OS ANGELES - Appearing calm and confident, the top two Republican presidential contenders last night faced questions of religion, politics and tolerance that have dogged their campaigns in recent days, each battling to appear more controlled than the other in the final debate before the crucial primary sweepstakes on Tuesday.
Texas Governor George W. Bush responded once more to criticism of his visit to Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian college in South Carolina that has assailed the Roman Catholic church. And Senator John McCain defended his attacks on Christian conservative leaders, accusing Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell of bearing a ''message of intolerance.''
Bush insisted last night that he had no regrets about visiting Bob Jones, despite the criticism he has endured in recent weeks.
''What I regret is someone ascribing to me opinions and views that are not my views. Calling me an anti-Catholic is not right,'' said Bush, who called McCain's ''Catholic voter alert'' phone calls about his visit ''guilt-by-association politics'' and ''the politics of smearing somebody's reputation.''
McCain, however, said he has conducted his campaign with honor and dignity. But firing back at Bush, McCain said, ''Anything is fair game as I've come to find out in this campaign.''
Despite those digs, the CNN/Los Angeles Times debate seemed less rancorous than the previous 12 Republican debates. Even as they criticized one another, McCain and Bush both insisted they wanted to address the substantive issues of the campaign. At one point, Bush interrupted a panelist to ask for an education question.
At another juncture, perhaps foreshadowing his own view of his political prospects, McCain promised to support the Republican nominee, even if it is Bush.
''I'm loyal,'' said McCain, who was participating via satellite from St. Louis. ''No matter who our nominee is, I will support our nominee.''
The odd presentation of the debate - which featured an empty podium for McCain, with his video feed projected overhead, alongside Bush and Alan Keyes - was a byproduct of the ongoing friction between the Arizona senator and Bush, as well as of the hectic, cross-country campaign schedules both men have laid out in the days before the big Tuesday vote.
McCain, who was initially supposed to appear live from Los Angeles, backed out when Bush said he was not going to participate. After Bush changed his mind, McCain asked to participate from afar.
But even from a distance, there were moments of palpable tension.
Given a chance to dismiss his opponents' records, Bush demurred when asked whether they would be unacceptable as the Republican nominee: ''I like Alan Keyes and John. I'd just be a better candidate.''
But as the debate progressed, Bush criticized McCain for funding phone calls that labelled him an ''anti-Catholic bigot.'' Responding to McCain's claim that the phone calls were completely accurate, Bush looked peeved.
''If you don't think those phone calls labeled me an anti-Catholic bigot, then you weren't paying attention to what your campaign was putting out,'' Bush said.
And McCain, in repeating his harsh criticism of the Christian conservative leaders, linked them to Bush by reminding viewers that they ''actively supported him'' and played a role in the governor's campaign.
Several times during the hour-long debate, Bush's physical appearance in the hall seemed to work to his advantage, allowing him to appear lighthearted as he cajoled the moderators.
For example, when Keyes was asked whether he might support one of his opponents if he did not get the nomination himself, Bush left the podium and walked over to Keyes, as if to beg for an endorsement.
But Keyes, despite his poor showing thus far in the primaries, continued to blast the two frontrunners for not being conservative enough. He blamed the media for his low number of votes - saying CNN gave him less exposure than a non-cable network would have. Only in the final minutes of the debate, when asked about the Internet, did Keyes address an often unspoken question, saying: ''Why am I here?
''The reason that I'm honestly here is that with the majority of the Republican Party, I'm a sentimental favorite,'' he said.
Bush and McCain, when asked about their familiarity with the Internet, professed a passing ability to log on.
''I'm familiar,'' said Bush. ''I can click around. I can surf around.'' And McCain said he sometimes used the Internet to ''find out what's on CNN or the New York Times or the Washington Post or other Communist periodicals.''
McCain also faced several tough questions about his candidacy, including why so many congressional members who favored his pet issue, campaign finance reform, had chosen to support Bush.
''I think many of them respect and admire him more than me,'' McCain said. But he said a far greater number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill support Bush because they fear the reforms McCain might impose as president. McCain said they were ''frightened because I am taking on the establishment and the iron triangle and everybody knows that.''
As if to make his point, McCain raised, for a second day in a row, questions about overnight guests at the governor's mansion in Texas, implying Bush had used the residence improperly. Bush defended the guests - which included a first cousin - saying: ''These are my friends, John. These are my relatives.''
