Senate candidates spar over war, ads in debate

By Jim Brunner and Alex Fryer
Seattle Times staff reporters

JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES George Nethercutt, left, debated Sen. Patty Murray, right, in their final face-off last night in Seattle. KING-TV anchor Dennis Bounds, center, was the moderator.

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Democrat Patty Murray and Republican George Nethercutt faced off last night in their second and last debate of the U.S. Senate race, showcasing sharp disagreements over the Iraq war, tax cuts and whose campaign was running the nastiest television ads.

The live debate, sponsored by The Seattle Times and KING-TV, was often an argument about Bush administration policies, which are mostly supported by Nethercutt and opposed by Murray.

Nethercutt said invading Iraq was the right decision and bashed Murray for voting against giving the president the authority to use military force against Saddam Hussein.

"If it were up to her vote, Saddam Hussein would still be there," he said.

Murray, who was one of 23 senators to oppose the war resolution two years ago, said her concerns about war planning and soldiers being adequately supplied have not changed.

"We didn't have a clear mission, we didn't have a clear exit strategy, we were not honest with the American people about the costs," she said.

Murray did vote for $87 billion in appropriations to finance the war effort and said the country needs a new president "who has the ability to go to the international world to ask for their help and support."

They disputed who was more to blame for the negative tone of campaign ads, which have painted Murray as an apologist for Osama bin Laden and Nethercutt as a right-winger who wants to imprison women who have abortions.

Nethercutt defended his ad that replays video of Murray's controversial comments about bin Laden to a high school class, in which she attributed part of bin Laden's appeal in poor nations to charitable work.

"I don't question her patriotism, I question her judgment," Nethercutt said.
 
Nethercutt said Murray was the one using "character assassination" against him, with her ads accusing him of being an extremist for supporting restrictions on stem-cell research. The ad upset his elderly mother, he said.

Murray defended that ad and another that attacks Nethercutt for breaking his promise to serve just three terms in Congress and for missing more than 50 recent votes to campaign. "I think it's an issue of character," she said.

She also incorrectly claimed that Nethercutt had registered to vote in Bellevue. In fact, he pointed out that he remains registered to vote in Spokane.

Nethercutt said he had "apologized a thousand times" for changing his mind about term limits and that voters in his district had "released me from my pledge."

On taxes, the two stuck to their talking points, with Nethercutt repeatedly bringing up Murray's votes against tax cuts and Murray hitting back with criticism of massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans while the country has a $425 billion deficit.

Both defended the $23 billion Boeing tanker deal despite recent revelations about the company's ethical conduct. Nethercutt used the opportunity to point out the company moved its headquarters to Chicago when Murray became Washington's senior senator.

On stem-cell research, Nethercutt indicated he would go further than President Bush, who has limited federal research funding.

"I support stem-cell research. I think the president's position should be incrementally expanded," Nethercutt said. But he said he opposes a scientific technique called therapeutic cloning, which uses a patient's own DNA in a donor egg cell to create stem cells.

"I draw the line at cloning. I think it is wrong to clone a human being," he said.

In a theme she repeated throughout the debate, Murray said Nethercutt spoke differently about stem-cell research and other issues in Washington state than he voted in Washington, D.C.

"In 1996, when he had the opportunity to expand stem-cell research, he said no. In Congress, where people's votes count, he votes the other way," she said.

Nethercutt replied that stem-cell research wasn't invented until 1998. "That's like saying George Washington was against space exploration."

Stem cells, often called the building blocks of life, were developed in the early 1900s. In 1998, researchers isolated and grew stem cells from human embryos. Every year since 1996, Congress has passed an amendment to the Health and Human Services appropriations bill prohibiting the use of any federal funds for research on human embryos.

Nethercutt has represented Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District since 1995; Murray, first elected in 1992, is seeking a third term.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com