Christine O'Donnell, Chris Coons Trade Barbs in Delaware Debate

Republican candidate Christine O'Donnell delivers her opening remarks as Democratic candidate Chris Coons, left, listens during a televised Delaware Senate debate at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010.

(Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AP Photo)

O'Donnell, Coons Wrangle Over Afghanistan

On the issue of taxes, O'Donnell called for wholly extending the Bush tax cuts set to expire in January, while Coons said he wanted to extend only "those tax cuts that have the best chance of getting our economy going again."

O'Donnell warned the new health care law would put Uncle Sam in the examination room and should be repealed -- a line Coons quipped was a "good slogan ... [but] how does this bill actually put Uncle Sam in the examination room?"

On Afghanistan, Coons said he was concerned that after 10 years of war "it's a conflict that doesn't have a reasonable end in sight," suggesting he favored a timetable for withdrawal. O'Donnell pounced, saying such a policy would "simply embolden the terrorists."

O'Donnell struggled to name a recent Supreme Court case with which she disagreed, promising to post a list later on her website. Coons cited the Citizens United decision, which has significantly weakened campaign finance laws passed by Congress.

Before the debate, O'Donnell appeared to lower expectations for her performance, calling Coons a "two-time national debate champion" and "a gifted and experienced orator."

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But O'Donnell quickly moved beyond early shows of nervousness to persistently and confidently make her points. Coons at several points accused O'Donnell of distorting the facts and drowning out the conversation with her "diatribes." O'Donnell trails Coons by 19 points in the latest CNN/Time poll released today.

O'Donnell Dominates Spotlight

O'Donnell has captivated the political world in the month since she defeated Republican establishment favorite Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware primary, raising more than $3 million from supporters nationwide.

But O'Donnell has also drawn intense public scrutiny of her personal finances and provocative past statements that have led some voters to question her suitability for office.

"I am not a witch ... I am you," O'Donnell said in one recent campaign ad -- a line which drew a sharp rebuke from Coons. "She's not me, and she's not Delaware," Coons said on ABC News' "Top Line" Wednesday.