Barkley, Coleman, Franken punch and counterpunch

EDITOR'S NOTE: The jump-page portion of this story was omitted from some copies of Sunday morning's Star Tribune, so the story is being reprinted here.

The U.S. Senate race in Minnesota zig-zagged between somber and emotional on Saturday, with the three major candidates saying there were no easy solutions to the economic mess that has dominated headlines and Sen. Norm Coleman trying to deflect charges that Congress and the White House played a large role in creating the problem.

"People are outraged. They're confused and frightened," said DFL challenger Al Franken, who added that he felt Congress "rushed into" the $700 billion bailout package it recently passed. "We have to hope it works."

A nervous nation has watched as the Bush administration "was running around like a chicken with its head cut off," Franken said.

Coleman, who sat flanked by Franken and the Independence Party's Dean Barkley, took criticism from both challengers and at one point reminded them it was easy to cast stones "from the cheap seats."

With the debate coming a day after Coleman announced he was dropping his negative advertising, the senator reminded his opponents that it would be difficult to "generate hope" by being negative.

But Barkley, who joked that he faced criticism from his opponents for the first time Saturday, took aim at Coleman and pointedly told him that "this whole economic collapse, it was on your watch." Barkley added, "I'm going to pin you on that one."

The debate, held at Breck School in Golden Valley and sponsored by nonpartisan Debate Minnesota took place against a backdrop that at times resembled a sporting event, with both sides cheering the candidates before they appeared on stage. When the candidates came out, Coleman was greeted with chants of "USA! USA!" while one man yelled out to Franken, "We love you, Al."

Supporters lined the route to the high school with signs.

The three candidates dipped deep into a pool of issues ranging from how to deal with Iran -- Franken said all options must remain on the table -- to fixing the Social Security system. Coleman said the push for energy independence was a key to many of the country's ills, though his opponents said the senator only became concerned with the topic when gas approached $4 a gallon.

"You want to slow down Iran? Let's get energy independent," Coleman said.

Franken and Coleman also sparred over the Iraq war, with Franken saying Coleman still would not acknowledge that the war was a mistake, and Coleman accusing Franken of mischaracterizing his position.

"Let's not give up on the success that we've made," Coleman said. "We want to get out as quickly as possible without losing the gains that we've made."

Replied Franken: "How you [can] still say that this war was the right thing to do is beyond me."

In one moment of levity, the candidates were asked about their favorite books and movies, with Barkley saying his favorite movie was "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," the 1939 classic of a wide-eyed Jimmy Stewart who suddenly finds himself as a U.S. senator.

Saturday's debate came as the candidates, with 23 days now remaining until the election, ended another roller coaster week that included more polls showing Franken either drawing even or edging ahead. The week also included another noticeable change -- TV ads from both sides that took a less accusatory and more personal approach after weeks of in-your-face attacks.

At a news conference Friday, Coleman said he made the decision to pull his negative ads after taking a day off from campaigning to observe Yom Kippur, which he said was a time for "fasting, soul-searching and refocusing on your life."

A spokesman for Franken's campaign called the announcement "a cynical ploy."

John Swanson, a Coleman supporter at the debate, said he hoped the decision to stop negative advertising works. Coleman "certainly needs to point out the differences between them," he said. "I think most of his ads have been positive."

Guy Collins, another Coleman supporter from Plymouth, downplayed the decision. "I think people, at this point, know what Al Franken is." Mike Kaszuba • 673-4388