Kerry, Beatty trade jabs on partisanship at final debate

Candidates Senator John Kerry (right) and Jeff Beatty sparred over gun control and immigration in the hour-long exchange. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Senator John F. Kerry sought to frame his Republican challenger Jeff Beatty in a debate yesterday as a staunch member of the GOP who would weaken the state's clout in Washington, while Beatty tried to emphasize his independence from the party line.

Kerry invoked senior Senator Edward M. Kennedy to make his point that Beatty could hurt the state politically.

"The last thing we need is a Republican senator from Massachusetts who will cancel Ted Kennedy's vote out," Kerry said in the live debate on WTKK-FM in Boston. Kerry also played up Beatty's previous support for President Bush and his current backing of GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

But Beatty, who has praised Kennedy as an effective senator, used the opportunity to highlight that Kennedy and Kerry were on opposite sides of the 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq, which Kerry supported.

"I would have voted with Ted Ken nedy on the war. Don't try to say I would negate Ted Kennedy," Beatty said. "That kind of comment and perspective is just typical of a Washington insider who's been there for 24 years and can't conceive of anything except partisan politics. I'm not going there as a partisan. I'm not the hand-picked candidate of the Republican Party."

The candidates also sparred over gun control, immigration, and national security in the hour-long exchange, moderated by WTKK hosts Margery Eagan and Jim Braude. It was the final debate for the candidates before next week's election.

Beatty, an Army veteran and antiterrorism consultant who lives in Harwich, has trailed by 30 percentage points or more in polls of the race. He unsuccessfully challenged US Representative William Delahunt in 2006.

Beatty accused Kerry of "coddling" illegal immigrants, a reference to Kerry's criticism of a 2007 New Bedford factory raid that led to dozens of immigration-related arrests, but in which agents also were accused of separating young children from their parents.

"We heard nothing but criticism from Senator Kerry about that raid where people were working illegally," said Beatty, who nonetheless agreed the raid was conducted poorly. "I've had so many workers come up to me and complain about the fact that Senator Kerry's coddling of people, encouraging them to come here and break our law, is in fact taking work from good union workers."

Kerry countered that enforcement of immigration laws should start at the border, adding that employers who hire illegal immigrants should be held accountable.

"You don't let the owner of the company be out and sleeping in his own bed the very day of the arrests, and the people he hired are still incarcerated."

Kerry, who frequently complained about interruptions from Beatty, went after his challenger over statements he made previously in support of allowing college students to carry concealed weapons.

In an April visit to Framingham State College, Beatty signed a conservative student group's petition calling for students to be able to carry "lawful defense tools" on campus.

Beatty has since said the right to carry firearms should also apply to students on campuses.

"You support guns being carried by students in schools in Massachusetts," Kerry said. "I don't know any parent who thinks that's a smart idea."

Beatty later countered by pointing to antiviolence training he conducted for schools as a private security consultant.

Both candidates expressed disbelief that a child died after accidentally shooting himself on Sunday.

"There's no way an 8-year-old should be allowed to do that," Beatty said.

Kerry added: "It defies common sense."

They differed on term limits, with the four-term incumbent Kerry calling them "a terrible idea." He suggested the six-year term for senators is "in effect" a term limit.

"The voters every six years get a chance to make a decision, and if they don't get involved and make that decision, it's their fault."

Beatty said senators should be limited to "two or three terms."

The two differed on referendum Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot, which would end the state income tax. Beatty supports it, a position Kerry called irresponsible.

Beatty said legislators were likely to ignore a repeal of the income tax if voters approved it, but he said they should send lawmakers a message by supporting it anyhow.

John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.