Nevada Senate candidates go head-to-head Thursday

Neither Heller nor Berkley has debated much as both represented safe House seats. She is a seven-term congresswoman representing urban Las Vegas, a Democratic bastion. Before being appointed senator last year, he had been elected to the House three times, representing much of the GOP-leaning state.

Heller is a fiscal conservative who was part of the GOP House effort to cut federal spending, reform Medicare, balance the budget and move to slash the U.S. debt, now more than $16 trillion.

Berkley is a social liberal who has loyally backed President Barack Obama’s agenda, from health care reform to the $800 billion stimulus bill, which critics say didn’t do enough to pull the nation out of recession.

In other words, the two candidates are near-opposites, which should make the debate one of sharp contrasts and harsh attacks over ethics thrown in for spice.

"I think there’s a lot of excitement" about the debate, said Mitch Fox, the moderator and host of "Nevada Week in Review" on KLVX-TV, Channel 10, aka VegasPBS.

"The race is so tight," he added, saying other reasons for strong interest is that the candidates haven’t done many interviews and it’s the first of three debates before the Nov. 6 election.

Here is a look at where to watch the debate, who will be involved and what to watch for:

WHO: Heller and Berkley will debate before a studio audience of about 20 invited guests, plus members of the media. The debate is co-sponsored by VegasPBS/KLVX-TV, Channel 10; KUNR-radio, 88.7 FM; and the Reno Gazette-Journal.

WHEN: The one-hour debate will air live at 8 p.m. on VegasPBS/KLVX-TV, Channel 10; KNPB-TV, Channel 5, in Reno; and on C-Span.

WHERE: At the KNPB-TV, Channel 15, studios on the University of Nevada, Reno campus.

WHAT’S THE FORMAT: Each will stand behind lecterns on either side of the moderator. The candidates will be allowed one page of notes. They will get two minutes for opening and closing statements. Each will have 90 seconds to respond to the same question. The candidate who answers first gets one minute for rebuttal. Questions will be chosen by Brent Boynton of KNPB, Ray Hagar of the Reno Gazette-Journal, and Diego Santiago of Univision Nevada.

WHAT TO EXPECT

ETHICS: This may provide the most fiery – and most personal – moments of the debate.

Berkley is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for advocacy on kidney issues, which may have financially helped her husband, a nephrologist, Dr. Larry Lehrner. She probably will be asked whether she had a conflict of interest.

Look for Berkley to bring up Heller’s own past. Her campaign ads note Heller was secretary of state when a swindler cheated investors of $64 million in a diamond-mining scam on his watch. Also, Heller was friendly with a radio talk show host who laundered drug money. Heller disavows the two and has called Berkley "the most unethical, corrupt person I’ve ever met" for linking him to them.

MEDICARE: This has been at the heart of the Senate race and TV ads as the two battle over the senior vote.

Heller voted twice for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to reform Medicare by changing the system for future retirees 55 or older. Berkley has accused Heller of wanting to "end Medicare as we know it," or even kill it. Heller probably will counter that Berkley already has cut $1 trillion from Medicare spending, including more than $700 billion in savings over 10 years contained in Obama’s health care law.

TAXES: Berkley, like Obama, doesn’t want to extend Bush-era tax cuts for people making $250,000 or more a year. Look for her to portray herself as a "fighter for the middle class" while her opponent protects the wealthy. Heller wants to extend the tax cuts for everybody. He argues a tax hike would hit small-business owners, which he contends are the lifeblood of the economy and primary job creators.

WALL STREET: Expect Heller to slam Berkley for backing the 2008 Wall Street bailout, before Obama took office. Heller voted against that and other bailouts. Expect Berkley to argue she was helping prop up an economy on the brink of collapse; to point out that Heller voted for multiple tax breaks for big oil and big business; and to say the bailouts are working.

TOP OF THE TICKET: Each candidate will try to tie the other to the top of the ticket. Obama remains personally popular, but many of his policies from the stimulus to health care remain controversial. Mitt Romney pushes the same GOP fiscal policies as Heller, including deep spending cuts and Medicare reforms that are just as controversial. While Berkley has increasingly aligned herself with Obama, seeking coattails to help her win, Heller has distanced himself from Romney. Last week, Heller said he disagreed when Romney told a private audience he will never get support from 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay taxes and rely on government.

NEED MORE? Visit www.bit.ly/Sm8GsY for a more extensive Las Vegas Review-Journal preview.