all right. we're standing by. we're just seconds away from candy crowley. but we appreciate you. part of our political team here as well. but, of course, candy has the senate debate, florida debate. >> special "state of the union" with candy. we're going to see those three competitors whom we expect fireworks to happen at least. cabdy says there's a lot at stake here obviously with florida being a swing state. everybody's watching very closely. >> yeah. the two guys that are bhieng behind the polls have got to make a move. we're handing this over to candy crowley and "state of the union." the florida senate debate right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com from the university of south florida in tampa, this is a special edition of "state of the union." i'm candy crowley and this is the florida u.s. senate debay. the three men vying to win that seat are with me today.

democratic congressman kendrick meek was first elected to congress in 2002. republican marco rubio served in the house of representatives for eight years rising to position of speaker of the house and governor charlie crist was elected in 2006. he quit his bid to become the republican nominee now running as an independent. i'm also joined by adam smith, political editor for "the st. petersburg times." the candidates have agreed to one-minute answer with 30-second rebuttals. but first before g we begin, a word about florida, a state in trouble. unemployment, 11 president 9%. fourth highest in the country. foreclosure rate, second highest. health insurance, almost 21% of floor yidians don't have it. i want to begin, governor crist with you and ask you. you came to office in 2007. the unemployment rate was a little over 3%. now it's 12%. you were 10th in the nation for

foreclosures. you're now second. what is your responsibility now. >> our responsibility is to do everything we possibly can to make the situation as better as possible. it's difficult. think we all understand and appreciate this is a global economic situation that we're all challenged by and dealing with and it's no different here in florida. >> is there some responsibility for how we got here? how florida got here because you're higher in almost all of these numbers. florida is higher. so do you think there's something that in your administration you should have done earlier? do you think's any fault within your administration for the numbers getting higher? >> i think there's plenty of blame to go around but i think the reality is all of us need to pull together to make it right and do the best we possibly can going forward. it was one of the reason is i was with the president when it came to the recovery alkt and when he came down to ft. myers. hayed to be practical, i had to be pragmatic. i had to be prudent for the people of florida. we utilize those monies in order

to stem the tide in losing jobs in the sunshine state. 20,000 educators today would be out a job if we hadn't yut lied the recovery act monies. another 60,000 of my fellow floridians would be out of work today without the opportunity to be able to utilize the monies in the way. >> we want to button this up because we want to move on. you are confident that you did as much as you could as governor to try to stem this tide. >> always. always try to do everything as possible as much as you can to work hard for the people, lower their taxes, lower the burden of government on their back, try to promote entrepreneurship and free enterprise. >> i should mention that our website is going to be fact checking the debate. so please try not to lie to us. mr. peemeek, you supported the stimulus. if there were a second stimulus package, would you support that in. >> the stimulus that would

provide tax cuts for small businesses, one, the jobs bill is stuck in the senate right now because of the gridlock that's there could very well help florida's economy. i think it's very important to know that the stimulus was to be the floor, not necessarily the silver bullet to job recovery. and i think it's done quite a bit in the state of florida. it starts ed us off on the real initiative. that's going to be the beginning of creating new jobs. mr. rubio is against that rail expansion and he feels that it can go away. it could go away -- >> of the economic team? >> i can tell you obviously especially standing here in florida, it needs to be better, but, you know, 700,000 jobs were lost when they came into office. now it's been a private sector plus since then in the last seven months. i think it's very, very important to think of looking at the challenges that the

administration has faced. will john mccain, would he -- would he -- would he have done a better job? no one can say that. but we're dealing with the cards that we're dealt right now, an i think it's very, very important that we fight our way out of this economic slowdown. >> just to make clear before i move on, yes or no, does that mean you think the president ought to change the members of his economic team? >> well, there's always people coming arch and on the economic team. i trust the president's judgment when it comes to picking his own economic team. >> mr. rubio, you have talked a lot about limiting government spending but these numbers in florida are horrific, among them almost 20% of black males in this state are unemployed. can you wait for the economy to grow itself better in order to help some of these people who are really in dire circumstances? >> well, actually, candy, your question goes to how the economy grows and i don't believe it grows -- it. >> doesn't grow fast enough. >> here's the point.

