Josh Mandel and Sherrod Brown get personal in attacks during Ohio Senate debate
The second debate in Ohio’s highly contested US Senate race became a battle of vitriol which included the Republican Josh Mandel calling the Democratic incumbant, Sherrod Brown, a liar and can’t be trusted.
Negative ads have filled the airwaves in one of the most expensive races in the nation.
“Senator, you are a liar,” Mandel told Brown. “You are lying to the people of the state of Ohio. You are falsely attacking me, and I won’t stand for it. You might want to try to push people around in Washington, but you’re not going to push me around.”
That charge drew an incredulous response from Brown, a first term Democrat.
“It’s just a pretty remarkable thing for a young man to say, or a man of any age to say, in a debate,” the senator said, drawing attention to Mandel’s relative youth. The GOP candidate is 35.
“Senator, the reason you’re agitated and frustrated tonight is because the people of Ohio disagree with you,” Mandel charged.
Brown responded, “I don’t need a lecture from somebody who can’t wait to get to the next job and run for higher office and continue to try and move up the ladder.”
Brown criticized Mandel for failing to support the auto bailout that was connected to 800,000 Ohio jobs and for wanting to privatize Medicare.
Brown, a Democrat, said he’s won the endorsements of many Ohio newspapers because Mandel has held four offices in seven years and can’t be trusted to show up to work. He was referring to the fact that Mandel missed the first 14 monthly meetings of the powerful Board of Deposits that he chairs as treasurer.
“He’s more concerned about his next job than the jobs of people in this country,” Brown said. “This is hardly somebody who’s going to be Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” That led to the liar exchange.
The auto bailout continued to dominate the conversation, with Brown supporting it and Mandel calling it a mistake.
“I’m not a bailout senator,” Mandel said. “He’s the bailout senator.”
An NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll taken October 7-9 showed Brown leading Mandel, 52%-41%.