Democrat Inez Tenenbaum called herself an independent voice, while she dubbed Republican Jim DeMint "a rubber stamp" for anything the White House wants, "even if it hurts South Carolina."

DeMint told Tenenbaum she can run from her record but she can't hide, adding she will be pressured to side with the liberal Democratic Party leadership if Democrats regain control of the Senate.

"I was born a Democrat, I married a Democrat, and I'm proud of that," she said. She insisted what matters most isn't "what team you're on, it's whose side you're on."

For an hour Monday on the campus of Coastal Carolina University, DeMint, a three-term congressman from Green-ville, and Tenenbaum, the state education superintendent, retraced many of the battles they've waged for months. They covered abortion, trade, tax cuts, high drug costs and the war in Iraq. They are vying to succeed retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings.

The basic positions stayed the same. Tenenbaum opposes foreign trade agreements that have led to job losses; DeMint supports free and fair trade. DeMint would support tax cuts for small businesses; Tenenbaum said she would cut taxes for the middle class. DeMint is pushing a 23 percent federal sales tax and elimination of the IRS; Tenenbaum says that would increase taxes for most South Carolinians.

Tenenbaum got in one of the better jabs of the night when she said being a Republican doesn't necessarily lead to fiscal conservatism in Washington. The $200 billion surplus recorded during the Clinton administration is a $500 billion deficit under President Bush and the Republican Congress, she said.

"Jim has been part of this runaway spending," she said. "You just can't blame it on being a Democrat."

"I've been as frustrated as anyone," DeMint responded. "Certainly we've got to share some of the blame. ... If there's a question of who is going to spend more, we're better off with Republicans in charge than we are with Democrats."

DeMint was given one final chance to explain his vague apology about comments he made in their first debate that gays and unwed mothers should not be allowed to teach in South Carolina public schools. He declined, again saying the question was a distraction.

"You can ask all you want, but I'm not going to take another swing at that curve ball and answer what should be a local school board question," he said.

The two also differed on abortion. Tenenbaum, who is pro-choice, said she didn't support a specific definition on when life begins because that moment is defined differently by people and even religions.

DeMint opposes abortion in most cases, including rape and incest. He said some of the definitions in the argument are wrong: that some people call human life a baby when it's wanted and a fetus when it isn't.

DeMint said he favors letting Americans go to Canada and elsewhere abroad to buy cheaper drugs, while Tenenbaum said she wanted to make sure those drugs were safe.

Both support the war in Iraq but differed on how U.S. involvement should wind down.

"As a senator, I want to help the next president create an exit strategy," Tenenbaum said.

DeMint said he didn't want to set a public withdrawal deadline because it would tip off insurgents when they could launch a final takeover.

A Post and Courier poll of 625 voters last week shows the race is neck and neck. DeMint leads 47 percent-43 percent with a significant 10 percent undecided. That's down from the 50 percent-38 percent lead DeMint held three weeks ago, before he made his anti-gay comments that have caused many Republicans to side against him.

At the end of the hour, the candidates were invited to say something nice about each other. Each delivered comments with humor.

Asked the best thing about Tenenbaum, DeMint said, "I think the best thing is she keeps saying the same thing over and over again ... 23 percent, 23 percent," referring to her criticism of his sales tax plan. "She's been very friendly, and we've had a cordial relationship."

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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