the economy grows because people have the confidence to start a business or expand an existing business. that's what helps your economy grow and what you need is a government that pursues policies that encourage people to do that. that's not what we have today. we have an extreme amount of uncertainty in the economic marketplace for a lot of different reasons. for one, there's a threat of tax increases. it is a tax increase. you add to that kind of the regulatory environmental in america today that's becoming increasingly onerous. you have the debt problem. they believe this debt will be paid back through higher taxes and you add on top of all of that a health care bill that's inject tremendous uncertainty. >> i guess the question here is that when, in fact, you have such dire circumstances, growing the economy takes a while. >> sure. >> don't you think? but if you have 20% of black males unemployed, if you have 12% of the state unemployed,

don't they need immediate help? i understand that philosophically you differ with democrats on how to do this. >> but the point is the medial help they offer was $800 billion. >> that's what i'm asking. >> it failed. the alternative to getting people employed is creating an environment where private sector will grow. the natural state of the economy is to grow, it's not to she rink. if it's not growing it's because something is keeping it from growing and in america if you ask the job creators which are the people i'm talking to, the job creators, the people who start businesses or increase expanding businesses, they will tell you the reason they're not hiring next year is because they're afraid of what next year's going to mean in term of taxes, the regulation, and the health care bill. >> go ahead. >> i think both views are correct, and maybe i'm the only one on this stage that can say this today. we need to have tax cuts. we e need to rein in government spending.

we've done it here in florida. as governor i've reduced spending and signed into law the largest tax cut in the history of our state but i also am practical enough that we're in a global economic meltdown. people need help. we had to extend unemploymentcome pen sags so people had the opportunity to serve their families a meal. almost $300 billion of it were tax cuts. that gets forgotten somehow and mr. rubio doesn't talk about that but it's important to remember that's what part of this plan was, among them, $8,000 for first-time home buyers, tax credit. $2,500. we're at a university today. university of south florida. it's so those students would be able go to school and gain gainful employment when they get out. >> would the leader of the black caucus ask for possibresident o to do more, has he done enough?

>> we're doing all we can but what mr. rubio is talking about is not a solution. it's o ideology. think it's important for folks to know they have to create jobs, get to jobs. we also have to set an environment that people will be able to receive these blue collar jobs. i'm talking about the blue collar a jobs here. mr. rubio starts to substitute when we talk about tax cuts for the sue prer wealthy. it's okay to borrow that money. we're talking about the present tax code. it's not a new idea. it's saying keep doing the same thing and expect different results. think it's important that we save money, bring the deficit down, but we don't borrow $700 billion. >> he mentioned before that you're going to oppose funding the high-speed rail. is that true? >> no. there's nothing wrong with the train system. that should be pursued. what i'm opposed to is borrowing money to pay for it. we have a huge debt in this country and i don't think we can continue to borrow money on top

of that. but let me clarify something the congressman just said. he talks about the tax code as somehow that's the reason america is in economic trouble. the reason they're in economic trouble is not because they're not paying enough taxes. it's because the economy has not grown because of policy. i wish politicians could create jobs because it's easier to pass a bill than it is to start a business. what it takes is people willing to go out and start a new business or grow an existing business and that's not going to happen unless they believe behind every problem there's some government spending program or tax increase that's going to solve it. >> i need to take a quick break. we'll come back and have you respond to that. in fact, we had mentioned tax cuts. we're going to talk about that, a little more about the economy. deficit and minimum wage. we'll be right back. interesting grooming. thanks. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box

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is from tampa, this is a special "state of the union." the florida senate debate. mr. meek, we left promising you some time here. basically the thought was it seems the unemployment here has really hit a crisis level and 12% overall in the state. >> it's important that we grow this economy. obviously florida has to diversify, but it's the very reason we should not federalize marco rubio. what he's not telling you about these tax cuts he's talking about, only 3%, 4% are the job producers within that tax cut that he's talking about. the rest of it is borrowed money. guess what. middle-class families throughout america have to pay $6,000 per

year to pay for the tax cut that he's talking about. that's before the finance charge from china, japan, or india. i think it's important that we look at leveling with the people of this state, not just the cake-and-ice cream deregular ra -- deregulation. we are putting our children in a position that no other nation children will be in as it relates to paying back this debt, and i think it's very, very important. >> mr. crist, you've got competing interest. cutting deficit and creating jobs. which is more important? >> creating jobs, no question about it. that's the immediate issue, making sure we create jobs an get the economy going again. that's why i think you need to have a two-pronged approach, cut taxes. i think that's what marco and i agree on. you have to reduce the tax burden so small business owners and entrepreneurs can grow the economy and hire people but i also agree with the congressman

