DeMint, Beasley have final debate

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Voters will settle the frequently bitter nomination fight on Tuesday.

Beasley sought to portray DeMint as a "self-righteous" absentee congressman co-opted by Washington interests, a congressman who broke commitments to vote against the fast-track trade bill and not accept political action committee money.

DeMint went after Beasley for what he said was "a pattern of exaggeration over the years," including overstating his athletic prowess to high schoolers, changing his own position on trade to a protectionist posture and spreading "misinformation" about him.

Beasley, a former South Carolina governor from Darlington seeking a political comeback after losing a 1998 re-election bid, led the six-person field in the June 8 primary with 36 percent of the votes.

DeMint, a third-term congressman from Greenville, was second, 10 points behind. Because no candidate received a majority a runoff was required.

The winner will meet Democrat Inez Tenenbaum, the state's education superintendent, on Nov. 2, along with four minor party candidates.

The debate focused on trade, the lone major issue dividing the two Republicans, with each candidate spinning off his own interpretation of the other's character.

DeMint has supported various international trade agreements and said he wants new ones to get a better deal for American workers. Beasley, who has argued that those pacts work against U.S. interests, said he opposes any new ones until cheating stops either by negotiation or action by Washington and would impose a 28.5 percent retaliatory tariff on Chinese goods.

DeMint led by defending as totally true two of his campaign ads that call Beasley a "flip-flopper" and "wishy-washy."

"(Beasley) got right in this race and changed his position on trade — first he's for free trade, then he's not — and criticizing me and the president for trying to do things to make trade fair and I just had to call him to account," DeMint said.

Beasley said it was "disturbing" that DeMint says he entered the campaign on the attack. "I have not done it. The galling thing about this ad is, there's Jim, with this self-righteous perspective as if he's never broken his word" on taking PAC money and running negative ads.

DeMint, who refused PAC money during three House campaigns, said he never said he wouldn't take PAC money in Senate race.

The 2002 rewrite of federal campaign finance laws that DeMint voted against "minimized what (conservative groups) can give" and played a role in his decision.

When DeMint said the "overwhelming" majority of money he has raised came from South Carolina, Beasley said Washington interests "have sent a ton of money down here" to DeMint because "you sold out South Carolina on trade."

Beasley told DeMint, "You said you would vote with us on trade and you switched your vote (on fast-track presidential negotiating authority) at the last minute; you said you wouldn't take PAC money and you did. That sounds like flip-flopping to me, not wishy washy, just flip-flopping."

They argued over job losses in South Carolina.

"Jim's only response was to quit whining," Beasley said after noting that South Carolina led all states in job growth when he was governor and now leads in job losses.

DeMint said, "You really can't take what he says very seriously. We have 60,000 more jobs right now in South Carolina than when he left office, our economy is expanding, unemployment is coming down, exports are increasing and we're on the move, in the right direction."

Beasley appeared to stop short of saying he would support his opponent if DeMint wins.

"I'm looking forward to sitting down with Jim right after this election is over and talking about the future of South Carolina," Beasley told moderator Jim Heath.

"That doesn't sound like a straight answer to me," DeMint interjected. "Yes, I'll support the nominee," he added.

The pair also squabbled over which one has the better chance of defeating Tenenbaum.

Beasley pointed to the primary in which he carried 37 counties to DeMint's four, including three of the four counties in DeMint's 4th Congressional District.

His strength statewide, coupled with Lowcountry sentiment against a second senator from the Upstate and the textile industry's antipathy toward DeMint represent "a significant problem," Beasley said. "Who's the most vulnerable? Clearly we're in the best position."

DeMint said Beasley cannot hold the Republican base, part of which defected to his Democratic opponent in 1998, and attract Independents that Republicans need to win.

"A few of these textile guys have tried to knock me off before," DeMint said, "but in my last general election I united Republicans and attracted a lot of Independents and Democrats" in winning 70 percent of the votes, DeMint said.

They also sparred over the Medicare prescription drug bill passed by Congress earlier this year.

DeMint said he voted against the bill, which had administration backing, because after Senate ad-ons, "it was going to blow up the budget."

Beasley, who said he would have voted for it because seniors need help with drug bills, shot back: "I'm glad to see Jim at least voted on that issue."

DeMint will meet with supporters in Florence and Aiken and end the day with a 6 p.m. rally in Greenville at Fatz Cafe, 91 Halton Rd.

Beasley will campaign today from dawn to dusk, beginning in Aiken and ending in Florence, with Sumter, Cayce and Spartanburg in between.

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Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.