WARWICK -- Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey, in their first televised debate, held a civil but pointed joust last night over federal spending, immigration, the Supreme Court, tax cuts, the war in Iraq and their personal political styles.

The second, and final TV debate will be held Saturday. This one will be sponsored by Channel 10.

Chafee cited his early opposition to giving President Bush authority to prosecute the war in Iraq, said he was proud of federal projects he has brought to Rhode Island and said voters should recognize that he is a consistent voice in the Senate who can work on a bipartisan basis to get things done.

Bipartisanship is "something I've shown a talent for and Mayor Laffey has not," said Chafee.

Laffey emphasized the need to elect a senator who can shake things up in Washington, work to cut federal "pork" spending and work for tough immigration restrictions.

"Senator Chafee has had seven years to change Washington and he didn't get the job done. I will," said Laffey.

The debate, sponsored by Channel 12 (WPRI) and The Providence Journal, was held at Toll Gate High School and attended by several hundred Laffey and Chafee supporters who cheered their candidates' entrances from their dressing rooms. Laffey and Chafee answered questions from a panel of journalists in the third of four debates to be held before the Sept. 12 GOP primary.

They even had nice things to say about each other. When asked what quality each admired in the other, Laffey said Chafee was a "wonderful man, he's a great family man."

Chafee said "Mayor Laffey has shown terrific energy . . . the energy he brings to this campaign I respect."

But the gloves came off after that, with each candidate sticking to his campaign themes and battling over who was in thrall to the "special interests" that Laffey cited over and over again.

Laffey accused Chafee, a supporter of abortion rights, of having a "litmus test" for judges; Chafee accused Laffey of leaping to decisions on Mr. Bush's nominees before the confirmation-hearing testimony played out.

Chafee tried to set himself apart by saying voters should elect leaders who can represent them "calmly" and "without bombast or rancor."

Laffey, who like Chafee is a multimillionaire but has cultivated an image as the ruddy faced son of a toolmaker, said "it's time for someone who grew up the hard way to go down to Washington and fight for you."

The two were asked at one point why, given Mr. Bush's lowest-in-the-nation job approval ratings in Rhode Island, voters should elect a Republican senator "likely to support the president's policies."

Chafee said: "Certainly my record voting with the administation is spotty at best. I try to support the team when I can, but I vote my conscience."

Chafee also said it would be good for Rhode Island to continue to have "at least one member of our congresiosnal delegation in the majority, in the admnistration that is going to be in power and that is going to be President Bush for two more years."

Laffey agreed "we should have one Republican down in Washington," but he tried to distance himself from Mr. Bush and the national GOP.

"Listen," he said, "the national Republican Party backs Senator Chafee. President Bush and his wife back Senator Chafee. . . . The last thing they want down in Washington is a real reformer who is going to take on the major issues of our time like the national energy policy that we don't have."

He accused Mr. Bush, other elected leaders and Chafee of having "failed us especially since 2001 because they haven't [told] us exactly how to win the war on terror . . ."

"Everytime the price of a barrel of oil goes up another dollar, Iran takes more of the money and recycles it to terrorists like Hezbollah. That's what we need to stop. That's where the president and our elected officials have failed us."

But Chafee called Laffey's comments "another instance, similar to immigration, where Mayor Laffey spins like a weathervane, 180 degrees on this one, criticizing me for not supporting the president over and over again . . . and now when the president's popularity drops, he wants to throw him overboard and say, 'I've nothing to do with the president.' "

On the legitimacy of their attack ads, Chafee said they have a positive benefit because they highlight "our differences," but not when "nefarious" interest groups such as the anti-tax Club For Growth spend hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Chafee, "mostly erroneously, I'll add."

Chafee called it "extremely hypocritical" for Laffey to say "I am going down to fight the special interests in Washington when the Goliath, when the great white shark of special interests, the Club for Growth, is part and parcel of his campaign . . . he's in their pocket. I find that, once again, extremely hypocritical."

But Laffey said Chafee was no one to talk when "the Washington insiders have run negative, dirty, personal character assassinatin ads" on his behalf, and Chafee has banked "over a $1 milion special interest PAC money."

"The Club for Growth wants several things," said Laffey. "They want low taxes. They want to cut out the pork-barrel spending. They want school choice . . . Those are wide-ranging issues, not the narrow special-interest PAC money that gets so often distributed to incumbents, senator."

But Chafee did not let go. He cited a March 4, 2005, letter he got from Laffey seeking $363,185 to fix the cupola atop Cranston City Hall. He also called the club one of the most "nefarious and infamous" special interests in Washington.

Chafee defended his vote for the McCain-Kennedy bill he co-sponsored that creates a lengthy path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who pay fines and learn English. Laffey accused him of voting for "amnesty for all illegal aliens."

But Chafee said "the most important thing on any issue is to be consistent," and Laffey's early support for the controversial identification cards for illegal immigrants in his city doesn't square with his poll-driven statements now: "We have to put these people in jail."

But Laffey said "we didn't talk about putting anybody but the employers of illegal aliens in jail."

Republicans hold a five-seat edge in the U.S. Senate and the national GOP is backing Chafee.

kgregg@projo.com / (401) 277-7078

smackay@projo.com / (401) 277-7321

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