The candidates sparred about everything from tax and fiscal policy to women’s issues to each other’s character. Watch video
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BOSTON - Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren both went for the jugular, in a feisty and at times personal debate Thursday night.
The debate was held in the WBZ-TV studios in Boston, with political analyst Jon Keller moderating, and no live audience. The candidates sparred about everything from tax and fiscal policy to women’s issues to each other’s character.
The debate turned personal at the first question, when Brown was asked about the controversy over whether Warren used her alleged Native American heritage to advance her career. “Professor Warren claimed that she was a Native American, a person of color,” Brown said. “And as you can see, she’s not.”
“When you are a U.S. Senator, you have to pass a test, and that’s one of character and honesty and truthfulness. I believe…she’s failed that test,” Brown said. Brown urged Warren to have Harvard University release her personnel files.
Warren responded that growing up, she heard stories about her heritage, including about her father’s family rejecting her mother because her mother was part Delaware and party Cherokee. “I believed my mother and my father, and my aunts and my uncles, and I never asked anybody for any documentation,” Warren said. “I don’t know any kid who did.” Warren said she did not use her heritage to get into college or law school, and those who hired her did not know about her heritage until she was hired.
Brown again got personal later on when he attacked Warren for earning a $347,000 salary from Harvard, saying that contributed to the high cost of education. Warren responded that she is proud of having made it to a top teaching position.
The candidates continued to spar on fiscal policy, as Warren took Brown to task for voting against three Democratic-sponsored jobs bills.
“When I talk to people here in the commonwealth who are really struggling, I don’t understand how Sen. Brown could vote against one jobs bill, another one to protect teachers, firefighters, police officers, and a third for construction workers,” Warren said. “We can put people back to work, we have work that needs to be done. But Sen. Brown is lining up with the Republicans to vote no.”
Brown responded that each bill would have raised taxes. Brown said it is Warren’s tax proposals that would “take more money out of your pocketbooks” and cost the U.S. 700,000 jobs. (Brown was referring to a study commissioned by the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which criticized Democratic President Barack Obama’s tax plan.)
Brown said he was “guilty as charged” of not raising taxes. “If you want someone who’s going to spend your tax dollars, give it to Professor Warren, she’ll spend them,” he said.
Warren said Brown would “permit taxes to go up for 98 percent of families” to give tax breaks for the top 2 percent. Brown, who supports extending the Bush tax cuts for all Americans including those making over $250,000, responded that he would not raise taxes on job creators.
After Warren criticized Brown for voting to “protect billions of dollars in subsidies to big oil companies,” Brown said he is a friend to motorists who would have to pay higher prices. He said he would be open to a comprehensive discussion about energy policy, and already opposed subsidies for ethanol.
Brown attacked Warren for her role in a Supreme Court case representing Travelers insurance company in its attempt to gain immunity against lawsuits from asbestos victims by establishing a trust. Brown said Warren was paid $225,000 to effectively deny benefits to asbestos poisoning victims. Warren, after the debate, told reporters she was defending the legal principle of protecting trusts so people who were injured could be compensated.
On social issues, Brown supports abortion rights, with some restrictions, and Warren has tried to tie Brown to national Republican opposition to abortion. Keller asked the candidates whether they would vote for a Supreme Court nominee who opposed Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case legalizing abortion. Warren said she would not. “Roe v. Wade is settled law. Women should be able to count on this,” she said. Warren said she was surprised Brown voted against pro-choice Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.
Brown said he too would reject a judge who would overturn Roe v. Wade. “If a judge is up there and they’ve made it very clear that they’re going to try to change Roe v. Wade, I will oppose that judge,” he said. On Kagan, Brown quipped, “I’m sorry I didn’t vote for your boss.” Kagan and Warren both worked at Harvard. Brown said he opposed Kagan because of her lack of judicial experience.
Warren went on to criticize Brown for co-sponsoring the Blunt Amendment, which would allow employers to not pay for insurance coverage for services they find morally objectionable.
“You should stop scaring women, Professor,” Brown responded. He said he has the “same position as Sen. (Ted) Kennedy” on supporting conscience clauses to protect the rights of religious groups.
The intentions of Kennedy, the late Massachusetts Democrat, have been debated. Warren said it is “inappropriate to characterize Sen. Kennedy’s work that way.”
As she has in the past, Warren tried to tie Brown to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is unpopular in Massachusetts. On foreign policy, Warren said she is working to keep Obama as commander-in-chief, not Romney. Brown praised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for work relating to the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Brown did not mention Romney.
Brown tried to stress areas where he disagrees with the Republican Party. On climate change, for instance, he said, “I absolutely believe climate change is real,” and is caused by a combination of man-made and natural factors.
Warren argued that the control of the Senate is up for grabs. If Brown wins, she said Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe – who has called global warming a hoax – could control the committee overseeing the Environmental Protection Agency. Brown shot back, “You’re not running against Jim Inhofe, you’re running against me.”
Staff writer Robert Rizzuto contributed to this report.