Updated January 10, 2012, 2:42 p.m. ET.
The two Republican candidates for Senate in Missouri, Rep. Todd Akin and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, met Tuesday morning for a debate on the local ABC radio affiliate in St. Louis. And for much of the exchange, they trained their fire on taxes, spending and health care policies from Democrats in Washington — before finally turning fire on each other.
Akin and Steelman at first seemed unwilling to engage each other, but rather responded to the different questions in their turns by contrasting their own records and beliefs with the Obama administration and incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill’s voting record. A third candidate, businessman John Brunner, declined to participate.
But toward the end, the moderators asked the candidates a key question: How would they each pitch themselves as the best candidate to take on McCaskill in the general election?
Akin stuck to touting his own conservative positions: “I think there are certain things that are gonna make the race much more straightforward for me. In terms of our voting records, McCaskill has always voted the exact opposite of how I do.”
For her part, Steelman pitched herself as a Washington outsider — compared to folks like her opponent, who talk about small government, but go along and vote for earmarks and other spending. “I believe I am the candidate the status quo fears the most, because I am gonna do what I say I’ll do.”
Akin shot back. “Trying to paint me as an insider is a gross misrepresentation of facts. I told you the first bill I voted against was President Bush’s first bill,” he said, referring to the No Child Left Behind education reform act in 2001.
Akin also spoke of his vote against the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, despite repeated entreaties from the leadership for him to vote for it, given the very narrow margin.
“Everyone who goes to D.C. always wants to be a conservative and shake things up,” said Akin. “But the difference is some people have gone there for years and consistently put principle over party. So trying to paint me as an insider is a bit of a historical twist.”
He also defended his record on earmarks, citing the U.S. Constitution itself — that Congress is responsible for spending money, and if it moved in the direction of no earmarks at all, then it would be abdicating all spending decisions to the White House and the federal bureaucracy. “I am not giving up on the Constitution.”
The conversation then came back to Steelman.
“You know what, I don’t want to get in an argument with Congressman Akin. and I respect your conservative record in Congress for the last 12 years,” she said. “But I do have to point out the example you keep giving out, the Medicare Part D tat you have voted against. You voted for it before you voted against it.”
She further added, in an appeal to the listening audience: “If you like the way it’s been for the last 12 or 15 years in Washington, and you like the direction we’re headed from that experience, then I’m not your candidate. I’ll just say it as plain as can be, I’m not your candidate. But if you want something different, and you think we need to move in a different direction, and you think earmark spending does matter, and you want more freedom for people to choose what to do with their money, than I am your candidate.”
Akin then came back, and explained that he had voted for the original House version of Medicare Part D, saying that despite some reservations it had free-market elements he liked, but he disapproved of the final version that came bak from negotiations with the Senate — and that is the one he dug in on voting against.
“It’s two different bills,” said Akin. “You oughtta do your homework, Sarah.”
McCaskill was narrowly elected in the Democratic wave year of 2006, defeating Republican incumbent Sen. Jim Talent. Before that she was State Auditor, and ran for governor in 2004 — defeating incumbent Democratic Gov. Bob Holden in the primary, but narrowly losing the general election.
This time around, the available polling has shown McCaskill in a tight race with her challengers, with McCaskill’s support under the key threshold of 50% support.
The Republican primary will be held August 7.
