Incumbent Republican Bob Goodlatte and Democratic challenger Sam Rasoul made it clear during their debate Monday that they agree on the following:

n The United States must withdraw troops from Iraq at some point.

n Dependence on foreign oil is a national security risk and development of new energy sources can help generate jobs.

n The No Child Left Behind program has not helped make better schools.

n Domestic hybrids make great cars for congressional candidates -- particularly the Saturn Aura (Rasoul) and Ford Escape (Goodlatte).

But the two candidates disagreed on most everything else during their debate before nearly 200 people at William Byrd High School.

The third candidate in the race for Goodlatte's 6th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, independent Janice Lee Allen, was apparently not invited to debate. Although the event was hosted by the Roanoke County Council of PTAs, Allen blamed Rasoul for the snub in a news release.

Goodlatte and Rasoul kept the debate pointed but polite.

Rasoul leveled charges at Congress as a whole but declined to attack Goodlatte or his politics. Goodlatte focused his comments on addressing the questions and promoting a general platform without mentioning Rasoul. Neither leveled personal attacks.

Goodlatte repeatedly touted his support for an "all-of-the-above"-style energy policy that embraces nuclear power, alternative sources such as wind and solar, oil shale in the Rocky Mountains and drilling for oil both offshore and in Alaska.

"I would support all sources of energy that would be economically feasible to use," Goodlatte said. "Some would be feasible now and others in the future."

Rasoul, meanwhile, focused many of his comments on "lobbyists and special interests" that he says have alienated lawmakers from their constituents.

"The biggest thing for me is understanding that Washington isn't even about Democrats and Republicans," Rasoul said. "That's the biggest misconception about politics today. The reality is that powerful special interests have overrun the system and taken the voice from honest, hardworking, middle-class Americans."

Rasoul continued to work that theme as he called for overhaul of No Child Left Behind, removal of funding for targeted federal spending known as earmarks, a graduated flat tax to replace the current income tax code, and an 18- to 24-month timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Rasoul called for Congress to push for an "energy revolution" to spur new alternative energy sources and create thousands of "green-collar" jobs. In doing so, Rasoul said he would make no promise of lower gas prices in the short term.

"I'm not going to sit here and say I can lower your prices here in the short term when what we need is a comprehensive energy policy," Rasoul said.

Goodlatte seemed to suggest that addressing the country's long-term energy needs can help drive down prices in the short term. He said he supports incentives for alternative and renewable sources, "but I also believe we're going to be utilizing oil for transportation and for other purposes -- producing products, plastics and so on -- for a long, long time to come, and we need to have a policy to produce as much of this in the United States as possible."

Goodlatte also called for removing regulations that slow the approval and construction of nuclear power plants.

The 16-year incumbent said that while he supports leaving Iraq, he thinks an "arbitrary deadline" carries too many risks. And he repeatedly called for the federal government to cut spending instead of running deficits and borrowing money from foreign countries -- a practice that he said leads to a weaker dollar and higher interest rates.