From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Simon, Green rival denounce governor
By John Marelius
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERSeptember 18, 2002
BEVERLY HILLS – Gov. Gray Davis got hammered from the left and the right yesterday as he skipped the first gubernatorial debate of the general election campaign – a forum sponsored by a coalition of minority activist organizations and media outlets.
That left the unlikely spectacle of Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Simon and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo discussing hot-button issues and agreeing more often than might be expected given the miles of ideological distance between them.
Simon and Camejo differed on a moratorium on the death penalty, reparations for past discrimination, farm labor collective bargaining and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.
Both oppose racial profiling, enlisting local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws and Proposition 187, the 1994 anti-illegal immigration ballot measure.
Mostly, they agreed that Democrat Davis should have shown up, as did a Simon campaign official who sported a chicken costume for the occasion.
"I think Governor Davis' refusal to come today is a disservice," said Camejo, who theoretically could throw a close election to Simon by siphoning away disenchanted liberal Democrats from Davis. "It reflects on taking for granted of minorities."
Simon added: "Gray Davis ought to be here and, as Peter said, he takes us for granted and he takes you for granted because he thinks all of you have no choice."
Sponsors of the New California Media forum also were outspokenly miffed.
"We can think of only two reasons why a candidate would choose not to participate in a debate. Either they consider the exercise inconsequential to the election or they have something to hide," said Paul Turner, senior program manager of the Greenlining Institute, a liberal urban policy research organization that coordinated the event.
About a half-hour away, at a bill-signing ceremony in his Los Angeles office, Davis said he had too much to do.
"I'm doing the job I was hired to do, working my way through 1,200 bills that must be acted upon two weeks from today," he said. "When that's over, there will be time enough for debates."
Davis so far has agreed to one debate with Simon – Oct. 7 in Los Angeles. A second one is being negotiated.
Davis has not taken action on a top priority of Latino political activists. That bill, Assembly Bill 60, would permit illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses under certain circumstances.
Simon said he would not sign the bill now, but would be open to it as part of national immigration reform.
Camejo said the bill was watered down to secure Davis' signature, but said he would sign it because it would be better than nothing.
Please FOWARD this message to your reporter: xxxHi, xxx - GREAT article about the "chicken" debate yesterday at the Beverly Hilton.
You did, however, miss one key element of the story: the protests OUTSIDE the hotel.
See:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/752458/posts?page=59#59Members of the conservative news forum www.FreeRepublic.com protested the absent Governor - across the street from the hotel.
Perhaps that was a tactical blunder. And certainly we could have done a better job of letting the media know that we were there.We are passionate protesters, but amateurs.
The NEXT time, we will do better. And we WILL "Dump DAVIS!"
See you next time,
Ron(I give them my REAL name, address and telephone number)