when he talks about the fact that the recovery act saves 60,000 jobs among law enforcement officials, firefighters, and educators. common sense is what we need and that's what is lacking with the situation in washington today. you have so much partisanship and i'd lock call discussion as the congressman referred to and he's right. and the affect of the matter is you have to get away from ideology, get back to being practical, utilize common sense and have -- >> would florida be better off without the 60,000 jobs if they hadn't had the stimulus? >> let me untree deuce a couple of things. talks about the tax cuts. they're not tax cuts. it's the existing tax code. all i'm saying, quite a number of democrats have begun to say including congressional democrats in florida it's a bad time to raise taxes oven everybody. there are a number of people saying that as well that it's a bad time to raise taxes on every

ebb. the question you asked the governor about spending is a good question. the only way we're going to get out of this is a two-pronged approach. i think where republicans have faileded in the past they have been very good on the tax cut side and growth side but they don't want to take on the fiscal constraint side and if you don't do both you end up growing the -- >> this is the point i'm making. the real issue is the fact that he's saying he's a deficit hog, but at the same time he's saying let's give tax cuts. it was a different time when the tax cuts were given in the beginning. nobody was saying, hey, i'm going to give billionaires and millionaires a tax cut. they were surpluses. they're no longer surpluses. we're digging a deeper hole. trickle-down economics will work for the middle class. >> let me ask. mr. rubio is right. an increasing number of democrats are looking at this

going, you know, we might need to raise -- we might need to extend these tax cuts for people who do make more than $250,000 a year and just to explain, at the moment the administration had initially pushed everybody that's make 2g $50,000, families, $250,000 and under would be allowed to keep the tax credit -- tax breaks. anybody making over that, the tax cuts without disappear. now, mr. biden, vice president, said recently the white house is open to a compromise, that perhaps they could raise that income threshold, maybe to $500,000 or perhaps you could extend things for those making over $250,000 for a year or two years. are you open to that kind of compromise? >> what i am open to is 3%, 4% of those job producers that are there. obviously in the legislative process we have to look at how ke with come to final rest. i want the middle class to be able to get that tax cut and be assureded of it. >> sure. everybody thinks that.

the question is where are you going to find -- where's the compromise. would you agree to something that would raise that threshold. would you agree to something that would temporarily extend those tax cuts for the wealthy? >> when you look at the tlernhold, that may be one idea rchl but i can tell you there's a lot of representation for the upper income earners in this country. i'm here representing the middle class, even though you may say some people say they're for it, i think it's very, very important to note that the middle class has carried this recession on their back like no one else. and i think it's very, very important that we continue to give them extra attention. they deserve it. they're going to pay $6,000 per year for the very tax cut that folks are looking at. i'm in the top percentage. but does it make it fair? does it make it fair because i am leaning on behalf of people that are expecting for me to stand up for them, not special interests, not the -- >> would you be willing to

compromise on the tax cuts? >> i think the appropriate thick is to extend it for everybody. let me tell you why. >> here's the problem. if you're going to talk about bipartisanship as mr. crist does, if you're going to talk about bipartisanship and the white house says we're willing to compromise, maybe we can raise the threshold, maybe we can extend it for a couple of years, don't you have to say, okay, that's something we can think aboutsome. >> but candy it is bipartisanship because a growing number are now five democrats in the senate are saying to do this. there's now i don't know how many democrats in the house including two congressional democrats here in florida, the nominee of the democratic party here in florida saying my position is the correct one, the position i've adopted. there's a fundamental question here. i'm glad the congressman brought it up. is our problem because people aren't paying enough in taxes or the government is spending too much? the answer can be found in the president's budgets.

