For a while, at least, Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina agreed on most everything.
Appearing on Fox News Channel this evening, two of the three Republicans running for U.S. Senate agreed that Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer is an out-of-touch creature of Washington. She is horrible for California, they said, criticizing her on global warming and Central Valley water. Boxer will go down to defeat in November, they vowed.
Together on stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, DeVore and Fiorina both said they would endorse the other if the other won the June primary, which also includes former U.S. Representative Tom Campbell (who Fox said declined an invitation to take part).
The happy mood soon changed, however.
DeVore, a state Assembly member who is trying to catch up in the polls, tried to outflank Fox host Sean Hannity's admonition that the joint appearance was not meant to be a debate.
DeVore criticized Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO, over what he described as her support for President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.
"Not true," Fiorina shot back, a tight smile on her face.
When DeVore tried to launch another attack, calling himself the only "proven conservative" in the race, she went on to say that they had gone over these charges and countercharges many times before.
Hannity, whom Fiorina praised profusely at the beginning of the segment, came to her rescue. He said the two should obey Reagan's "11th commandment" not to speak ill of a fellow Republican.
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