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Question of the day

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Illinois

First, read this.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich wouldn’t say Tuesday whether he will agree to debate his opponent in the Democratic primary.

“First of all, I haven’t even formally announced yet, and there’s time for politics,” the first-term governor said. “I am going to keep doing my job every day as governor, and we’ll keep you posted.”

Challenger Edwin Eisendrath said he has accepted several debate invitations and would love to face the governor in a discussion of the issues. […]

Eisendrath burst out laughing at Blagojevich saying there will be time for politics later. “He’s been politicking for a long time,” Eisendrath said.

If you were able to ask one question of each candidate during the debate, what would it be?

Also, as a bonus item, do you think the two will ever face each other in a formal debate setting?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:02 am

Comments

Although I am fairly certain the question would be spun, but in light of last year’s budget deal and considering another year of revenue shorfalls, I think at least a question about restructuring the revenue base (tax increase of some variety) has to be discussed. Something has got to give.

Comment by anon Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:16 am
Blago Why have you almost doubled the state’s debt in the last three years, with little capital improvements to show fot it? I don’t think there will be a debate. It will take to long to fix Blago’s hair.

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:18 am
I cannot think of one single question I would ask this jerk of a Governor that I am confident he would answer openly and honestly without trying to spin it in his own direction. He’s NEVER been a Governor. He’s ALWAYS been a politician. And therein lies the problem. Politicians step out of their own shadow once in a while and do something for their constituents.

Comment by LittleEgypt Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:23 am
Gov. Would you support annexing Chicago and Cook County for your own fiefdom & State and allowing the rest of us to live in piece in Illinois?

Comment by St. Nickname Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:35 am
Are you planning to make another pledge not to raise sales or income taxes for a second term.
If not, why not?

Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:38 am
Please come up with questions for both candidates. This is already getting too one-sided.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 8:42 am
Sorry Rich. Candidate Eisendrath, please tell those of us in downstate IL just why we should vote for another Chicago Politician?

Comment by St. Nickname Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 9:25 am
OK.

To all candidates:
What are you planning to do to LOWER the tax burder on Illinois residents, the great majority of whom are not state or other government employees and must now, under what Jacob Hacker
calls the great risk shift, fund not only current expenses including housing and college
but also fund the bulk of their retirement costs.
We need to keep and save our money to avoid the poorhouse in old age. And don’t talk about tax caps. They don’t work.

Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 9:42 am
To Blagojevich: According to your own released records, you raised over $2500 a hour while governor. What did you do to earn this? When did you find time to be governor?

To Eisendrath: Previous elected reformers have failed to change “Pay to Play” politics. What makes you different? Are you just naive?

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 9:52 am
Edwin, why do you so badly want a Republican in office?

Comment by Anon. Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 9:54 am
And to St. Nickname, where would you get your tax revenue, and what does it mean to live in “piece?”

Comment by Anon. Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 9:55 am
I’ve heard EE speak and I don’t think the Gov can go toe to toe with him. There is too much fodder for EE and not enough ammo in defense for he Gov. Therefore, there will be no debate.

Comment by nohafsecondnikname Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 10:23 am
Governor, in view of the fact that even the legislative leaders in your own party require you to mae your promises in writing through the (Memorada of Understanding” process (something no other Governor has had to do) because they donb’t trust yoru word, that the Secretary of State of your own party called you a liar (on the budget promises you made to him) in the first months of your administration, and it is a virtually universally accepted fact among legislators and lobbyists that you seldom keep your promises, why should Illinois voters believe anything you promise in this campaign?

Mr. E — If you are elected Governor, will YOU live in the Executive Mansion in Springfield?

Comment by CrossOver Dem Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 11:08 am
No debate if Blagonovich has any sense. Debating the challenger offers no benefit to the incumbent and only enhances the stature of the challenger.

Comment by C'dale reader Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 12:18 pm
To both:

Having a member of the Chicago Democrat Machine in the governor’s office has been a disaster. Why would we vote for another Chicago Democrat machine candidate to be governor?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 12:55 pm
While I think Blagojevich should debate Eisendrath, it would be unwise to for him to do so. Eisendrath is the challenger trying to knock Blago off. I don’t really think Blago is strong so if he doesn’t have to expose his weaknesses to the voters in the primary, Blago would be better off to not debate Eisendrath.

