GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP/WZZM) - Michigan's two major party candidates for the U.S. Senate offered voters a sharp contrast during their first debate Sunday. Incumbent Democrat Carl Levin and Republican challenger Jack Hoogendyk clashed on the economy, immigration and other topics. Levin says the policies of Republican President George Bush have hurt Michigan's economy and the nation, particularly because of the loss of manufacturing jobs. Hoogendyk noted Levin has been in Washington for 30 years and shares some of the responsibility for what's going on with the economy. The two candidates debated at a Grand Valley State University studio, with WZZM 13's Peter Ross serving as moderator. They will debate again Monday at the Detroit Economic Club.
Six candidates are running for the Senate seat. Along with Levin and Hoogendyk, are Libertarian candidate Scotty Boman, Natural Law candidate Doug Dern, Green candidate Harley Mikkelson and U.S. Taxpayers candidate Michael Nikitin.
Libertarian Scotty Boman is outside of the debate, protesting the fact that he and the other three candidates were not invited to participate.
Supporters of Boman say the reason is because the Libertarian and other candidates are so far behind in the polls, but Boman says that's not enough of a justification.
"One thing is to get my name out there, because obviously the other candidates are getting their name out there in a very direct way being actually part of this TV program," said Boman. "The other thing though is to directly attack the unfairness of it because basically the only real criteria that's being used here to determine who participates in that debate is whether or not the candidates are the nominees of the Republican and the Democratic party."
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