VINCENNES — In what could be classified as an undercard to the presidential debate, Eighth District congressional candidates incumbent Brad Ellsworth and Greg Goode dueled Tuesday in their only debate before Election Day.

Before a sparse crowd at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center at Vincennes University, Ellsworth and Goode spent time answering questions mostly on the faltering economy and other national issues.

Republican challenger Goode used many of his responses to question Ellsworth’s record during his term, including voting for the projected $700 billion government bailout of bad mortgage debt.

“Individuals have not been held responsible or accountable by the massive bailout bill,” Goode said. “It would have been nice that we would have discussed these issues last week.”

Goode challenged Ellsworth, a Democrat, about not being in Washington, D.C., to work out differences in the bailout bill. Goode also pointed out that Ellsworth took in $48,000 in contributions from the lending industry.

Ellsworth defended his decision to vote for the bailout after hearing from constituents, namely one who had lost half of the value of his retirement account in the Wall Street freefall. He also said after the debate he has voted against every motion for adjournment in the House.

“I don’t know who Mr. Goode was talking to when (he said) no one said we should back this,” Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth also said he believed the government would get its return on the investment within five years, and $700 billion number is misleading. The actual bailout will be close to $350 billion.

“This is not the time for blame,” Ellsworth said.

One of the more spirited exchanges came on energy. Both candidates believe in investing in alternative sources of energy while drilling for more oil, but the issue came on a fact-finding trip Goode made to Alaska. Ellsworth said the trip was funded mostly by oil companies and was with Republicans only in an attempt to raise doubts about Goode’s bipartisanship.

“How much do you even know when there were all Republicans on the trip?” Ellsworth said.

“Frankly, I don’t care who was on that trip,” Goode said.

On Iraq, Goode asserted that Ellsworth voted against the 2007 troop surge, a move that has been credited with stabilizing the country. Goode said he “was pleased to hear that (his) opponent had admitted he was wrong.”

Ellsworth countered by saying Iraq will not be solved militarily, but politically.

Arguably the most contentious exchange came toward the end, where Goode challenged Ellsworth on closing constituent offices in Vincennes and Covington. Goode said the voters in the Eighth District had not been well served, but Ellsworth said over 4,000 constituents had asked for help, with 3,400 positively served.