the president's budgets call for massive increases over the next decade we've with the president's mass increases it will double by the mid tofl decade and triple by the end of the decay. you truly have a spending problem which is driving the national debt. >> can we talk about the tax cuts? >> that's where i was going to go with you, the tax cuts. let's point out, congress being congress this could be well into january pfr one of you three are in the senate. do you see compromise anyplace? >> i see the fundamental problem on full display at this table, and you ask a very smart question. you know, the speaker and i support the tax cuts for everybody. we agree on that. we're both fiscal conservative ares. we always have been. but when you ask the question is there room for some compromise, this came up about three weeks ago, and the issue was presented to john boehner potentially the next speaker depending on the

outcome of these. and the question put to him was would you go ahead and accept what the president has put on the table without extending it beyond $250,000 a year and he say, you know, it might be worth looking at. within moments the wrath of the right wing of the republican party comes crashing down on his head. has to essentially reverse his view and say no way. rubio, with all due respect, he didn't answer your question whether or not he would be willing to accept come promiez. i want all the tax cuts extended but i want to understand as the congressman understands you've got to give relief to the people and they deserve it now. so if there's a way to go ahead and do that in the short term and after january push for the other tax cuts, that's what i think the real solution is. it's utilizing common sense to do what's right for the people in a meaningful way that is by partisan that makes progress for america. that's what florida wants. >> there's a difference between compromise and cutting a deal. compromise is a good thing. cutting deals in washington, there's too much of that. the bottom line is any

compromise that allows taxes -- any compromise that does not extend the current tax code to anybody is a tax increase and the congressman lines to point out this is for the super wealthy. let me tell you who it targets. it targets about 30% of those consumes in america. it comprises 50% of the small business tacks paid in our country. raising taxes on 30% of our consumer spenders or on the job creators that comprise o50% of small businesses would be a disaster in the middle of this deep economic downturn. i this thank the votes are going to be there to extend this. the only thing standing in the way is the stubbornness of the white house and the leadership of nancy pelosi and harry reid. >> do you think what's wrong is you think they're stubborn and they think you're stubborn. >> we have five democrats who say we've got to vote on this

thing. it's not just me saying it. >> let me just say this. let me just say this. >> this bickering back and forth, ideological arguments without common sense, compromising to do what's right for the people. you're seeing it right here, right now. that's why i'm running as an independent to give the people of florida a choice. >> let me just say this. let me just say this. [ applause ] >> let me just say. this all right. we know e why the governor is running as an independent, because he could. beat marco rupe owe. let's put it that way. >> let me just ask the audience, you're going to cut into our time and they want to talk. >> you just spoke, governor. wait a minute. >> why don't you go ahead and finish your time. >> the reason i'm running as an independent is because it's what the people right and what's right with my own heart. i have to be honor west myself. the republican party went so far right it's exactly why marco

rubio stayed there, it's exactly the same reason i left he wants to overturn. listen to me, women watching. he wants to overturn roe versus wade. he does not support stem cell research. these are extreme viewscy e-mail not comfortable with it. he took it to point so much so that he said people who don't e essentially agree with him, they should leave the country. that's unconscionable. you have to be right with yourself, adam. you know, when the party has those kinds of views and represents that kind of intolerance, that's not the way my parents who are here today raised me and my sisters. i couldn't live with that. here we are as an independent. >> let me ask you. wait in line. there was a lot going there. we even got to take a quick break. when we come back, we'll let you continue with that. [ k. tyrone ] i'm an engineer.

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welcome back to florida senate debate. the question was about tax cuts and somehow we went from there to why mr. crist got out of the republican primary and whether or not mr. rubio would deny a woman to choose. mr. meek, you can tax cuts or anything else in there. >> candy, you're really good. the governor cut me off and talked about dickering in washington, but that's another thing. let me say this. the reason why the governor's argument doesn't really penetrate florida voters is he's been all over the board. first a republican, became an independent. went down and nominated himself to sit at this table at this

point. and now he wants to pick up ideas like row v wade. i'm the only prochoice candidate sitting here. i don't have to talk about a it. we sit in this economy at 112% unemployment and you know speaker rubio sits here talking about deal-cutting. he was the speaker of the florida house of representatives. that's all he did. he deal cut all the time and he compromised all the time. and he sits here and krit sighs the administration. i want to make sure everyone understands, you know, there's no milk around our mouths here of being new to politics. it's important that we level with the people of the state of florida. i'm the only candidate here to qualify by petition in this state. the reason i did it is so i could carry the voices of floridians. i'm the only candidate talking about military families in this cam pay. folks want to talk about war in

