Senate Candidate To Male Debate Moderator: ‘You’re Prettier Than Candy Crowley’ [Video]

Richard Carmona, the Democrat who’s running U.S. Senate in Arizona, got himself in a bit of debate trouble the other night.

After a heated back-and-forth between Carmona and his GOP opponent, Rep. Jeff Flake, moderator Brahm Resnik joked, “now I know how Candy Crowley felt.” Resnik was of course referring to the CNN reporter who moderated the second presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney last Tuesday.

Carmona immediately quipped, “you’re prettier than her” and patted his arm. Resnik responded, “not sure how to take that.”

Carmona subsequently apologized for his remark about Candy Crowley, according to USA Today. “I tried to tell a joke to lighten the mood in a debate. I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry,” Carmona said in statement. Carmona served as U.S. Surgeon General from 2002 to 2006 and is locked in a tight election race with his opponent, although Flake is slightly favored.

The candidate apparently has challenges in terms of obtaining the votes of female voters already according to Politico:

“Despite his apology, Carmona’s latest comments won’t help him fight off the narrative pushed by Republicans that he has issues with women. A brutal ad by his Republican opponent, Rep. Jeff Flake, features Carmona’s former female supervisor recalling the night when he angrily pounded on her apartment door while he was serving as U.S. surgeon general in the George W. Bush administration.”

Watch Richard Carmona make the comment comparing the male debate moderator’s looks to Candy Crowley:

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/8r7DNDE6co0?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ width=”420″ height=”315″]

Do you think Carmona’s comment was offensive?