fairness.
Florida debates?
First major debate - a PBS liberal asking the questions.
Second major debate - an ABC liberal so unprepared he must have gotten his dem "talking points" in the cab on the way to the debate.
And now, last night, an NBC liberal.
Two out of three of these so called journalists worked for democrats before they became "objective" members of the MSM.
It's not fair.
Liberal moderators didn't ask my questions, address my concerns, or follow up on the answers I care about.
What would it be like if the tables were turned?
Rove would be the moderator for the first debate.
Rush would moderated the governors debate.
And Brit Hume would run the Harris/Nelson debate.
Would liberals show up for those debates? No, they would not... Dems wouldn't put up with that level of unfairness. Why do we?
Two against one wouldn't work for them. Why does it work for us?
Dems would object if Rove was a moderator, and their friends in the MSM would scream like a stuck pigs for them. We need to object when it's Chris Matthews.
Next time? Next time, demand fairness. No to being double teamed. No to that level of bias. No to both sides answering the questions only liberals care about.
No advantage, just fairness.
Just thought I would let you guys know...
I was looking at C-Span's schedule for today...and on C-span 2, they are repeating this debate...BUT, get this---
C-span has is listed as the Florida Senate debate with TIM RUSSERT and Bill Nelson...no mention at all of Katherine Harris!!!
So, are you saying that Harris has come out against the Prescription Drug plan?
Great observation!
I am saying the sitting senator from FL didn't know what Medicare Part D is. He was not oriented to place or time during the discussion.
Notice all of the others have the two CANDIDATES!
If I were Katherine Harris' campaign manager..or Katherine herself...I would be on the phone to C-Span right away, demanding an explanation....and an apology.
PING to posts #84 and #86.
Hey, B-A. I thought Katherine did a great job in the 2nd debate...even tho Timmy interrupted her several times.
Thanks for the heads up
Nelson is the creepiest mutant in politics. I can't believe anyone would vote for him. Russert's quesitons were so biased it was shocking.
Yeah, no bias there...
His questions to Nelson were variants on: "How do you feel about what the Republicans are doing?"
Since you can't provide intelligent discussion about the FL Senate debate, I'll bet you can locate another thread to trash somewhere else in this forum. ttfn.
Thanks....just sent them a note!
She certainly held her own last night.
I'm just trying to keep a sense of humor about the situation, and it's an approach I strongly recommend when it comes to this particular campaign.
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