Dallas / Fort Worth Local News

DENTON (AP) ― Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry clashed over Texas job losses, state taxes and federal spending in a testy debate Thursday night, with each Republican gubernatorial candidate accusing the other of twisting the truth.

"Senator, I know the truth can sometimes be hard to recognize when you've been in Washington for 16 years," Perry said after Hutchison challenged his claim that he cut business taxes.

"Governor, there you go again," she answered, borrowing a famous debate phrase from the late President Ronald Reagan. Throughout the debate Hutchison tried to stick to fiscal issues and accused Perry of not delivering on his promises to reduce business and property taxes.

A third Republican candidate for governor, Debra Medina, joined Hutchison and Perry in the hourlong televised debate at the University of North Texas, the candidates' first debate before the March 2 primary.

Perry repeatedly tried to tie Hutchison to increased federal government spending and accused her of changing her position by voting for a fall 2008 financial industry bailout bill. Hutchison said then-President George W. Bush urged her and other Republicans in Congress to support the bailout bill to combat a "global meltdown" in the economy.

"He hated to do that. We hated to make that vote," she said, adding that she worked to change the bill and later voted against more bailout money.

Hutchison noted that Perry, as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, wrote a letter urging Congress to pass the economic recovery bill. Shortly after writing that letter, Perry said he didn't support the federal legislation.

"Governor, you asked for it, too. You were for it before you were against it," Hutchison said.

That deteriorated into one of several terse exchanges over the truth. Perry said perhaps Hutchison didn't understand his letter, and Hutchison replied sarcastically, "I'm sure we just didn't get it," before she offered a big smile to the crowd.

One of their earliest arguments arose over job losses in Texas.

Perry tried to point to the jobs he has created in office and cited positive statistics stretching from November 2007 to November 2008.

Hutchinson replied: "Let's talk about '09."

"We lost 300,000 jobs in Texas this year; that is not a record to be proud of," Hutchison said.

Perry, seeking an unprecedented third four-year term, boasted that Texas leads the nation in the development of jobs and it's one of the top places for small businesses. Texas' unemployment rate is at 8 percent, about two percentage points below the national average.

"This is the best state in the nation to be living in today," Perry said.

Perry took on Hutchison for her stance on abortion, saying she voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution supporting Roe v. Wade and that she once was praised by a group that supports abortion rights. "The consistency issue is one I'm having trouble with, senator," he said.

Earlier, answering a question from a panel of journalists, Hutchison said she had voted against late-term abortions and against federal funding for abortions.

"My record is one that always comes down on the side of life," Hutchison said.

Answering a question about immigrants' rights, Hutchison said Texas should be doing more to ensure to the state isn't hiring illegal immigrants. Perry then accused Hutchison of voting for "sanctuary cities," where officials are prohibited from reporting illegal immigrants. Hutchison in the background kept denying that was true, while Perry continued to talk.

Medina, campaigning heavily on gun owners' rights, got some laughs when answering a question about whether she observes the state's concealed weapon law, which allows people with state licenses to carry hidden guns except in places where they are specifically banned. "I do not take my handgun into grocery stores. ... I'd like to," she said.

Perry, coming across in his usual folksy fashion, got the most laughs from the generally quiet audience, several times drawing chuckles with barbed comments.

Hutchison appeared focused and ready to argue. She had warned earlier this week that her campaign was about to intensify.

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