avgs iraq. i'm the only person that's been there. i'm the only person who understands what these families are going through, committing their family members. so when it comes down to unpopular what people think and five democrats or certain amount of dell carats say the tax policy is wrong, you know, i'm on the side of making sure that those who are climbing an biting and sitting at the dining room table figuring out how they're going to make ends meet i'm their voice in the united states senate race. >> we're going to get to afghanistan, but mr. rubio's name has come up several times. >> we don't need to go down the long and torturous road. think i it's curious he attacks me for things like six months ago when we were debating together on fox news. but beyond that weer were having a dewait about tax policy. there's nothing wrong with compromising on ideas. i think if people have a common

goal about growing the economy and there are different ideas, think that's a good thing. i don't think we can compromise on principle. tax increases in the middle of a deep economic downturn is a bad idea and i think the question posed was are you open to a deal or co-compromise that would allow taxes to go up on somebody in america in the middle of the downturn and clearly i think what came out of the exchange is i'm the only one running who has said flatly i'm not in favor of and cannot support any compromise or deal or whatever you want to call it that would raise taxes. that's an important distinction. >> listen to what he just said. he wouldn't sep tax cuts on 98% of the people in america because of his ideology. that's exactly the problem. that's what's not right with washington today. marco -- >> is ideology another name for what you believe in though? >> no.

that's so rigid i can't listen to arguments of other people. god gave us two ears -- >> that's not a good argument. >> and it's more important, i think, to listen than to chatter all day long or go up to washington, d.c. as an ideological right wing senator and scream on cable channels all day long. the people are sick of it. they go there to fight for them -- >> mr. rude rooub owe is america safer and better off for having gone to war in iraq? >> i think ultimately yes. first of all the world is better off because saddam hussein is no longer in charge. he no longer is in charge of that country. let's understand one thing. right now we're worrying about iran possessing a nuclear weapon. if saddam hussein was still there and you know the long relationship you'd have two nations in a full-blown arms war the way you've seen between pakistan and india. so the world is a better and safer place not to mention the iraqi people are better off than

thab were under saddam hussein. there's no doubt they have a long way to go. but it is better off today than it was when -- >> same question. >> i would tell you there. there was a no-fly zone prior to going into iraq. it was a war that was brought about based upon falsehoods and not on fact and also there are a number of american lives that have been lost. saying thatting those sacrifices that have been made, i think it's very, very important to note that the international community must continue to stay involved in iraq. the biggest embassy in the world, the u.s. embassy is in iraq because of the bush doctrine. i think it's important to note i understand the situation as it relates to the world being safer because we went into iraq. i couldn't necessarily given you that overall blanket yes on that because it was a lot of -- >> you think we'd be better off if we hadn't gone in? >> i think we would have been better off if we would have looked at diplomatic solutions

and hadn't been lied to by the bush administration. i think a number of americans could have been saved. >> i think the world is a safer place because of the action we took in iraq and i think it's right what we're doing right now in afghanistan. one of the best parts of the policy is general petraeus to lead our troops on the ground in this conflict. the number one thing is to make sure we're safe on our shores, do what's right to maintain order in our society and i think the administration is on the right path to try to do that and general petraeus is exactly the right guy to lead us there. we've got to keep our eye on iran. the speaker is right. i agree. we have to be sure that we're monitoring what's happening there. i am very proud as governor of florida that we signed the first divestment act as it relates to iran. divesting of any companies that invest in iran because we

support israel so strongly in this state. we have a unique and unbreakable bond with israel. it's why my first trade mission was to israel as governor of florida. widget there with robert wechsler. a great former congressman from south florida. >> let me move you to afghanistan where we're now learning that president hamid karzai is talking to high-level representatives of the taliban in afghanistan for an overall peace settlement. now, these are the same people that the u.s. went in to drive out of afghanistan. now the person that we are protecting and backing up, a lot of people have real questions about hamid karzai. even his mental stability has been questioned, whether he's really up to the job of putting together a government in afghanistan, in question by u.s. officials, and now he's talking to people that the u.s. went in to drive out. is that acceptable? if there wish a peace agreement between the taliban and the

government in afghanistan, is that an acceptable way for this war to end? >> first let's define what the role of the united states needs to be in afghanistan and what victory looks like. victory for us is a stable nation in afghanistan. the reason why that's so important is not just because of afghanistan but because of its neighbor in pakistan. if they were to evolve into chaos -- ultimately to take over pakistan, a nuclear state. so that would be the worst possible scenario we could imagine. so the united states' role is to provide a level of security, so that governmental entities could take route and that real leadership could be establisheded. as far as the tactics that will be useded to accomplish that, i have confidence of the people on the ground and confidence in the people of general petraeus. but that is our goal there and it's an important goal we need to be committed to. >> if you two want to get in on this, i'll let you do that but

