Whitman Rejects Brown’s Debate Plan
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown challenged his Republican opponents to debate before the June 8 primary election, but Meg Whitman rejected the proposal, while Steve Poizner said he was open to the idea.
At the party’s state convention in Los Angeles, Attorney General and former Gov. Brown proposed that Whitman, the former head of eBay, and Poizner, a businessman and state Insurance Commissioner, debate with him three times before the two face each other in the June primary.
Brown said the state’s record unemployment, budget and tax crisis and funding cutbacks to schools and universities means “we cannot delay debating solutions.” He said he sent letters to Poizner and Whitman proposing that the unprecedented debates start in three weeks.
After first saying the Whitman campaign was “open to considering the proposal,” spokeswoman Sarah Pompei later said, “Jerry Brown should debate his own primary opponent, Richard Aguirre, as we’ve done (with Poizner) and will do again in two weeks.”
Poizner spokesman Jarrod Agen said his boss “is happy to debate his plan for California against a lying corporate CEO Meg Whitman and special interest career politician Jerry Brown.” Agen said Poizner would meet the other two “anywhere, anytime.”
Brown issued a statement slamming Whitman for declining to debate him before the primary.
“Private corporations sometimes hide behind slick advertising campaigns, but it’s wrong for a serious political candidate to do the same,” he said. “I urge Meg Whitman to reconsider. Surely, if she believes she is good enough to be governor of California she must also consider herself competent enough to appear with her opponents.
“A candidate for public office should not act like a used car salesperson who relies on misleading TV ads. Public service is a higher calling, one that demands integrity, openness and honesty … Our state is in serious trouble, and we need political candidates and public officials who are willing to face the voters, explain their ideas and give honest answers.”
Poizner’s communications director, Jarrod Agen, also urged Whitman to agree to debate.
“The Republican nominee will have to debate Jerry Brown. If Meg Whitman is afraid to debate him then she shouldn’t be the Republican nominee,” he said.
At the Democratic Party convention, Brown said the unusual debates are called for by unusual times.
“Our continuing unemployment and growing state budget crisis are threatening our schools, university, and the very future of our state,” Brown said in prepared remarks. “We need immediate action to get California back to work, and these debates will be a good first step.”
Brown proposed that the three-way debates be held in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in the evening and be telecast statewide. He said no pre-primary debates between major-party candidates have ever been held in California.
Brown has no significant opposition in the Democratic Party primary. Poizner and Whitman are attacking each other — and Brown — in radio and television ads.
