GRAND RAPIDS - Incumbent U.S. Sen. Carl Levin said the United States must attack Iraq with the support of the United Nations, while Republican Senate challenger Andrew Raczkowski said Iraq must immediately be invaded, even without U.N. support, during a debate on the Grand Valley State University campus in Grand Rapids.

At the debate, which was televised yesterday by the WGVU television station, the two candidates also presented different plans for improving the economy and reducing the costs of higher education, and also spoke on a variety of health care proposals and state issues.

Levin, a Democrat from Detroit who has served Michigan in the U.S. Senate for the past 24 years, said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein possesses chemical and biological weapons, but any U.S. military force aimed at toppling him must be part of a greater U.N. initiative.

"Going it alone has very big risks," Levin said.

A worldwide community effort would be more effective, keeping the coalition against terrorism together and reducing the number of casualties as well as the chance that Hussein would respond with weapons, Levin said.

In reply, Raczkowski, a Michigan state Rep. for Grosse Pointe Park, said a U.S. military operation in Iraq must not be subjected to U.N. control, and he pointed out that under the current U.N. resolution on Iraq, weapons inspectors are not permitted to search Hussein's presidential palaces, which cover 12 square miles.

"We have been attacked," he said. "We can no longer leave this man to produce more weapons."

Raczkowski added that Great Britain and several other nations will join a potential U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Both candidates agreed the United States must invest money in its infrastructure, but Levin said he believes the return of a real budget surplus is a key economic goal. Bush's tax cut program, which he said mainly benefits only wealthy families, is partly responsible for the current budget deficit, Levin said.

In support of the tax cuts, Raczkowski said they free income for consumer spending.

"That's what spurs our economy - disposable income," he said.

Both candidates blamed the North American Free Trade Agreement for economic woes. Raczkowski said it encourages big businesses to export jobs to other countries, and Levin said it provides countries with free access to the U.S. market, even if they place restrictions on U.S. imports.

Levin also linked tax cuts to problems with higher education funding, saying that although he supports increasing the number of federal scholarships and Pell Grants, the federal budget does not have enough funds to enact his proposals.

Raczkowski said his key to increasing the affordability of higher education funding is to provide tax deductions or eliminate the taxes on college funds parents put aside for their children.

The candidates were also asked whether they support the privatization of prescription drugs and Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

Raczkowski said prescription drugs should remain under the Medicare program, but using the analogy of buying food in bulk, he said several states should join together when placing drug orders. Levin said senior citizens should have the option of buying privatized prescription drugs.

Raczkowski said he does not support Bush's plan to privatize Social Security because he doesn't believe "that retirement money that has been taxed once should be taxed again," and Levin said that Social Security funds "shouldn't be subjected to the crapshoot of the stock market."

Both candidates also opposed the privatization of the Great Lakes water supply. Levin said the government should tighten water quality regulations to avoid privatization, and Raczkowski said control of the water should be placed under the states.

The debate was not devoid of personal attacks, most of which came from Raczkowski. He referred to Levin as a "U.N. Senator" because of his proposal on Iraq, and in terms of investing money in Michigan's infrastructure, Raczkowski said, "We don't need a senator from Michigan, we need a senator for Michigan."

Raczkowski also said Levin's voting record in the U.S. Senate contradicted much of what Levin said during the debate.

"He's got a record of running away from everything he talked about today," Raczkowski said. "He's moderating the tone of a voting record he just doesn't have."

As examples, Raczkowski pointed out that Levin voted several times to increase Social Security taxes, and that he has presided over five economic recessions while serving in the Senate.

During the debate Levin emphasized his accomplishments during his 24-year tenure in the U.S. Senate, referring to numerous bills that he had helped to write on several of the issues brought up during the debate.

Yesterday's debate will be the only televised debate for the Senate race between Levin and Raczkowski.