a question about whether the candidates thought the economy was in good shape, but within several minutes the discussion turned to nasty advertising mailers and the war

in Iraq.

"There is an 800-pound gorilla here," said Democratic Party candidate Diane Farrell, who is in an intense and close battle with incumbent U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays. She then held up an advertisement that stated: "Diane Farrell: Coffee Talk with the Taliban," along with an unflattering picture of the candidate.

The flip side of the glossy mailer listed actions allegedly taken by her campaign.

"This is as awful as it gets," she fumed. "Does anybody think we had coffee with the Taliban?"

The advertisement was paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee and was not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee, according to a statement on the flier.

Later in the debate Shays claimed that it "hurts me more than Farrell. I've contacted those [Republicans] in Washington and told them to stop."

Farrell then turned to the question about the economy. "Chris Shays says we have a spending problem. Damn right. It is called Iraq."

Shays, who observed that U.S. unemployment is half of that in Europe, said: "We don't have a revenue problem but a spending problem. We can thrive and grow as long as we improve education."

Fiscal House

Farrell continued: "The first thing we are going to do [when Democrats take over the Congress] is to get our fiscal house in order." Eight-million Americans are living on minimum wages and income for many has declined, according to Farrell.

The answers of Phil Maymin, the Libertarian Party candidate, and Richard Duffee, of the Green Party, gave both men a chance to provide those at the Temple Israel debate an insight into the political philosophy of their respective political parties.

"Yes, I believe it is excellent," said Phil Maymin, the Libertarian Party candidate, on the U.S. economy. He credited that development to the character of Americans. "The only thing the government does is make it worse."

He urged the removal of government restraint on trade and challenged the country's tax policy. "We have such a complicated tax system," said Maymin.

A key objective of the Libertarian Party is ending government influence in the lives of Americans.

In his answer to the question, Duffee, the Green Party candidate, focused on the huge salaries corporate executives made in the United States. "In World War II, no CEO made more than the president," he said. "Now there is not a single country [elsewhere] that tolerates such wages."

In addition, Duffee stated that he believes health is more closely related to wealth and questioned the anxiety its pursuit creates. He would like to see funds correct problems like malnutrition in India. "These problems are easily solved," he said.

Judging from comments before and after the debate, the inclusion of the minority parties was a mixed blessing.

Temple Israel Rabbi Robert Orkand insisted it wouldn't be fair for a religious organization to exclude candidates from a debate and some agreed that fairness was important although most of those organizing the other 10 debates apparently don't share that point of view.

However, some attending the debate said the minority party candidates were a distraction and took away from the exchanges between Shays and Farrell. Duffee and Maymin both were articulate and interesting, although the Green Party candidate seemed to be shouting at times.

At a debate in which there were few new ideas by Shays and Farrell, Duffee and Maymin provided some new thoughts on political philosophy. Maymin provided one of the few amusing moments of the evening when he commented on the constant bickering between Shays and Farrell.

Many Topics

A strategy for Iraq, the possibility of firing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the efficacy of the reports Shays files upon his return from each of the 14 trips to Iraq, the issue of torture, coping with health-care problems, global warming and energy policy also were discussed at the debate.

Toward the conclusion of the 90-minute debate, Shays proclaimed: "There is no better friend of Israel in this room than me."

Farrell agreed that Shays "has a good record on Israel. I know you have." But she added: "I am a friend of Israel, too. I have Israel in my heart."

"Lots of us knew what happened in Iraq without going there," said Farrell in one exchange. During the campaign she has been critical of the 14 trips by Shays to Iraq and the reports he filed upon his return each time.

"Progress has not been made," she continued. "Chris presents the status quo. [President] Bush won't be listening."

Several minutes later, Shays talked of the virtues of going to the scene and seeing what is happening.

Farrell also talked about renewable energy and the development of fuel cells. "This could lead to 3.3 million new jobs and reduce the use of oil," she said.

Shays countered, "At each debate Farrell doesn't begin to solve the energy problem."

Maymin suggested getting the government out of the energy business and the removal of gas taxes while Duffee observed, "We are the problem."