FLORENCE - With the Nov. 2 general election less than two weeks away, GOP candidate Jim DeMint used Saturday night's debate in Florence to staunchly align himself with the national Republican agenda, while his opponent Inez Tenenbaum touted a more moderate and independent platform.

"Do you want a senator who can stand shoulder to shoulder with President Bush and Sen. Lindsey Graham or do you want a senator who's going to turn the work of Congress over to Tom Daschle and Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy?" DeMint asked on more than one occasion during the hour-long debate.

Firing back at her opponent's repeated remarks, Tenenbaum referred to DeMint as a "right-wing idealogue who's going to be a foot soldier for narrow interests."

Education, specifically South Carolina's low rankings in high school graduation rates and SAT scores, was the first subject broached during the debate.

Saturday night, U.S. Senate Candidates Jim DeMint and Inez Tenenbaum met at Francis Marion University to debate the issues. You can watch, in streaming video, the entire debate. Click Here. Or you can catch the candidates' stances on the issues one issue at a time: Opening Statements by both candidates How the candidates plan on being a successful Senator for South Carolina The candidates' stances on vaccines in light of the recent flu vaccine shortage The candidates' positions on Interstate 73 The candidates' positions on stem cell research How the candidates will work to protect South Carolina's military bases from possible closure The candidates' positions on job losses and giving China special trade privileges The candidates' take on high gas prices and our national energy policy The candidates' positions on banning homosexuals from teaching in public schools The candidates' positions on Social Security The candidates' ability to serve South Carolinians as a whole The candidates' positions on the state's unemployment rate and a transitioning economy The candidates' positions on the federal prescription drug plan The candidates' positions on deficit reduction The candidates' takes on Ernest "Fritz" Hollings and the job he has done The candidates' positions on prayer in school The candidates' positions on abolishing the IRS The candidates' positions on tort reform Closing statements

Despite studies and reports that show South Carolina as 50th in high school graduation, Tenenbaum said the state has made great progress in education in recent years and warned that studies are not always as they appear.

"There are a number of ways to calculate high school graduation rates that don't take into account students who went to school here then moved away and graduated somewhere else or students that obtained their GED or graduated in summer school the same year they were scheduled to graduate," Tenebaum said, adding that South Carolina is one of the few states in the nation that requires 24 units and passage of a high school exit exam to graduate.

"We need to compare apples to apples and not South Carolina to other states that don't have the same rigor," Tenebaum said.

In response, DeMint criticized Tenenbaum, accusing her of not addressing the problem or taking responsibility for it. "We are dead last in graduation rates and in SAT scores," DeMint said. "We need to stop making excuses and look at the fact that we do have a problem. We need real solutions and we shouldn't tell everyone who has a new idea that they're against public education."

A majority of the questions posed during the debate focused on jobs and economic development, either directly or indirectly. A free trade agreement with China that DeMint supported sparked several questions and responses from both candidates.

Tenebaum said the agreement was bad for South Carolina and essentially killed the state's textile industry, while DeMint defended his vote.

"There's been a lot of change in industry in South Carolina, and despite what my opponent says, we've gained a lot more jobs from insourcing than we've lost from outsourcing," DeMint said.

"We have lost textile jobs, and there are some folks like my opponent who think we can stop time, go back and bring back those jobs that have been lost," he said. "I don't look at things that way. Jobs depend on us opening markets all over the world to the products we make in South Carolina. That's where our opportunity is."

Though expected to be a major point of debate, legislation involving a proposed 23 percent sales tax that has been an overwhelming focus of television and newspaper ads in recent months was not discussed much during the debate.

DeMint said he's never pledged his support to the 23 percent sales tax, but he does believe the United States tax code is a deterrent to economic development.

"My opponent has been very dishonest with you about my wanting to raise taxes 23 percent," DeMint said. "What we're trying to do is get rid of the IRS and replace it with something simple. Industry leaders have told me they can't be competitive here because of our tax code. The tax code is the biggest job killer in this country today."

"I never introduced the 23 percent tax, but it is one of the bills that we should look at and debate because it gets rid of the IRS," he said. "I never said it was the best plan. It needs to be debated but it's a long way from being passed." But according to Tenebaum, DeMint is a co-sponsor of the bill.

"It has his name on it in black and white," she said. "The biggest job killer is Jim DeMint by voting for trade deals that send our jobs overseas."

The debate also addressed issues of more local interest, such as I-73. When asked if they would vote in favor of the federal transportation bill, which includes funding for I-73, both candidates said they would.

"This area needs an interstate to develop," Tenenbaum said. "Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand is the only major tourism destination in the nation not connected to a major interstate. But Jim voted against this bill, against I-73."

DeMint said he did vote against the bill because by the time it was put to a vote, so much had been added that the legislation would have been a "budget buster."

"I've worked for years to get I-73 included in that funding bill," he said. "I've always supported the I-73 project, and we're going to get I-73 going, but only when the legislation is good for I-73 and good for reducing the deficit."

Both said they also would work to ensure that South Carolina does not lose any of its military bases as part of the national base restructuring and alignment of recent years.

Tort reform was an issue raised in many forms. On several occasions, DeMint cited "junk lawsuits" as a cause of job loss, quality health care issues and even the flu vaccine shortage.

"Ask the doctors in this state if the current system is working, ask students why they aren't going into medicine, ask why we have a shortage of doctors to deliver babies, or why we don't have a neurologist in the emergency room in Myrtle Beach," DeMint said. "I'm for reform. We need to stop these junk lawsuits."

Tenenbaum agreed that some tort reform is needed but said DeMint tends to exaggerate the problem.

"The next time we have a hurricane in South Carolina, Jim DeMint's going to say it's because of junk lawsuits," Tenenbaum said. "Everything he can't answer and any failure of Congress to act is because of junk lawsuits."

At one point, the debate turned to recent remarks made by DeMint that single mothers and homosexuals should not be allowed to teach in public schools. DeMint said he regretted making the comments because those issues should be dealt with locally, not in the Senate.

"If you ask those who know me, I'm known as someone who respects others, especially those who disagree with me," he said. "I answered that question before as a dad with my heart, not as a candidate, and I apologize for making those comments because it distracted from the debate. And it made people think that I think that this is a Senate issue, and it's not."

Tenenbaum quickly retorted, accusing DeMint of being insensitive to those who are different than him.

"You apologize for distracting from the debate, but you never apologized to the people you offended or for the feelings you hurt," she said. "Are you going to be a representative of all of South Carolina or are you going to continue to make these insensitive remarks. Because if that's what's in your heart, that's the way you're going to vote."

In closing, DeMint pleaded with voters to send a senator to Washington who will work closely with Sen.Lindsey Graham and the president to advance the country's future.

"On almost every vote, Senator Hollings canceled out Senator Graham's vote," DeMint said. "I won't do that. Lindsey Graham and I will work together. South Carolina needs two senators who can work together with the president, the House and the Senate."

Tenenbaum, on the other hand, declined to align herself with the Democratic Party but said she'd follow in Hollings' footsteps.

"Fritz Hollings has been a blessing for South Carolina," she said. "He's always been an individual voice for South Carolina and he's always put South Carolina first. He and Lindsey Graham have not canceled out each other's votes.

"They've worked together to ensure that all South Carolinians have basic human rights and fiscal stability. I too will be an independent voice and always do what's best for South Carolina."

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