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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 10, 2006

WHITNEY ISSUES RENEWED GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE CHALLENGE

CONTACT:
Jennifer Rose, Campaign Manager
Whitney for Governor, 618-528-VOTE
campaignmanager@whitneyforgov.org

Tim Tacker, Communications Director
Whitney for Governor, 815-735-6139
communicationsdirector@whitneyforgov.org

Rich Whitney, the Green Party's candidate for Illinois Governor, issued a renewed gubernatorial debate challenge this afternoon, during a press conference at the Illinois State Capitol. Rich Whitney issued the following statement:

"Governor Rod Blagojevich has once again demonstrated his contempt for the voters of Illinois and their intelligence by deliberately sabotaging yet another scheduled gubernatorial debate--and then attempting to shift the blame to treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

While treasurer Topinka has not been entirely blameless in the collapse of debate plans, it is the governor who has twice suddenly and arbitrarily pulled out of debates that had been planned months in advance and weeks after all three candidates have indicated their acceptance of the date time and place.

The first was the debate originally scheduled for southern Illinois, co-sponsored by the public policy institute of the late senator Paul Simon on September 26th. The second was the debate scheduled for October 26th at WTTW in Chicago.

What these two scheduled debates had in common was that in both instances, the sponsors had indicated their intentions to include me. The one occasion on which a debate did take place--the Illinois Radio Network debate, or debacle, on October 2nd was the debate to which I had not been invited.

The pattern, and the conclusion to be drawn, is clear; Rod Blagojevich is afraid to debate me, and he is trying to hide behind Judy Baar Topinka's skirt, and blame her, for his response of cutting and running. That is why, on the two occasions on which he has scuttled previously agreed to debates, he has arrogantly refused to provide any explanation to the debate sponsors or to the people of this state.

The reason he has done this is clear; I have better well thought out answers to the problems facing the people of this state than either of the other two candidates. Rod Blagojevich's strategy is not to rest on substance but to continue to coast on his lead in the polls and his multimillion dollar advantage most of which is expended in a barrage of negative television campaign ads against the other candidate. In fact, in this campaign each of the other two candidates seems to have a strategy based upon trying to make the other appear to be the second coming of George Ryan.

Let me be perfectly clear so that there is no mistake about this; I am issuing an unconditional challenge to the other two candidates in this race to debate me at the time and place of their choosing singly or together as long as I have 24 hours notice and the terms of the debate are fair and equal for each candidate. The people of this state deserve to hear the points of view of all three candidates put to the test of debate so that they can do what people in a democracy are supposed to do; select the candidate who will best represent the public interest."