CLEVELAND (AP) - Republican Josh Mandel, who's running for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, is making it clear that he wouldn't have supported the auto bailout.
Mandel and incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown faced off for the first time at a lively and sometimes raucous debate Monday in Cleveland. Both candidates addressed a question about how the auto bailout has affected Ohio.
Until now, Mandel has repeatedly refused to say whether he would have supported the bailout. But he made it clear Monday that while he supports policies that help the auto industry, he would not have backed the bailout.
He says it cost too many nonunion employees at Delphi Corp. their pensions.
Brown has made his backing of the auto bailout a big part of his campaign.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
CLEVELAND (AP) - Cheers and boos from a lively crowd are greeting candidates in the combative campaign for Ohio's U.S. Senate as they face off in their first formal debate.
Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Josh Mandel debated Monday at an event in Cleveland.
In early debate, Brown took Mandel to task for signing an anti-tax pledge that could prevent him from striking deals in Washington necessary to close business tax loopholes.
Mandel called Brown a "bailout senator" and said the economy is worse off in many areas than when Brown took office six years ago.
The candidates will meet in two more debates - in Columbus on Thursday, and in Cincinnati on Oct. 25.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
CLEVELAND (AP) - The first of three debates in the race for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat is Monday.
Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown will face off against Republican challenger Josh Mandel in Cleveland in what already has been a combative campaign.
It's also one of the most costly and closely watched U.S. Senate races.
Republicans seeking to gain Senate seats are targeting Brown who won a surprise victory six years ago.
Brown says Mandel has been more concerned about running for a higher office than doing his job as state treasurer. Mandel counters that Brown is a career politician who is too liberal for the state.
Both campaigns and outside groups have spent millions flooding the air waves with campaign ads that have taken on a nasty tone leading up to the November election.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
