PORTLAND – Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Tom Allen stuck to familiar campaign themes Tuesday during the fifth of their 10 Senate debates, but shared one complaint in common: third-party TV ads that portrayed them as villains.

Collins, a Republican, pointed to an ad by moveon.org that pictured her with her teeth blackened out. Democrat Allen countered with resentment at a series of labor-related spots that sought to put him in league with mobsters and union thugs.

“I think we need to try to come up with a way to get all these third-party groups out of Maine and out of politics,” said Collins, asserting that such attack ads erode the level of discourse and cause people to lose trust in the political process.

Allen expressed confidence that Maine voters would not be swayed by campaign ads based on distortions. “We can work through this and trust the people in this state to sort out what’s real and what’s not real,” he said.

Much of the hour-long debate, which was televised by WMTW-TV, featured Collins’ portrayal of herself as a champion of bipartisanship and Allen’s efforts to frame questions into jumping-off points for attacks on Bush administration economic policies.

Both candidates agreed on the need for change, but outlined different approaches toward bringing that about.

“I believe that the problem in Washington is excessive partisanship that is preventing significant progress on a host of issues,” Collins said, maintaining that the ability to work across party lines was the way to craft workable solutions.

Allen, meanwhile, sought to place the focus on “big picture” issues while citing a need to do away with Bush policies that favor the rich and instead look out for the interests of the middle class.

“Susan has supported those policies and I’ve opposed them,” he said, while hammering away at differences over health care, energy, Iraq and taxes. “I can’t stand what’s happened to this country these last eight years and I know we can do better.”

Collins took issue with Allen’s attempt to link her with an unpopular administration.

“The notion that I’ve somehow been a rubber stamp for George Bush is obviously untrue. I’ve opposed the last three Bush budgets,” she said.

There were issues in which the two candidates expressed little disagreement. Both supported the bailout of the nation’s financial institutions and said more regulation was needed. The two candidates also indicated that same-sex marriage was an issue best left to the states.

On the topic of special-interest appropriations inserted into congressional bills, Collins and Allen were of one mind on the difference between “good earmarks” and “bad earmarks.”

As Allen explained it, Alaska’s infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” is bad and the Gorham Bypass that eases commuter traffic in his district is good. Not to be outdone, Collins trumpeted her support for funding for Portland’s fireboat, while emphasizing that she has made sure to disclose all the earmarks she has requested.

When questioned as to why she broke her promise to serve only two terms, Collins reiterated how she has come to appreciate the importance of seniority and how Maine stands to benefit from a senator who is in a position to do more for the state.

“Obviously, if people find that they prefer to have a junior senator, they can vote for Tom,” she said.

The next question directed to Allen asked why he relinquished his seat on Armed Services, despite the presence of Bath Iron Works and other defense-related industries in his district.

He said he jumped at the chance to serve on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over health care, energy, the environment and telecommunications, but has maintained the relationships he established on Armed Services to advance the interests of BIW.

The candidates fielded questions from a panel of reporters, members of the audience and online viewers in the debate sponsored by WMTW and the Portland Press Herald.