Thompson, Baldwin don't mince words in first Senate debate

MADISON (AP) -- U.S. Senate hopeful Tommy Thompson is trying to reverse his campaign fortunes in a debate with opponent Tammy Baldwin.

Thompson opened the debate at WMVS-TV's Milwaukee studios Friday by labeling Baldwin a taxer and a spender. He says she's extreme and out of the mainstream.

Baldwin responded by labeling partisan name-calling crazy.

Thompson, a Republican who served four terms as Wisconsin's governor, is fighting to recover after polls last week showed the race was a dead heat or Baldwin, a seven-term Democratic congresswoman from Madison, with the lead. The former Wisconsin governor acknowledged his campaign was broke after the GOP primary in August. Karl Rove's political action committee is pouring another $1.2 million into ads attacking Baldwin.