Last night's debate between U.S. Senate candidates Attorney General Kamala Harris and Orange County congresswoman Loretta Sanchez was a feisty and at times nasty exchange on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to water policy, cybersecurity and combating terrorism.
Sanchez, who finished a distant second in the June primary and trails Harris in every poll, continued a move toward the right in hopes of appealing to undecided voters and Republicans -- many of whom tell pollsters they won't bother voting for one of these two Democrats.
From the very first question about body cameras for police and criminal justice reform, Sanchez was on the attack. She called Harris "absent" on the debate in Sacramento, alluding to her refusal to support legislation by state Sen. Mark Leno aimed at opening more police misconduct personnel files to scrutiny.
Harris used the word "absent" for a swift counterattack. "If you're going to talk about absences, it's important to show up," Harris said, calling Rep. Sanchez "the number three truant" based on attendance records at House committees in the past year.