COLUMBIA, S.C. - U.S. Senate candidates Jim DeMint and Inez Tenenbaum went head-to-head for a final time Monday night - talking taxes, trade, race and federal judgeships.

The six debates have provided interesting and sometimes controversial moments, but they ended on a light note what has turned into tight race just one week before Election Day. Both candidates have sharpened their messages, rarely straying from answers they've already given.

DeMint continued to try to tie Tenenbaum to liberal Democrats, and she continued to asserts her independence. Tenenbaum said she opposes foreign trade agreements that have led to job losses and DeMint supports free and fair trade. DeMint would support tax cuts for small businesses and Tenenbaum said she would cut taxes for the middle class.

But not everything in the debates has been entirely scripted. During the first debate Oct. 3, DeMint said gays and lesbians should not be allowed to teach in public schools. A day later he said unwed pregnant women also should not be allowed in classrooms. He later apologized for those comments and again Monday night.

"It's not up to me to decide whose teaching in public schools," said DeMint, a Republican from the Upstate. "I apologize because after six debates people are still talking about that issue."

He said later, "I'm not going to take a swing at that curve ball again."

DeMint continued to try to align Tenenbaum with national Democratic Party leaders presidential candidate John Kerry and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts while he tied himself to President Bush.

"It's really important because it's very likely he'll (Bush) get a chance to nominate two to three or maybe even four Supreme Court justices in the next four years," said DeMint, whose comments came on the heels of news that Chief Justice William Rehnquist has thyroid cancer.

DeMint said Democrats are holding up the appointment of federal judges, but Tenenbaum said she wouldn't block those appointments.

"What I want is a judge to have integrity and fairness and also very intelligent," she said. "I would think that all judges need a fair hearing and we should vote judicial nominees up or down."

The candidates also were asked whether race affected an individual's success or failure.

"It should not," said Tenenbaum, who has been courting black voters. "And everyone who has a good education has an equal opportunity."

But asked again if race matters, she replied, "I don't know what you're asking, but it doesn't matter to me."

DeMint answered the question differently.

"I think the answer is, it shouldn't matter, but it still does."

The final answers drew laughter from the audience at Coastal Carolina University.

Asked what the best thing about Tenenbaum was, DeMint replied, "I think the best thing is she keeps saying the same thing over and over again ... 23 percent, 23 percent," he joked, referring to Tenebaum's criticism of a plan he supported that would eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and replace income tax with a 23 percent national sales tax. "She's been very friendly and we've had a cordial relationship."

Not to be outdone, Tenenbaum quipped, "He is a nice man ... you have a wonderful wife and four great children and I think that's his greatest asset."