Three Key Exchanges From the First Bredesen-Blackburn Debate

Former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen and Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn faced off in the first of three U.S. Senate debates last night. In general, the hourlong event highlighted the way each candidate is approaching the pivotal midterm election: Bredesen is pitching himself as a pragmatic moderate, channeling voters' exhaustion with partisan bickering in Washington, D.C.; Blackburn is seeking to accentuate her support for President Donald Trump and posturing herself as a bulwark against the liberal agenda that awaits the nation if Bredesen and the Democrats take the U.S. Senate.

Here are three key exchanges from the night.

On Chuck Schumer

One of Blackburn's primary objectives in last night's debate seemed to be tying Bredesen to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. She said Schumer's name 11 times and continually asserted that Bredesen was "bought and paid for" by the New York Democrat.

Bredesen seems to have seen this coming. He closed his response to the moderators' first question — about what the candidates felt was the most pressing issue today — by pledging not to support Schumer for majority leader if the Democrats win control of the Senate. Here's that portion of Bredesen's response, and Blackburn's response to his comments, which foreshadowed her approach the rest of the night.

Read more: https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21024317/three-key-exchanges-from-the-first-bredesenblackburn-debate