Republican challenger Kurt Bills had pointed words for front-runner Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., at an MPR-hosted debate Sunday. He prodded her to do more to cut the deficit. "When you're sitting here as a Democrat in the United States Senate from Minnesata, and you're so well liked and you have these numbers, why are you not leading?" Bills asked Klobuchar.

MPR reports that Klobuchar responded that she backs deficit-cutting plans that would raise income taxes on the wealthy and cut government spending on things like subsidies for oil campanies.

In a recent poll, Klobuchar was beating Bills by more than 40 points. A new Public Policy Polling survey says the margin is 30 points, 62-32.

The two traded barbs on a number of issues, including the federal spending, supporting the middle class and working toward bipartisan compromises.

The two were far apart politically on most issues, the West Central Tribune reported. Bills said a flat tax would be fair and easy because everyone would pay the same percentage. Klobuchar said that would give an advantage to the wealthy.

Bills, a high school economics teacher, said he planned to be back in the classroom on Wednesday, the Tribune reported. After the debate, he said he had a stack of papers to grade.