The energy crisis -- besides the country's current financial woes -- poses the biggest threat to the United States, candidates running for the six-year Senate term said.

Democrat Chris Rothfuss, an instructor at the University of Wyoming with a PhD in chemical engineering, said the energy crisis ties to the country's other problems.

Rothfuss' lack of political experience was questioned several times Sunday afternoon at Casper College during the candidate forum between him and Republican U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, who has been in the U.S. Senate since 1997.

"A lack of experience might be an asset," said Rothfuss, of Laramie. "It also means I am not tied down by a lot of strings."

He said he has executive branch experience as a science adviser for the U.S. Department of States and other positions. And he said his chemical engineering degree is all about energy.

Rothfuss proposes creating a comprehensive energy plan that looks 30 to 50 years in the future.

"Then we don't have to have a foreign policy based on who's got oil and how we treat them because they have oil," Rothfuss said.

Enzi, of Gillette, said he hears people talk about comprehensive energy plans all the time, but no one has been able to pass one since the term was first coined in 1973.

"What you have got to do is put it up in steps and put it out in steps," Enzi said. "And have the confidence in the other side based on what you have done in the past to agree with you."

Enzi said the only way to solve the energy crisis is to have both parties come together to pass a bill through the regular process, which he said he has a lot of experience with.

"Most of my bills you don't hear about because they pass unanimously," said Enzi, ranking member on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Both candidates agreed that clean coal technology is necessary.

Rothfuss said it will not hurt Wyoming's economy and to progress forward with it, the government must create a cap-and-trade system.

Enzi said a cap-and-trade system is another scheme to tax the American people. He said he has confidence in America's young people to develop the technology and mentioned his annual inventor's convention, which has a major focus on clean energy.

Wyoming is key to the country's future in energy policy, Rothfuss said.

"We are the most significant energy producer in the United States for consumption by other states," Rothfuss said. "When we speak on energy policy in Washington, people should be listening."

On other issues:

Financial crisis -- Enzi was asked by moderators what he had done the past six years to prevent the crisis.

He said he wanted more regulations on government sponsored entities because he and others knew Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in trouble. He said every time they tried to bring a bill, it would be inundated with expensive social program earmarks.

He was one of only 25 senators who voted against the $700 billion bailout bill. He said he voted against it because there were several items missing from it, that as an accountant, he thought should be there.

"Three editorials in the Wall Street Journal said I was right in my vote," Enzi said.

Rothfuss said he was against the bailout because he thought the problems could be solved for less money. He said the bill was rushed and when it moved to the Senate, people added "pet projects" to it.

"Adding projects to get votes during this type of crisis -- I would've voted against it on principle," Rothfuss said. "The bailout rewards failure."

Social issues -- Rothfuss said he is pro-choice because it is scary to think the government could say a woman must carry a child for nine months.

Enzi said he is pro-life. On gay marriages, he said he has trouble thinking of an instance why gay couples need to be married besides just to say they are married because they have civil unions.

Rothfuss said he is for equal rights.

Contact reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.