a boost that could help carmona become the first democrat to represent arizona in the senate in nearly two decades. joining us now from phoenix is the man himself, drrmona. dr. carmona, thanks for joining us in this home stretch. i know you have a lot of work. i wanted to talk to you first about the contours of this race, which a lot of republicans thought was basically buttoned up, that jeff flake would be the inheriter of jon kyl's seat. i want to know to your mind, how much has the latino vote in particular and the policies put in place by governor brewer and sheriff joe arpaio and maricopa county, how much of that has made this a much closer than expected race? >> hi, alex. it's a pleasure to be with you. i think it's very close because of some of the extremist politics that you are alluding to. whether it's the sheriff, the senator, russell pearce, all with those extreme views that are very, very painful, hurtful, and vitriolic, and i think it's inspiring the hispanic community as well as moderate democrats and republicans across the board that they're rejecting that, because that type of discussion doesn't really represent us in arizona. >> w

dr. carmona 30 seconds. armona: as i said to my remarks in the congressman expanded i think we are in agreement that much needs to be done with reforming our farm bill in ensuring its contemporary and thought in nature and how it's expressed in supporting the farmers in our area. we have a broken congress. why wasn't this done? we have been kicking the can down the road for years in both parties have been derelict in their duties in each party blames the other. the fact is this is not that difficult to deal with and we know the issues about tariffs and subsidies. we have to have reasonable people sit down and start solving this problem. that is the politics that is killing us now. the gridlock because the party politics has not let us solve these problems. >> congressman, 30 seconds. carmona: congresses certainly dysfunctional. i would like to meet the other 10% that congress -- think congress is doing it just because everything to tell them. congress particularly the senate hasn't passed a budget in 1200 day

dr. carmona and congressman flake. we will take questions, and candidates will respond to local journalists. each candidate will have 90 seconds to respond to each question, and 30 seconds of rebuttals. built into the schedule is an additional four minutes, should be moderate our panelists wish to us as a follow-up. on our panel today is news director and evening anchor, a reporter, and a morning edition house and reporter. joining us today are over 300 residents, close to, from southwestern arizona. they have agreed to respect the candidates and listened silently during the debate, with the exception of right now. please welcome to human congressman -- to yuma the candidates for the united states senate. [applause] gentlemen, thank you both for coming to this debate. let us get started with opening statements. going first is dr. carmona. >> a pleasure to be with you today. thank you for the opportunity to be with you. i am not a politician, nor do i aspire to become a chronic politician. when asked to run by my fellow

dr. carmona.obody would have predicted the race to be neck and neck the representative from arizona. he has the endorsement of kyl mccain, all of the money coming in from the super pacs yet we find ourselves with few days left of the election, neck and neck election. furnitureout of the latino -- turnout of the latino community will be critical to carmona. the consequence could be earth shaking not only for arizona but a huge message being sent across the nation about the cleansing process that is beginning in arizona with the election of carmona to the senate. >> eliot: this weekend in particular, i'm hesitant to use weather metaphors but you're right it would be monumental if that were to go to the democrat. if flake would be defeated. very quickly because time runs short, isn't it the best negotiating posture or the democratic party when it comes to a fiscal cliff just let the bush tax cuts expire? >> oh, that's -- not only simple, it's right. it makes economic sense. and it makes huge politica

dr. richard carmona, and congressmen jeff flake.l journalists. each candidate will have 90 seconds to respond to each question, 30 seconds of rebuttal time. candidates will also have 90 seconds for rate -- for closing statements. should a panelist wish to extend a follow up, they can do so if they choose to. on our panel today is anna chalk, joyce loback, and michelle foust. joining us are over 300 residents from southwestern arizona. they have agreed to respect the candidates and listened silently during the debate with the exception of right now. ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome congressman jeff like and richard carmona -- jeff flake and richard carmona, candidates for the u.s. senate. [applause] gentlemen, thank you both for coming to yuma this debate. let's destroy it with opening statements. going first is dr. carmen up. it is a pleasure to be with you today. thank you for the opportunity to be with you and welcoming us. i am not a politician, nor do i aspire to become a chronic politician. i was asked to run by my

dr. carmona did not vote in the 2010 elections in the general or the primary. have a voted in the last election. that is not true. i can tell you, i do work across the aisle. when the president proposed immigration reform, he will not propose a temporary or guest worker plan. it is not comprehensive anymore for the president. >> the next question is for dr. carmona. >> the border between arizona and mexico is host to six ports of entry. officers are charged with preventing the movement of prohibit commercial products, pets, illegal migrants, drugs, weapons, and potential threats to national security. all of these things they must do without slowing legitimate traffic, including more than $20 billion of imports and exports each year. that is in arizona alone. what can the government do to help small border communities plan and execute improvements to the infrastructure leading to and improving ports of entry? what will if any does the government have in expediting on the mexican side of the border? >> i think clearly we have to and partnership with our counterpa

dr. carmona did not vote in the 2010 elections in the general or the primary.g to ask for people's votes, it helps to have a voted in the last election. that is not true. i can tell you, i do work across the aisle. when the president proposed immigration reform, he will not propose a temporary or guest worker plan. it is not comprehensive anymore for the president. >> the next question is for dr. carmona. >> the border between arizona and mexico is host to six ports of entry. officers are charged with preventing the movement of prohibit commercial products, pets, illegal migrants, drugs, weapons, and potential threats to national security. all of these things they must do without slowing legitimate traffic, including more than $20 billion of imports and exports each year. that is in arizona alone. what can the government do to help small border communities plan and execute improvements to the infrastructure leading to and improving ports of entry? what will if any does the government have in expediting on the mexican side of the border? >> i think clearly we ha

dr. richard carmona at one time served president bush and i think he's a safe haven for latinos who feel they've been shut out of the republican party in that state. >> right. and carmona has a decent chance and for those very reasons, despite how far right arizona is, i think its days as a deep red state are numbered because the latino population is growing and the tea party opposition to those folks is so strident that it's not going to moderate itself just because it's damaging them electorally and that's the big problem that the -- the kind of gop establishment has with the tea party. they often don't care if they lose. >> right. >> they would rather, you know, die trying. you know, they'd rather put an akin or chris -- >> or christine or don nel in there. >> right. somebody like that and stand on principle and go down whereas the gop establishment is, no, let's put up moderates that can win in these states. although even when the gop establishment did win in wisconsin, tommy thompson is getting ham bettered by tammy baldwin. >> especially since scott walker has such an infrastructur

dr. carmona. >> the border between arizona and mexico is host to six ports of entry.h preventing the movement of prohibit commercial products, pets, illegal migrants, drugs, weapons, and potential threats to national security. all of these things they must do without slowing legitimate traffic, including more than $20 billion of imports and exports each year. that is in arizona alone. what can the government do to help small border communities plan and execute improvements to the infrastructure leading to and improving ports of entry? what will if any does the government have in expediting on the mexican side of the border? >> i think clearly we have to and partnership with our counterparts in mexico have that discussion so we can actually be able to integrate our resources. when i was surgeon general, i spent a lot of time working internationally on our international preparedness plan. it really is about striking a balance between both. the border becomes an issue because of national security, but is also a thoroughfare to commerce that you point out. if we look at t