Protests erupt outside Senate debate

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) - Rival demonstrations have greeted Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Richard Mourdock as they met for their final Indiana Senate debate.

About 60 or 70 Mourdock supporters and tea partiers were stationed across the street from a slightly larger number of auto workers outside the Indiana University-Southeast auditorium where the debate was held Tuesday night. The Mourdock supporters wore red T-shirts backing their candidate, while the auto workers chanted "Let's Go Joe."

Co-founder Greg Fettig of the tea party group Hoosiers For Conservative Senate says it's unfair that auto workers scooped up about 300 of the 500 available tickets for the debate.

The security precautions included a large police presence from several agencies, metal detectors and guardrails standing between demonstrators and the entrance to the auditorium.