A 90-minute battle of words, ideas and accusations revealed distinct differences between Congressman Gil Gutknecht and challenger Tim Walz Thursday night in Mankato.

And the intensity of the debate before an overflow crowd at Bethany Lutheran College provided further evidence of the growing consensus among political experts that the 1st District race is a tight one.

The two repeatedly sparred over the accuracy of a growing number of television attack ads launched by each campaign. But mostly, they gave the approximately 400 people in attendance a clear choice for Nov. 7.

Gutknecht, a six-term Republican who had cruised to victory in his previous three re-election campaigns, offered optimistic words about America’s direction and the GOP-led federal government’s ability to solve problems such as the Iraq war, terrorist threats, dependence on foreign oil and economic challenges.

If elected to another term, Gutknecht promised to concentrate on promoting economic prosperity through reduced taxes, work to implement his prescription drug reimportation plan and promote renewable energy. But foremost, he said, would be a focus on protecting Americans from foreign threats.

“We need to keep America safe,” Gutknecht said. “That’s one of the most important things we do in Washington.”

Walz, a Mankato Democrat making his first run for public office, talked of an America that’s desperate for change after being poorly led by Washington Republicans who have taken the country into a military quagmire, driven up the national debt and left average workers worse off while pandering to wealthy special interests.

A geography teacher at Mankato West High School and a retired 24-year-veteran of the Army National Guard, Walz said he would bring accountability to a Congress that blindly followed the Bush administration into a war that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. He promised to invest in education and transportation, work to bring health care to the uninsured and strive to bring the federal budget into balance.

“This country needs to move back to the common good,” Walz said. “... The American public is ready for change like they’ve never been ready for change. We in the 1st District can be a part of that.”

American policy in Iraq needs to move away from the failed attempt to solve the problem militarily and start focusing on a diplomatic solution, according to Walz, who called for a multinational force and a focus on improving Iraqi infrastructure. He pointed to the 70 recent American casualties and said the world’s finest military has suffered terribly from the failed leadership in Washington.

“Donald Rumsfeld has been wrong every step of the way with this war,” Walz said.

Gutknecht, a strong supporter of the administration’s war policy until making a trip to Iraq in July, admitted mistakes have been made. But he said the war was justified because it ridded the world of Saddam Hussein, who would have been a threat to America if left in place.

“We were a lot more optimistic than we deserved to be,” he said. “... That doesn’t mean what we did was the wrong thing.”

When the debate turned to domestic issues, Walz and Gutknecht continued to disagree.

Gutknecht rejected suggestions that more money is the solution for better educating students.