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welcome back to the florida senate debate. mr. meek, i wanted to bring you in on the afghanistan question. if the government of afghanistan comes to some conclusion in the war and a deal with the taliban, is that acceptable to you given the price of both blood and treasure that the u.s. has put in there? >> not accepting. not acceptable to me. think pakistan should also be in this discussion when it comes to monitoring the situation on the ground. the international community must be on table because there's a lot of foreign affairs dollars going into afghanistan. i think the pursestrings are going to dictate the deal. think it's very, very important to understand the taliban has

been there for years and years, hundreds of thousands of years, and i don't think sitting at a peace table is going to come about. i don't think they'll have a place of safety in afghanistan on the pakistan side, but i think diplomatic diplomacy is important and also predator drone. >> i want to turn to a different sunl, immigration. you said in all of these debate use want to secure the border with an electronic system to identify who's in the country legally. let's pretend it's all done. you have 12 mill people without papers in the country. >> first, i don't believe we can grant amnesty because i think it's unfair to people who have entered legally. >> you would send them out of the country? >> it's not that simple. what i said needs to have happen is a legal immigration system that functions and there's no one running in this country that's more prolegal immigration

than i am. my parents were immigrants, my gramd parents were immigrants. >> you're still going to have the difficulty of 12 million people here who don't have papers. other than amnesty, call it what you have -- >> you have to have a legal immigration system that works. let's understand why people come here illegally. they come here for jobs and one of the things that contributes to illegal immigration is we a broken legal system. it's complicated, bureaucratic and difficult to comply with. in florida a large apartment of people entered without documents they entered -- >> your plan is you're going close the borders, get the electronic system, fix the legal system and then do what? >> and then you'll have a legal immigration system that works an you'll have people in this country without documents that will be able to return -- will be able to leave this country, return to their home lan and try to enter through a system that now functions. >> would you be granted amnesty if you're not dealing with the

legals that are here? >> i think what's important is we have a common sense approach to this problem. what i think we need to do is what former president bush supported, senator john mccain, senator kyle from arizona and others and that is first secure the border. that's the right thing to do. after that i think you have to earn have to citizenship not amnesty. i'm not for amnesty. people should vt to get in the back of the line, pay a fine if necessary, their back taxes and be able to become productive members of the american economy. it's a compassionate way. i'm very sympathetic to immigration. my grandfather immigrated from greece. he came here because he realized american was a place if you lived here, worked hard and did good by your family. he did just that. these guys get into their fox hole. they can't come to compromise. they can't work together.

>> it was put up there, but let me -- in an election game. let me bring mr. meek in on this. >> tammy, i'm glad you checked mr. rubio on this whole amnesty issue because the bottom line is following. the dream act is, i'm for the dream act but not for the amnesty. what did the dream act call for? mr. speaker it called for individuals to serve in the military or attend an institution such as this to educate themselves so they don't become wards of the state because you're not for that. i think it's also important of this whole thing of kicking the ball down the field, securing the borders, we've been talking about that for 15, 20 years. it's important for us to move toward comprehensive ill grags reform. i'm the only one who's voted for it because i understand that as a former state trooper in enforcing the law. you can't piecemeal law making and say we'll do this, we'll do that. now, there's a guy by the name of rick scott who's running for governor here in florida and a combination between marco rubio

and rick scott will send his florida economy down into the hole. rick scott wants to have an arizona-style race -- >> let me just bring you in. i'm going to start enforcing 30 seconds because we have more questions. 30 seconds to address. >> earned path to citizenship is basically cold for amnesty. the reality of this. this has to do with fwom line that american cannot be the only country in the world that does not enforce its immigration laws. it is unfair to the people in the country to create an alternative -- all i'm saying is if you do that -- let me fin usual moo i statement on this. if you do this you will never have a legal immigration system that works. >> i know you need to but i think it's very, very important -- i think it's -- >> you changed your approximation on a number of issues. yesterday you criticized marco rubio for campaigning with sarah

