The two US Congressman running for US Senate in Indiana met in a debate last night….
Republican Senate candidates Todd Young and Marlin Stutzman displayed different tactical approaches in a Monday night debate.
In a campaign that’s been heavy on attack ads, the two congressmen recapped their talking points against each other, with Young labeling Stutzman a career politician and Stutzman accusing Young of caving to the Obama administration. But Stutzman challenged Young head-on over votes to raise the debt limit, and faulted him for not supporting the alternative budgets proposed by the conservative Republican Study Committee. Young mostly avoided mentioning or addressing Stutzman directly, letting listeners fill in the blanks.
Yet for much of the evening, the candidates found themselves in agreement, occasionally acknowledging the point explicitly. Both candidates touted their anti-abortion credentials, vowed to roll back excessive regulation, and supported Senate Republicans’ refusal to hold hearings on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.
The sharpest distinction came early in the debate in an extended clash over the proper U-S strategy in Syria. Both candidates envision the U-S at the forefront of a coalition to destroy ISIS, but Young accused Stutzman of making common cause with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Stutzman argued Young’s support for Obama’s proposal to support Syrian rebels is misguided.
