‘Treason’ a topic as McSally, Sinema meet editorial board

Meeting for the first time since Monday’s fiery Senate debate, Republican Martha McSally doubled down on her assertion that her Democratic rival, Kyrsten Sinema, supported “treason” in a remark made 15 years ago.

The two congresswomen while speaking to

and azcentral.com’s Editorial Board on Wednesday as they made their case for an endorsement by the state’s largest news organization.

Editorials and candidate endorsements represent the opinion of the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board and

newsroom operate independently. sat sideby-side McSally, a retired combat pilot, appeared on the verge of tears at one point as she noted that Sinema had remarked in 2003 that it was “fine” if the radio host asking a hypothetical question wanted to join the Taliban.

Sinema described her remark as an “offhand” response intended to move the host, a libertarian activist, onto the subject she had agreed to appear on the show to discuss.

McSally did not apologize for her “treason” comment or for her demands for an apology for Sinema’s comment.

“I was getting shot at by the Taliban,” McSally said.

“This is, like, really, really personal to me to make a remark like that that says it’s OK for an American to actually join their ranks when they’re responsible for killing Americans,” she said. “I believe it’s disqualifying for a Senate candidate to say, at any time in their life, it’s OK for Americans to go join our enemy.”

Sinema said it was a personal issue for her, too.

“This is actually really important to me because two of my brothers have served in the military, and one is still. I appreciate Martha’s service to our country,” Sinema said, turning to look at McSally for the first time during the board meeting.

“Where we have a difference of opinion is that Martha believes that when I opposed a war, I opposed the troops, and nothing could be further from the truth. My own brothers have served and my little brother is currently serving in this war.”

Sinema said she opposed the invasion of Iraq and “fifteen years later, I think there were good reasons for that.”

Sinema’s 2003 remark has drawn fresh attention in the final weeks of what is believed to be one of the closest Senate races in the country. Here is the full exchange:

For nearly 80 minutes Wednesday, the candidates answered questions in ways that helped define their stylistic and ideological divide. As in Monday’s televised debate, Sinema presented herself in a carefully measured tone, while McSally showed the fire that she ascribed to her “passion” on the issues.

Throughout, Sinema rarely looked at McSally, repeatedly noting she was “disappointed” in McSally’s campaign.

“For years, we served together and worked well together. I’m incredibly disappointed with the path Martha has chosen,” Sinema said of McSally’s attacks on her.

McSally held up a Sinema ad calling her “morally bankrupt” and said, “Look Kyrsten, this isn’t personal. You need to grow some thick skin. You want to be a United States senator? There’s a lot of fights out there and there’s a lot at stake.”

Asked about her shift from a liberal activist in the post-September 11 era to the centrist lawmaker she is in Washington, Sinema said she is “a lifelong learner” who wants her constituents to believe she considered every issue before taking a side.

“What I have learned over the course of 20 years of working in Arizona is that it is OK to learn and grow. In fact, you should expect your elected leaders to do so,” she said.

“Have I changed? Absolutely. I would hope that Arizonans would want someone who is mature enough to be constantly learning and growing, and sometimes even changing their mind. I am not a partisan person. I don’t really particularly like political parties.”

“Sometimes I am criticized for being slow to coming to a decision. I actually think that’s a strength. I am careful in analyzing the questions that come before me because I understand how important they are and I want to do what’s right.”

McSally said she grew up in a Republican family and maintains a conservative outlook, which means she doesn’t always think a governmental solution is appropriate. The cornerstones of her political values rest on hard work and equal opportunity.

She broadly explained her political philosophy as “strong defense, a limited federal government, that government shouldn’t be solving every problem for you.”

McSally didn’t apologize for her partisan outlook. At one point, she turned to Sinema, who has emphasized her independence from her party.

“I have a sincerely held governing philosophy,” McSally said. “It’s not clear what her philosophy is. Your philosophy needs to come from somewhere. What do you believe in? And then how are you going to work together?”

The candidates responded differently to the death of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey earlier this month and the fallout.

“If the Saudi government, if the king and the crown prince, if any arm of the Saudi government was involved in his death? Man, I mean, there should be hell to pay,” McSally said.

Sinema said she was more troubled by President Donald Trump’s response to the situation so far.

“I’m also very concerned about the allegations, and what I would like to see from our president is language that expresses the deep, national concern that we have about these allegations,” she said.