Orrin Hatch in 2012 Utah Senate Debates

On Immigration: Introduced bipartisan DREAM Act

Serving in the Utah Legislature is "quite different than being in Congress, by the way, especially in our Legislature," Hatch said, adding that, if elected, Howell would be "surrounded by people" in the Democratic Party "who won't let you be anything but liberal."

At one point, Hatch pointed to his introduction of the DREAM Act--to allow undocumented immigrants brought as young children by their parents to America to attend college and work toward citizenship--as an example of how he cares about Latinos.

On Principles & Values: I'm running to help Mitt Romney and to be Committee Chairman

Hatch repeatedly aligned himself with the Republican presidential nominee--often enough that Howell said, "you can't ride on the coattails of Governor Romney."

Hatch didn't waver. "I'll just quote Mitt Romney. He said, 'We need Orrin Hatch back in the Senate helping to lead the way.' "

At another point, Howell said, "sometimes I wonder if I am running against Mitt Romney or Orrin Hatch."

And Hatch interrupted: "Both of us."

Howell contended that Hatch moved far to the right to win tea party support this year, and that contributes to partisan gridlock.

On Budget & Economy: Re-elect me and I'll chair the Senate Finance Committee

Hatch called himself the likely chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee where 60% of all federal spending is considered. He said with Romney as president and "if I take over as chairman, we're going to get these matters under control one way or the other.

"It's time for new leaders in the Senate, Liljenquist said. "I am running, senator, because you could become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, not in spite of it," he said.

On Budget & Economy: Accused of "fiscal child abuse" by leaving debt for future

The comment clearly rankled Hatch. "Let me get this straight. Apparently, I'm responsible for everything that's wrong in government. That's total b.s. and everybody knows it," the six-term senator said.

For his one question, Liljenquist asked Hatch if he felt responsible in any way for the national debt.

"Frankly, no," Hatch replied. "I led the fight against the debt from day one. And I'm offended that you keep bringing it up like I'm responsible for all the things that are wrong in America. How about the things that are right--am I responsible for those, too?" Hatch complained that it has been difficult to fight federal spending because in the Senate "we've been in the minority the whole time I've been there."

On Homeland Security: I fight every year to save Hill Air Force Base

"To suggest that one man, Orrin Hatch, stands between Hill Air Force Base and oblivion is ridiculous," he said.

Hatch said Liljenquist doesn't know what he's talking about. Hill, he said, is targeted every year and that he and former Sen. Jake Garn and former Rep. Jim Hansen always had to fight for it. "I don't believe it's all me," he said

On Principles & Values: Debates are a time-worn campaign tactic for free press

Liljenquist renewed his call this week for televised debates with Sen. Orrin Hatch before next month's Republican primary election. But the longtime senator refuses to debate on television and maintains that the single scheduled radio debate is sufficient.

Hatch responded: "It's understandable why Dan Liljenquist would want Utahns to view this campaign through an alternate reality," according to a press release. "In the real world, demanding debates is a time-worn campaign tactic used by candidates with little name recognition in the effort to gain free press attention."

On Budget & Economy: My 36 years in Senate could make me Finance Committee chair

Their key disagreement, however, had more to do with chronology than ideology. Challengers Chris Herrod and Dan Liljenquist argued that incumbent Sen. Orrin Hatch's 36 years in Washington had made him partly responsible for the nation's problems, while Hatch emphatically countered that his time in the Senate made him uniquely positioned as an agent for change.

Hatch frequently referred to his position in the Senate Finance Committee--he would chair the committee if Republicans gained a majority of the Senate in November--and presented himself as part of a 2-man reform team with Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. "The finance committee is where it's all at," Hatch said. "Mitt knows it, I know it and he wants me there.

On Budget & Economy: My balanced budget bill failed by only one vote

Hatch answered that for most of his time in the Senate, the finance committee had been chaired by Democrat senators. He also pointed to his record of co-authoring the balanced budget amendment, a cause that he has brought to the Senate floor 13 times and twice, he said, came within one vote of passage. "Had we passed that amendment we wouldn't be in the awful state we are today," Hatch said. "Some of us really do work hard to get this country out of the doldrums."

Liljenquist, however, described Hatch's work with the balanced budget amendment as hypocritical. He said Hatch had voted for a number of bills that added to the national debt, specifically dealing with Medicaid. "You can't hold up the balanced budget in one hand and then hold up legislation that makes it impossible in the other," Liljenquist said.

On Budget & Economy: OpEd: Federal debt increased rapidly on his watch

The two challengers, however, said Hatch has served in Washington during a time when the federal debt increased rapidly and the powers of the executive branch expanded significantly. "It's one thing to say that you think Congress should have a say, but when you're in Congress, you have to demand that Congress have a say," his opponent Liljenquist said.

On Principles & Values: 1976: What do you call 2-term incumbents? Call him home!

Howell said the field attracted more Democrats this year because "this is a race where we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take back the Senate seat," because of perceived weaknesses by Hatch