We might not have gotten that radio debate last week, but it sounds like the boxing match at the final gubernatorial debate in San Rafael last night made for better visuals anyway. According to Bay City News, reporting on the Appeal, Meg and Jerry danced around each other as they tossed out "less-than-memorable one-liners." Among those one-liners were Whitman's desire to "bring that California dream alive," which Jerry seemed to infer she only intended to do for her wealthy friends.

With officiant Tom Brokaw keeping the debate from turning into a slugfest, Brown countered Meg's attacks on job losses during the Moonbeam days in Sacramento while offering an apology for the staffer who may or may not have have been calling Whitman a whore in a recorded phone conversation. Pointing out (rightly so!) that moments like that are only indicative of "things that happen in a campaign." Meg admitted she was not proud of her skimpy voting record, but defended the heaps of cash she has thrown at her campaign as a necessary measure to overcome the unions who oppose her run for governor.

When the discussion turned to Housekeepergate, Whitman maintained she didn't know her maid was in the country illegally and attempted to dodge the topic by calling for an electronic verification agency. Brown saw this as an opportunity to knock Meg for her support of the temporary guest worker program, calling it "inhumane" and throwing his weight behind federal immigration reform with a clear path to citizenship.

Recent polls show the former governor leading by a small margin over the former eBay CEO with just under three weeks left before we hit voting booths on November 2.
[SFAppeal]