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Republican former Rep. Pat Toomey and Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak tried to outdo each other in their portrayals of the other as too extreme for Pennsylvania during their first of two debates in the open Senate race.

Democrats have for months blasted Toomey, a former president of the fiscally conservative political group Club for Growth, as too extreme for the typically blue state. Toomey took a page from the same playbook in Wednesday's ABC debate in Philadelphia, saying repeatedly that Sestak's votes in favor of President Obama's economic proposals went too far.

Both candidates were asked at the outset about how they would bring jobs to the Keystone State. Toomey ripped a series of laws enacted at the close of the Bush administration and the beginning of the Obama administration, including bank bailouts, the nationalization of industries and exorbitant spending.

"This agenda is preventing us from having the kind of economic growth that we so badly need," Toomey said. He added of Sestak, "He voted for every item on that agenda, and his only criticism was that they didn't go far enough."

For his part, Sestak said that 23 million jobs were created during the Clinton administration. Sestak worked in that administration in defense roles. He pointed out that no jobs were created during the Bush administration, when Toomey served in Congress.

He continued the attack line that Toomey is in the pocket of Wall Street and business interests by charging, "If it's a program for the people, he's against it. If it's a program for corporations, he's for it." He continued that the country is based on a motto that is, "We the people, not we the corporations. That's the difference in this election."

Sestak also denigrated Toomey for his business background by accusing the former congressman of not having a hands-on role in his family's enterprise.

An exasperated Toomey did not directly address the charge and simply said later that he has been very involved in his family's business. He pivoted again to an attack on Sestak.

"It's very clear. The person who is the extreme candidate that is so far out of touch with Pennsylvania is Joe Sestak," he said, drawing attention once again to Sestak's votes on the bailouts and in favor of cap-and-trade legislation in the House.

Sestak tried to cast Toomey as an extremist just as often.

ABC moderator George Stephanopoulos asked Toomey at one point if he thought former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was qualified to be president, given that she offered her endorsement in the race.

Toomey did not answer the question directly and instead said he welcomed all such endorsements this cycle.
But Sestak jumped on the opportunity more than once, and at one point lumped Toomey in with Palin and Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell, whose views have gotten national attention but whose candidacy affects Pennsylvanians due to overlapping media markets between her state and theirs.

He accused Toomey of wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade, just like Palin and O'Donnell.

On education, Sestak also needled Toomey: "This is what you're getting with the extreme views of Congressman Toomey. He voted four times against Pell Grants so lower income youth might go to college," he said.

And he called the health care bill a piece of legislation that saved his daughter, who suffered from brain cancer.

At times, Toomey asserted that Sestak simply didn't understand the impact and reach of major pieces of legislation, or didn't understand the economic challenges at hand.

In his closing statement, Toomey called Sestak "clearly to the left of even the Democratic consensus," and he reiterated his opening points that the Democrat believed the stimulus and other economic proposals didn't go far enough, and he didn't personalize his message as much as Sestak did.

Sestak and Toomey meet again in a Pittsburgh debate on Friday.