Pundits predicted a verbal brawl, and at times, that's what the three leading candidates in the U.S. Senate race delivered. In the first get-down-to-business October debate Wednesday night. No Party Affiliate Gov. Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek went after Republican Marco Rubio, aiming to dislodge him as the race's runaway leader.
Hosted by George Stephanopoulos, anchor of ABC News' "Good Morning, America," the debate was held in Orlando and broadcast by WFTV in Orlando and WFTS in Tampa. It was also streamed online through ABCNews.com and Facebook.
Crist started the debate with an opening statement, attacking both parties but focusing on the Republicans.
There is an extreme right faction in the Republican Party, said Crist, who argued that the extreme right pushed restrictive abortion laws as well as SB 6, a measure to reform teacher performance pay. Crist blew off Meeks chances, pointing to himself as the only candidate who could win. Im the one candidate who can crash the tea party.
In his opening comments, Meek bashed Rubio and Crist for supporting the special interests. He claimed he alone stood against offshore drilling.
Rubio praised America but warned that current policies in Washington were leading to crippling debt. He noted that the national debt would double in five years. We must confront the challenges of our time, he said. And thats what this election is all about.
The debate then turned to Social Security. Rubio defended his record, insisting that Crist and Meek were trying to distort his record on the issue.
While Crist fired away at both candidates, he focused on Rubio. (Marco Rubio) has been all over the map on Social Security, said Crist.
Meek added that he was the only candidate consistent in his defense of Social Security, hammering Crist for wanting to privatize that program when he ran for the U.S. Senate against Bob Graham in 1998. If they want to change Social Security, they have to go through me, said Meek, before stating his height and noting his experience as a linebacker and a state trooper.
Rubio, former speaker of the Florida House, looked to tie both Crist and Meek to the Obama administration and the federal stimulus.
These gentlemen support the course on which our country is headed, said Rubio, who engaged with Meek on the merits of the stimulus.
Meek, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, pounded on jobs, noting that the Sunshine State continued to see double-digit unemployment.
Rubio and Meek continued to bicker, which gave Crist a chance to say he was above such partisanship.
Asked about why Democrats were backing Crist, Meek stressed his liberal positions on the issues, calling himself the only pro-choice candidate in the race. Crist noted that he was being backed by a number of Democrats, including former U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler.
Stephanopoulos then turned to new federal health-care laws backed by President Obama. Crist said he liked parts of the measures but opposed others. It must be fixed and it must be done right, insisted Crist, who then attacked Rubio for wanting to overturn Roe vs. Wade. You havent been drinking the Kool Aid, youve been drinking too much tea, the governor said to Rubio, attempting to put the Republican in the conservative extremist camp.
Rubio tore into the health-care laws -- and Crist and Meek for backing them. He said that supporters of the new laws relied on false arguments and that they were a disaster.
This bill is a disaster, said Rubio. It cannot be saved. It must be repealed.
Meek defended the measure. He said he would vote for it again. He tore into Rubio and Crist for liking parts of it and opposing other parts. They want to empower the insurance companies all over again, insisted Meek.
Crist responded by praising his Cover Florida program, a program he signed into law, arguing that it provided an acceptable alternative to the health-care laws.
Rubio said he would never have voted for the measures and fired away at Meek for supporting them.
The candidates then tackled reforming Washington. Meek noted that he was vacating a safe congressional seat to run for the Senate because he was frustrated with the way Washington worked.
Rubio also talked about his frustrations with Washington. I believe both parties are to blame for whats going on in Washington, said Rubio.
Crist heartily agreed. I think both parties are to blame, the governor said. Thats why I'm running as an independent. Crist tore into the Republicans again for looking to overturn Roe vs. Wade and for supporting SB 6.
Asked about extending tax cuts backed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 and whether they would increase the debt, Rubio praised them. Our debt problem is because Washington cant control spending, he insisted.
Meek said that Rubios support of the tax cuts would help the wealthy and damage the middle class, saddling them with debt. Meek then added that he was the only candidate in the race fighting for the middle class.
Crist said he backs extending the taxes. This is the wrong time to raise taxes on anything, he said -- before firing away at Rubio for supporting raising property taxes and for backing earmarks.
The debate turned to international issues as the candidates offered their views on the war in Afghanistan. All three praised the troops and the leadership of Gen. David Petraeus. Meek was more open to an established timeline for redeploying the troops, Rubio was against it and Crist said the president needed to consult with Pentagon brass before making a decision.
While Rubio attacked the high-rail system being established in Central Florida, Crist defended it. Its all about jobs, jobs, jobs, said the governor, who praised the project and defended his backing of the federal stimulus.
Defending the rail project for bringing 20,000 jobs to the Sunshine State, Meek fired away at both of his rivals, insisting that Rubio was putting conservative ideals over Floridians -- and then added that Crist stood for nothing.
Asked about the states ban on gay adoption, overturned last month by a Miami court, Crist said he backed the decision and he attacked Republicans, including Rubio and U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, for discriminating against homosexuals. Crist called himself a fiscal conservative and a social moderate who was consistent against government intervention.
Rubio fired back that Crist supported those positions when he was a Republican, before he left the GOP in April. He then attacked the governor and Meek on fiscal matters.
Meek compared Crists record on gay issues to George Wallace's. Wallace was the pro-segregation governor of Alabama who made numerous runs for the White House.
Nobody has fought harder for minorities in the state of Florida than I have, replied Crist, adding that Meek is on the far left and Rubio on the far right.
The debate ended with no closing statements -- and the various campaign teams of the candidates chimed in to declare victory right after the debate ended.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.
