U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart jabbed at challenger Raul Martinez's corruption scandal during a Miami Dade College debate Thursday night, while Martinez accused Diaz-Balart of changing his message depending on whether his audience speaks English or Spanish.

Though the hour-plus debate was mostly civil -- Martinez even complimented the Republican incumbent for his efforts to prevent a student from being deported -- both sides got in their digs.

They ripped into each other over campaign ads after the debate was over and students were filing out of the auditorium.

On the issues, though, the candidates talked about Pell grants for college students -- both support them -- as well as the need for greater regulation of financial institutions and the path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

They clashed over the war in Iraq, universal healthcare and offshore oil drilling.

Diaz-Balart said he supports giving the state Legislature the ability to approve drilling more than 50 miles from the Florida coast, noting that Cuba can drill off its coast -- some 45 miles off Florida's coast.

''With $4 a gallon gas, you'd better believe that we better start doing everything we can to get energy independence,'' Diaz-Balart said.

But Martinez, a Democrat, said he opposes opening the coastline to oil and gas exploration, arguing that oil companies have yet to use all the leases they already hold.

''We need to look for alternative fuels,'' he said. ``We can make a tremendous industry out of that, that all of you could be part of in the future. But we cannot continue providing more subsidies for the oil companies to pocket.''

They disagreed on the war in Iraq, with Martinez saying that Congress took its eye off the real war in Afghanistan.

'Had I been in Congress, I would have been questioning whatever president was there, not only `Why did we go?' but 'Why are we still there?' '' he said. ``Why didn't we go after Osama bin Laden?''

Diaz-Balart defended the war, saying Iraq's government is stabilizing and that the United States needs allies in the region.

''In that most dangerous area of the world, we have to make sure we have friendly governments and not states that would allow attacks to be launched,'' he said.

They also sought to undermine each other's suitability for office.

Diaz-Balart referenced Martinez's federal corruption conviction -- which was reversed on appeal -- in his closing statement, noting he has ``never embarrassed the community with a corruption scandal.''

Martinez repeated his contention that Diaz-Balart has criticized leading Democrats on Spanish-language radio in ways that he wouldn't say in English.

''What I would not do is say something to you here in English and then turn to Radio Mambi and say something different in Spanish,'' Martinez said.

''And I wouldn't either -- and I wouldn't lie, either,'' Diaz-Balart said, prompting the moderator to try to move the bickering pair along as the audience laughed.

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