Welcome to Bucks County's 8th Congressional District race, a/k/a "The Rematch."
It's a race that some Republicans believe could be a national bellwether. They're targeting Murphy despite the fact that Democrats have a voter-registration edge in his district and President Obama won there by 9 points in 2008.
"The race has taken on new importance," said Franklin & Marshall College pollster G. Terry Madonna. "It now has to be regarded as competitive, and I think we're going to see a lot more national interest than before."
The candidates met Wednesday at the Comcast Network's studio in Philadelphia for the taping of their first debate. It will air at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on Larry Kane's "Voice of Reason."
They clashed over the economy, with Fitzpatrick repeatedly attacking Murphy for supporting Obama's $787 billion stimulus package, bailout bills and increased health-care spending.
"I have six children and I can't sit back any longer and watch what's happening to our country - doubling the unemployment rate, doubling the national debt," Fitzpatrick said, adding, "It's immoral what we're doing to future generations."
Murphy said that he wished he "didn't have to" vote for the stimulus but that the emergency spending was required to clean up the Bush administration's "mess" and stanch rapid job loss.
"Sometimes I feel like the cleanup crew after an Eagles game," said Murphy, who blasted Fitzpatrick for supporting free-trade policies that sent U.S. jobs to Central America.
Addressing the Bush-era tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of this year, Murphy said he backs middle-class cuts, but opposes extending them for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, or "the Paris Hiltons of the world."