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 1:45 pm
No need for a debate w/Esquared, but GRod would win if he did. Esquared has no answered for what he would have done if governor now

Comment by Reddbyrd Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 2:15 pm
EE; Specifically, what would you have done dfferently during the past 3 years?

Gov; whta is your short and long term plan for dealing with pension funding, medicaid payment cycle, and the other very difficult budget issues facing the State when you are re-elected?

Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 3:39 pm
Hair do - What are you doing to do to futher demoralize and intimidate the career employees of the state?

EE - If elected, what are you going to do the rebuild the morale of the career employees of the state?

Arod - How are you going to further pad the employment rolls of state government with unqualified political hacks? If so, how much will they have to donate to your campaign fund?

EE - Are you going to increase the hiring of qualified staff for state government? If so what will be those qualifications?

Tes. Virility - How much more debt are you going to put the state into before you are satisified with your “progress”?

EE - What are your plans to reduce the state’s debt?

Pub. Off. # 1 - Can you spell ethics? Do you know what that word means?

EE - How are you going to avoid the ethical quadmires of blogo’s pay to play contracting methods?

Comment by "B Team" Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 4:24 pm
RGod is on the ropes and cannot debate. It is a damned if you do damned if you don’t setting. RGod has a record that he cannot defend but if he does not debate he looks like he is hiding something. This is fun watching RGod run. He may win, he may lose, but lots of folks would just like to see and hear a debate. What is so unfair about that? After all it was the RGod bunch who said “bring it on”-well here it is!

Comment by Paul Powell Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 4:50 pm
Blago is actually a poor debater; what he’s good at is very short spurts of slogan-like prepared remarks and talking points, and if that shuck and jive isn’t working, he will say something outrageous to throw you off the track, or something way off-topic, some Cubs/baseball metaphor, Elvis anecdote, or random biblical quote. It’s the ninja smoke bomb he throws so he can be whisked away by his handlers. I get mad when the reporters just let it go with that, they need to press a little harder for a real response, and not be so afraid to say: “Governor, that answer was non-responsive, could you try it again?”.

If you hold his feet to the fire, wait him out, with no place for him to escape, he runs out of tricks pretty fast and then you have the real guy talking to you. I have seen him get to that moment, and it’s not pretty.

I have only heard a little bit of Eisendrath, but I have to say, if the likes of Flannery and Doogie can put him on the ropes with a couple pointed questions over 2 minutes, Edwin, given 30 minutes, should be able to destroy him. Most of the touted “accomplishments” of this administration are exaggerated or statistically manipulated “facts” divorced from a realistic context or background. It’s very wonkish, but Eisendrath could take every claim apart and show why it’s a lie or a “stretching” of the truth. Stuff like the claims over MAP grants he made today, that claim is at best a disengenuous one, if not an outright prevarication.

Rod will try to run out the clock and avoid Eisendrath as long as he can, to save himself for Judy. If I was a consultant for Edwin, I’d have him stalk Rod’s every appearance from now until the primary, standing next to the press corps after each appearance, with questions of his own for Rod. If Rod does not respond there in front of the cameras and mics, Ed can wait until he leaves and give his side to any remaining reporters looking for the other angle. Rod would probably never hold another press event until after the Primary, if this were the case.

If he could make THAT happen, Edwin already has a lot of people’s votes!(grin)

Comment by This rail is greasy Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 5:47 pm
G-Rod…How do you sleep at night?

EE…If elected, which current agency head would you fire (please say Filan)?

Comment by guvmint lifer Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 6:17 pm
To EE, I should have asked which agency head would you fire first?

Comment by guvmint lifer Wednesday, Jan 18, 06 @ 6:18 pm
So many choices.

For Blagojecvich: You vowed to change how “things” were done in your first term, yet, for those who work under state government, those very day to day “things” stayed the same. In the next 4 years, if you are re-elected, will we see true change - enough staff to serve those in need, enough money to get the job done, enough money for the schools, without borrowing from pension plans or laying off more employees, like you did the past four years?

For Eisendrath: What will you do to improve state services for those in need of services the most, the people who can’t speak up for themselves, the disabled, those with mental illnesses, children, etc.?

Comment by Tessa Thursday, Jan 19, 06 @ 2:30 am