This is what political debate has devolved into in 2006. Who is the best Christian for the job?

Six weeks after urging voters to elect only "tried and true" Christians, Senate candidate Katherine Harris is questioning her opponent's faith by saying he "votes completely contrary" to

Christian principles.In an interview published by a Christian news service, Harris said that incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson "claims to be a Christian" but supports policies "completely contrary to what we say we believe."

Clearly these are the rantings of an insane person. The only way to keep these from seeming like ridiculous and unsubstantive charges is if Senator Nelson were to lend them credence by defending himself against them.

Nelson is a non-denominational Christian who was baptized Baptist. He grew up attending Baptist and Episcopal churches and joined First Presbyterian Church after moving to Orlando last year, according to spokesman Bryan Gulley.

He has served as chairman and vice chairman of the National Prayer Breakfast and, when in Washington, D.C., attends weekly prayer breakfasts with other elected officials.

Nelson issued a statement this week, saying, "My faith is the essence of my being. But it is a part of my life I don't feel I should try to take advantage of in the public square."

And this is how somebody loses the high road in a debate that is designed to redirect the conversation away from somebody's political record, and to instead make this about who is most willing to bow before the Christian voting bloc. Senator Nelson is a weakling.

Maybe we should just throw both Katherine Harris and Bill Nelson into a pond and see which one floats. The one who drowns is the one who gets elected.