WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Illinois' Senate candidates tangled Sunday over the economic record of the man who held the seat they seek, President Barack Obama.
Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said, "If you look at the mess that he inherited and the enormous challenges that he inherited -- a trillion dollar deficit, increasing job losses -- I think he's done everything he can to help turn this economy around."
His Republican opponent, Rep. Mark Kirk, said Obama's legacy is "a tremendous amount of debt. … While we did run deficits in the past, we now number our debt in trillions rather than in billions. And I think that represents a long-term danger, especially to the -- the American dream."
Kirk termed himself "a fiscal hawk" who "forswore earmarks for my own congressional district."
Giannoulias countered that Kirk favors "$700 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we don't have $700 billion."
Kirk wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for the top bracket, while Giannoulias would let them expire.
Kirk repeated his determination to repeal the healthcare overhaul and replace it with a Republican alternative. Gianoulias called the legislation "far form perfect" but said it has important provisions that should be preserved.
