[media-credit name=’LUKAS KEAPPROTH/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Republican candidate Peter Theron argued over global affairs at the 2nd Congressional District Debate on Thursday.

Baldwin opened the debate, which was moderated by Melanie Ramey, president of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. Baldwin said she thinks it is important to lead by example, follow the Constitution, withdraw from Iraq, repeal the Bush Doctrine and manage global warming.

In his opening statement, Theron said decreasing the “oil stimulation” in the world economy would decrease the wealth of hostile terrorist countries.

The topic of global warming was the main domestic issue discussed during the debate.

“The Energy Independence and Security Act raised auto efficiency standard for the first time in decades, so we will be 35 percent more efficient in matter of years … creating green jobs along the way,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin, a member of the House Energy Congress Committee, said she helped create a greenhouse gas registry bill, which will outline the gasses emitted in all sectors of the economy so the percentages of emissions can be decreased.

Theron was less enthusiastic to act on global warming.

“My position last winter was shoveling 100 inches of global warming off my driveway,” Theron said. “If this winter is as bad as last, climate change is something that is secondary because people come before polar bears.”

On international policymaking, Theron and Baldwin debated the genocide in Darfur.

“I believe that the Chinese do respond to negative publicity, so we should call them out and say, ‘This is not acceptable behavior,'” Theron said when discussing his plan to convince China to pressure the Sudan government to stop the atrocities in Darfur.

Baldwin responded by saying the United States lost their leverage of influence when they gave most favored nations status-trading relations with China. However, she says the U.S. should reinforce the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Darfur.

After Baldwin’s proposition to move the U.S. military to Darfur, Theron said, “Darfur is a tragedy, but not the only tragedy.” He said the United States military is overstretched.

In response to the War on Terror, Baldwin discussed the importance of moving troops to Afghanistan.

“There is still a very specific military role in Afghanistan and that is to try to hunt down Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda forces that still reside in the mountainous regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Baldwin said.

However, Theron disagreed, saying, “There is war until someone is defeated. If we walk away, then we lose.”

Students in attendance said they were more supportive of Baldwin’s stances and were more impressed with her overall performance in the debate.

“I think Tammy Baldwin is much more level-headed when it comes to the world views, and I’m much more appreciative of what she’s been doing for so long, and I think that really came out after seeing her against her opponent tonight,” UW senior Garrett Peterson said.

UW senior Ainsley Schumann said she enjoyed this debate more than the televised presidential debates.

“I felt that issues were actually discussed and candidates had a real difference of opinions,” Schumann said.