In front of a riled-up crowd of 500, the Minnesota U.S. Senate candidates met Saturday night in their first televised debate at a volatile moment in the swift-concluding race.
During the debate at Golden Valley's Breck School, the candidates -- Democrat Al Franken, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and the Independence Party's Dean Barkley -- avoided breaking new policy ground but did go after each other. The crowd cheered, chanted and applauded if given half a chance during the 90-minute debate.
Coleman said only he could bring and has brought people together. He repeatedly criticized Franken for saying he would have voted against some major bills that have been before the Senate -- including the economic bailout bill earlier this month.
"I don't know whether you think that's courage or independence, but in the end, it's just about saying no," Coleman said of Franken.
Franken said Coleman has helped create the problems of the last six years and continues to be wrong on specific issues -- from the war in Iraq to his economic philosophy to his criticism of Franken.
"I will vote no for certain things, even if 85 senators vote for it. ... I guess, maybe I'm just, I don't know, a maverick," Franken said, drawing laughter.