Bernstein, Ensign meet in heated debate

LAS VEGAS - If Tuesday night's U.S. Senate debate is a sign of things to come, the bickering between candidates Ed Bernstein and John Ensign can only intensify. The question is, what will voters think?

Their first debate was polite at the start, but quickly changed, with Bernstein leading the way. The Democrat attacked his GOP challenger's record in Congress, where Ensign served two terms, and repeatedly said, ''This is another area where we differ'' as different issues came up.

Ensign was forced to defend his voting record and clarify statements he has made concerning abortion and the federal government. But he also took shots at Bernstein, at one point suggesting that frivolous lawsuits are to blame for high prescription drug prices. Bernstein is a personal injury attorney.

''Lawsuits are what keep our tires safe,'' Bernstein shot back during the televised debate.

As expected, the candidates, vying for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., differed on almost every issue, particularly hot ones like gay marriages, abortion, and banning college sports betting.

Ensign said he supports the Nevada ballot question that would impose a constitutional ban on gay marriages. Bernstein said it's divisive and unneeded since state law already prohibits such marriages.

On abortion, Ensign reiterated that he is pro-life, but supports abortion in cases of rape and incest. Bernstein said he supports a woman's right to choose.

Ensign and Bernstein oppose the proposed legislation that would ban college sports betting, but Bernstein suggested that Ensign wouldn't be able to convince enough Republicans to kill the legislation.

''This is not a Republican issue, not a Democratic issue. It's a Nevada issue,'' Ensign said.

On the public lands disputes such as the Jarbidge road hassle in Elko County, Ensign stressed the need to work together to find solutions.

Bernstein agreed, but said Ensign had increased tensions with his comment in Elko that most of what the federal government does is unconstitutional. Ensign replied that he thought federal-level moves to bring a nuclear dump to Nevada or to impose a betting ban on NCAA games are unconstitutional.

At one point when the two were discussing if religion should influence politics, Ensign said faith was a big part of his life and has an impact on his decisions. When Bernstein said religion has no place in politics, Ensign shot back: ''I guess when we open the U.S. Senate with a prayer my opponent would be against that.''

Both generally agreed on the nuclear waste issue, but Bernstein said the only way to prevent Nevada from becoming a dump for the nation's nuclear waste is to have a Democratic majority in the Senate.

Throughout the debate, Bernstein was clearly the aggressor, stressing differences between himself and Ensign, and repeatedly pressing Ensign for an agreement to cut out campaign ads funded by special interest groups.

Ensign never agreed.

He seemed to be more polished and give more direct answers, but Bernstein, who appeared nervous at first, got better as the debate went on.