Democratic gubernatorial camps at odds over debates

AP ^ | 6-26-02 | Kathy Barks Hoffman

[Dan from Michigan]

Democratic gubernatorial camps at odds over debates

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN
The Associated Press
6/25/02 6:44 PM

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Democratic candidates James Blanchard and David Bonior have agreed to appear together in at least four debates, but candidate Jennifer Granholm now says she wants to debate only twice before the Aug. 6 primary.

Blanchard's debate negotiator, Bob Kolt, says Granholm is breaking the pledge she made when she accepted Blanchard's call to do five debates. In a June 4 news release, Granholm said, "I agree to five debates. ... I look forward to meeting you on the debate stage."

Granholm's negotiator, Mark Fox, said in a June 22 letter sent two days after he sat down with Kolt and Bonior negotiator Ed Bruley that it's not practical to do five in the time left before the primary. He added that Kolt was ready to settle for three debates but then changed his mind.

"Bob, your position on Thursday that there could be no agreement unless there were three debates, and your different and disingenuous position of yesterday, that there could be no agreement unless there are five ... debates is truly troubling and unfortunate," Fox wrote in the letter to Kolt and Bruley.

Kolt said he never agreed to three debates and that the problem lies with the Granholm campaign.

"I was shocked when we sat down June 20th ... and he (Fox) said we're only doing two debates," Kolt said Tuesday. "They made a conscious decision to enter negotiations not in good faith. ... They don't want to expose the attorney general to discussion of the issues."

Granholm campaign spokesman Chris De Witt said Granholm is not afraid to discuss the issues. He added the three Democrats already have appeared together in "over a dozen ... forums, some of them televised, since this campaign began."

"Their claim is completely false," De Witt said. He added that Fox also offered to have a radio debate between the three candidates in addition to the two TV debates, but the other candidates declined.

Bonior campaign spokesman Mark Fisk said Granholm should uphold her pledge to debate five times.

"The proposal that we have, two debates or nothing, and no debates during the final two weeks of the campaign, when the public is most likely to be paying attention, is ludicrous," Fisk said.

"The Republicans have agreed to three debates. We can do better than that."

GOP gubernatorial candidates Dick Posthumus and John Schwarz plan to hold debates July 2 in Kalamazoo; July 13 in Oakland County; and July 19 in Emmet County.

Blanchard said Tuesday in a release that he plans to attend:

-- A July 8 debate at Grand Rapids TV station WOOD;

-- A July 18 debate with public television station WNMU in Marquette moderated by "Off the Record" host Tim Skubick;

-- A July 22 debate at TV station WXYZ in Southfield hosted by Chuck Stokes;

-- A July 30 debate at Grand Rapids TV station WZZM that also will be carried by stations WJRT in Flint, WJBK in Detroit and WSYM in Lansing;

-- A fifth debate at either Traverse City or Houghton on a date to be decided.

Granholm signed a debate agreement Tuesday agreeing to appear at the WNMU debate in Marquette and the WXYZ debate in Southfield. The agreement also specifies that excerpts from the debates can't be used in campaign ads and prohibits her opponents from asking for any more debates or joint appearances.

"If your candidates truly want to debate the attorney general on the issues facing the people of Michigan, they need only sign the debate agreement and show up on July 18th and 22nd," Fox wrote Tuesday in a memo to Kolt and Bruley accompanying the agreement.

Bonior campaign spokesman Mark Fisk said Bonior has accepted the first four debates with Blanchard and is awaiting details on the fifth one. The congressman also has accepted at least three other invitations to appear at debates sponsored by newspapers and radio and TV stations around the state.

Stokes said WXYZ is still negotiating with all three candidates but plans to hold its July 22 event regardless of whether Granholm attends.

"We plan to have three podiums and we plan to go forward ... in a live debate from 8 to 9 p.m.," Stokes said. "We'll go with whoever shows up."

Skubick could not be reached Tuesday evening for comment.

[Dan from Michigan]

The problem always lies with Granholm....Eddie Mac probably told her to jump and she said "How High?" Of Course she doesn't want to discuss issues. She relies on sounds bites where she talks a lot but doesn't really say a thing. She sure didn't say much subtancewise at the enviro debate awhile back.

The agreement also specifies that excerpts from the debates can't be used in campaign ads and prohibits her opponents from asking for any more debates or joint appearances.
How Cowardly.