The three Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate stepped on the stage Tuesday night for their first televised debate and battled over who would be the party's best candidate in November.

Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, wrestling entrepreneur Linda McMahon, and investor Peter Schiff squared off at the University of Hartford in a debate sponsored by The Hartford Courant and Fox 61.

The first 15 minutes focused on the economy as the candidates criticized various bailouts and the Democrat-written stimulus bill that was designed to jump start the national economy.

When asked, in the first question, how he would get the economy back on track, Simmons responded, "I would not recommend lawsuits as a way to create jobs.''

That remark was a reference to a comment made on the same stage on Monday night by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Blumenthal had said that the many lawsuits that he had filed through the years had actually created jobs because businesses want a level playing field that could be accomplished through the lawsuits.

Both Simmons and Schiff said they opposed the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program, known as TARP. McMahon said she supported TARP in its original form, adding, "I would not have supported AIG bailouts or auto bailouts.''

By 7:12 p.m., the McMahon campaign had already sent out an e-mail that responded to the comment by Simmons that McMahon had supported TARP.

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"I'm not running because I need a job,'' McMahon said in her closing remarks. "I'm running to shake things up. ... I'm not a career politician. ... I want to be your senator. I want to hear what you have to say.''

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