Pat Toomey and Joe Sestak are facing off tonight for their second and final debate, with just 11 days to go before a critical mid-term election on Nov. 2. Battle ‘10 is covering the Toomey-Sestak debate live right here, as well as on Twitter by following @tomshakely.

Opening Statements

We have different set of values to face challenges to our nation, says Sestak. Blames Toomey for favoring Wall Street, cited his own history — “31 years in the military” where people fix problems with “practical solutions.” Focuses on small business help and says be “bucked his party” because it put “politics over principle” and would be an “independent senator.”

Toomey says he got into the race because he’s convinced federal government is heading down the wrong track. Cites serial bailouts, nationalizing industries, spending money “on a scale I never thought possible,” unaffordable debts, card check, government-run healthcare — asks, is it any wonder we don’t have a recovery? Is it any wonder we’re not creating jobs?

Says Sestak is extreme, “to the left of Nancy Pelosi,” says we need spending in control and taxes decreased.

’Extreme v. Extremism’

Moderator asks how each candidate would describe the other. Sestak says he wouldn’t quite call Toomey a conservative, but to the “extreme” of his party. Sestak cites journal voting record as “smack dab” in the middle of his party. Says he’s a pragmatist. Says Toomey

“The only time Joe has stood up to his party is to promote his personal career,” rebuts Toomey. “During primary he was quite happy to describe himself as a progressive.” Things got fiesty as Sestak went on at length characterizing Toomey as extreme. The moderators seem unused to this type of stage.

Toomey says Sestak’s policies have been “ruinous.” Toomey is “extreme on the policies,” says Sestak. Said “buying American was an unfortunate tendency,” says Sestak of Toomey. He brought this up in the first debate as well.

Devastating line of attack.

“I’d like people to buy my book,” says Toomey, joking he like the royalties and so you can “find out what’s in it.” Rebuts, saying, corporate tax is “second highest in industrial world,” and says needs lowered to “25 percent” not the zero Sestak imputes to Toomey.

Stimulus

“We were told if they got their stimulus bill passed, unemployment wouldn’t go over 8 percent,” says Toomey. “Where are the jobs?” They’re just “taking money out of the private sector, and allowing politicians to spend it.”

“There’s $31 million to build a baseball stadium,” laments Toomey as an example of mis-spending. Cites Microsoft bridge. Sestak’s “probably the only guy in America” who thinks stimulus should have been $1 trillion.

Sestak: “I arrived in Congress the year the recession began,” and we were “headed to a depression.” Immediately cites his Navy experience, his constant fallback. Says he learned how to “control the damage.”

Sestak says stimulus “wasn’t perfect” but that he wanted more focus on a jobs-focus. Shifts to linking Toomey to outsourcing and corporate-friendly policies.

Marcellus Shale

“We’ve got a serious national energy challenge,” and we’ve “had it for a long time.” Toomey advocates drilling, says it’s “biggest economic opportunity in 100 years” for Pennsylvania. Says Department of Environment Protection should be well-resourced, and slams Sestak for calling for “complete moratorium” on all drilling. Says it’s an example of extremism.

Sestak says “yes” it should be taxed, cites his Navy experience in protecting “big oil and our interests there.” Really surprising comment. Says drilling must be started “right.”

Qualifications

Sestak says he’s more qualified than Toomey because he understands “mainstream” values “down there” among Pennsylvanians in the middle class. Cites Navy experience about cooperation, right after calling Toomey wrong and extreme.

“It’s not about my job, it’s about the people,” says Sestak, and wants to refocus Washington on Pennsylvania.

“The sum of my life experiences,” is what qualifies Toomey, he says, growing up in blue collar family, with part time secretary mother in church, six child family, union father, lucky kid, went to a good school, and says he’s the “only candidate in this race who’s created jobs.”

Taxes

Toomey launches into experience with a union father, and “tremendous anxiety” when union went on strike, when work ended, etc. Says we need to maintain all the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, with exception of lowering top tax rate to 25 percent and lowering capital gains rate.

Toomey cites Sestak comment in Dec. 2009 on Fox Business. Sestak advocated maintaining all Bush taxes, even on wealthy, if economy was still lackluster. Battle ‘10 broke this Sestak video last month.

“Taxes reflect your values,” says Sestak. “What I would do is give zero capital gains tax” for small business, but not for large corporations that ship jobs oversees. Promotes 15 percent tax credit for every new payroll job. Cites advanced degree, and says we need to extend Bush tax cuts for the middle class.

Toomey “held hostage” our middle class tax cuts by demanding across the board cuts for all workers. Toomey cites his business experience, saying Sestak is disingenuous to say he didn’t run his restaurants.

