Chafee, Whitehouse go head-to-head in first TV debate
2006-10-20
Source: Providence Journal
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rss feedThe men hoping to serve Rhode Island for the next six years as a U.S. senator met for their first televised debate tonight, a largely civil meeting in which the candidates focused on their perceived strengths.
There were no major blunders by either candidate, nor were there any shocking revelations. Neither man strayed far from the messages that have filled television screens and campaign appearances in recent weeks.
The Democratic candidate, Sheldon Whitehouse, repeated the mantra that has characterized his campaign from the beginning.
"There is so much at stake in this election," he said, speaking from a podium inside Warwick's Toll Gate High School. "The only way we'll ever get the attention of George Bush and the Republican Party is to send someone down there to knock them out of power."
Tonight's meeting was broadcast locally on Channel 12 (WPRI-TV) and nationally by C-Span. The Rhode Island Senate race has generated considerable national interest for its potential impact on the balance of power in Congress. Republicans currently hold a slim majority.
Chafee meanwhile, reiterated his ability to work with politicians from both sides of the aisle and his ability to bring substantial federal funds for the state's infrastructure. But very quickly, Chafee tried to steer the discussion to Whitehouse's perceived failure to pursue public corruption in his time as the state's attorney general.
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