palin, someone you campaigned with in 2008. >> in order to help my friend john mccain for the record. >> if you change your mind on so many things why should people not worry that you're going to change your mine on key issues once you get to washington? >> adam i'm glad you asked the question because i think the people of florida understand that it's important to see what the facts and circumstances are at the time and if things change you need to change what you're looking at and understand that you have to have an independent thinker to be a good united states senator. you know, facts change all the time. all the time. if you want to elect somebody that's rigid, that -- you know, i think people want an open-minded senator rather than the opposite, a closed-minded senator, and is honest enough to say things change. i'm an old quarterback. i remember calling a play in the huddle and literally as you're walking up to the line of scrimmage you survey the defense, the facts and circumstances before you, see where the linebackers are, and realize there's going to be a blitz, you've got to call an audible. you have to change to adapt to the circumstances to do the best thing for your state. >> do you see mr. crist as a

person who's able to change the play when he has to or you're an idealogue or -- >> two separate questions. this is well documented. he changes position on the issues because he wants to win the election. it's been documented. >> that is so untrue and so unfair for you to interpret what's in my heart. >> can i finish the -- there's an article. i didn't write it. it was in the "st. pete times" and it said on the day he switched parties he was sitting across the table from a reporter and picked up the phone -- >> you've got -- >> and the pollster told him you have a better chance running as an independent. >> -- two jobs at a university and a hospital by steering millions of dollars to -- the people at home make $165,000. i don't and i'm the governor of florida. but he traded money to get it. >> that's a false accusation. >> unbelievable. let me just say two things. >> that was in the "st. pete times," too.

>> not only is that a false accusation but it's been a trend in this campaign. anytime we get into the issues the governor wants to turn it into something else because he's wrong on the issues. >> why won't you release your credit cards and clear this up? >> i have now been -- >> federal investigation into your reporting income. >> one litany of falsehoods after another. >> maybe he would let you -- can you answer this question? >> -- across the state of florida for the past year. >> why not release the full irs records and credit card statements d -- >> these questions have been answered since february. my tax returns are public. i've gone well beyond the point of disclosure. the bottom line is people want to focus on these issues because they're wrong on the important issues. this country has a $13.5 trillion debt. >> he doesn't believe in transparency. i created the office of open government for the first time in the history of the state. >> i've never had a heckler in the debate, just in the audience. >> that's the way it is.

welcome to the nfl. >> i've had this heckler going on two minutes now. here's what i'd like to tell you about ideology. this is a national talking point now, the democrats have adopted across the country. here's the reality. i have now received the endorsement of six separate major newspapers in florida, not exactly the place conservatives go to hang out, at editorial boards. the reason they are supporting me is because i'm the only candidate in this race that's proposing serious answers to the serious issues that face america. that's what this election is about at the end of the day. it's not about you, governor, your idea to deliver the lines you've been planning for two weeks, not about you, kongman, and it isn't about me. this is about the people watching whose country is going in the wrong direction who understand if we keep doing what we're doing now, we'll be the first people in history to leave our children worse off than they are now. i hope that's what the next eight days is about. >> here's the deal. let me just say this. i just want to clarify i'm the only defensive player here at this table.

i used to be an outside linebacker and i used to sack quarterbacks and things of that nature. i think it's important. marco, you got me at the end when we start talking about the people that are looking for a united states senator to stand up for them. i think it's very, very important, candy, to understand that in florida the reyal the ti is the following. a, jobs have to be created. b, we have to diversify our economy. c, we got to stop the politics of offshore oil drilling in this state, and both of these gentlemen have been standing for that in the past. it's kind of hard -- well now you don't. governor, if you allow me to give straight answers of positions that i've had for the last umpteen years, i would appreciate it. thank you so very much. >> go ahead. >> i think it's important, candy, to understand that when a united states senator from florida hits the floor in washington, d.c., they must have the will and the desire to stand up on behalf of the people and not the special interests. and i think both of these

candidates have done so in the past. i think that's the reason why the personal nature of where people stand on issues such as comprehensive immigration reform, it's not amnesty. it's an issue that's facing this state. don't you know that tourism is a $63 billion industry in florida? and if we allow an arizona-style law to prosper here, individual will boycott the state and hurt our economy. >> i have to halt this -- >> listen to him talking about being a linebacker and buckling knees, i'm just glad he's not going to hit me. >> let me hold you all right there. we'll be back after this. [ manager ] you know... i've been looking at the numbers, and i think our campus is spending too much money on printing.

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we'd like to thank the university of south florida, the st. petersburg times and of course the three florida senate candidates for joining us here