Sestak mutters under his breathe, “Can I respond [again]?” Moderator says no, and Sestak complains ”it’s not fair” — caught by the mic — as Toomey finishes his response.

Spending

“We need caps on discretionary spending,” says Sestak. Sestak cites Navy experience, saying we shouldn’t buy any more F-22s. “This is amazing,” says Toomey. Sestak voted for every bailout and proposed others, and he pretends to be cost cutter. “I would end all bailouts, ban earmarks, rescind remaining TARP,” says Toomey. ”There were 123 opportunities for Joe to strip out wasteful” earmarks, and voted for 122 of 123, says Toomey.

“A heavy bulk [of the stimulus] is middle class tax cuts,” says Sestak. “I’m the only one up here who has legislation to end earmarks,” says Sestak. “We have to control spending,” says Sestak.

“He had taken 129,000 in such contributions” in earmarks, says Toomey. Hammers Sestak for using earmarks, and again Sestak mutters into the mic — speaking to the moderator as Toomey answers, “Can I respond again?”

I “published any appropriations that was gotten,” says Sestak awkwardly.

Public Transportation/Services

Sestak cites JFK, says to neglect cities is to neglect America. Launches into philosophical treatise on jobs and economic shifts, hits Toomey’s book again. Moderator launches in, “I would really love if you could please answer the question,” which was about bus services being cut in cities.

Toomey says localities need to make decisions about where money can best be used.

Stimulus

“We can’t borrow and spend our way to prosperity,” says Toomey. “Instead of growing government,” let’s have “an across the board cut in payroll taxes,” says Toomey. Every worker would have had an “immediate pay raise.” Would have been a “much more constructive way” to deal with economic troubles.

“Another 8 million” would have lost their jobs, says Sestak, and unemployment would have been over 11 percent.

“Was it something I wanted Congress to do?” ‘No,’ says Sestak. Cites Navy battleship.

Faults and Strengths

Sestak says his most obvious fault is that he “tries to do too much.” Almost sounds like he’s running for high school student body president. My greatest asset “is my wife,” says Sestak, and “what I learned in the U.S. military.”

“I’m willing to be held accountable for doing things” to help Pennsylvania.

My biggest fault is that “I try to keep too many balls in the air” and important to “keep focused,” says Toomey. There’s “no question,” says Toomey, that my wife is my biggest asset. What he discovered in small business, says Toomey, is that if they “worked their best” they could be “competitive.”

Role of Religion in Government

“One of the great strengths in our country,” says Toomey, is the Constitution. Says prohibition on government meddling in religion is important, but says faith “informs the judgment of most Americans” and the “basis for many of our laws.” I don’t think we need to “deny faith entirely.”

“I think we should offer every child the school their parent chooses for them,” says Toomey. Parents ought to be able to choose schools whether they’re “public or private,” “religious or non-religious” and that the money should “follow the child” to the school of their school.

Sestak says “Eileen O’Donnell” in Delaware believes extreme things about the Constitution.

Election Ads, and Tone of the Campaigns

Toomey jokes that he only hears good things about his ads. Then says, seriously, the tone of the debate is unfortunate. Sestak says Toomey is “not a witch” as he slams Toomey’s book. “I have great faith in Pennsylvanians,” says he’s “born and raised here.” Toomey was born in Rhode Island.

Sestak references his daughter’s brain cancer, again.

“I don’t think it’s right to run ads that smear a person’s character,” says Toomey. “Congressman Toomey is a good guy,” says Sestak, “I’ve had a beer with him.”

Gun Laws

“I think the second amendment is a fundamental right,” says Toomey. “That’s pretty high up,” and it’s important to me, he says. He references endorsement of the NRA and his “A” rating from them, mentions Sestak’s “F” rating, and then says gun laws are “about right” right now, and that enforcement needs to be improved.

Cites military experience, botches pronunciation of “sacrosanct,” and then says assault weapons should be banned.

Toomey cites State Troopers endorsement, support of law enforcement, support of Fraternal Order of Police as proof of the rightness of his policy.

Closing Statements

Sestak cites Navy experience, says “We, the people,” not “We, the corporations,” and says it’s important to remember governing is about the people. Promotes small businesses, says “watch out China,” and intones heavily, “I love the military,” before mentioning health care, and asks Americans to honor veterans and service members, as he did Wednesday.

“I believe strongly that our federal government is off on the wrong track,” says Toomey in closing. Sestak represents “staggering amount of spending.” The combined weight of Sestak’s agenda, says Toomey, is what is preventing economic recovery.

“I’m very bullish on America,” says Toomey, and “we can restore prosperity by getting spending under control,” lowering taxes, maximize incentives to work, save and invest. Thanks voters for vote to turn things around and return to prosperity.