WHEN WILL BRANSTAD AND ROBERTS CALL FOR OPEN, PUBLIC DEBATES?
When will Branstad and Roberts join the Vander Plaats campaign in calling for the Republican primary debates to be open to the public and to the press?Yesterday, Vander Plaats’ campaign manager, Eric Woolson told Lee News, “It had always been my assumption that there would be media in the studio…I understand why the host would want their debate to air first, but I believe there ought to be as much coverage as possible.”
So, when will the Roberts and Branstad campaigns join Vander Plaats in calling for debates to be open?
“Will Branstad and Roberts call for the debate to be open? Are they sincerely ambivalent to this blackout? What are they afraid of?” asked Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan. "Branstad is a former four term Governor and he should know better than to accept this."
“Make no mistake: the responsibility of this is on the candidates; they never should have agreed to a closed debate. Period. Closed debates cater to an elite few. Open debates that allow access to both the press and the public are critical to the democratic process and our elections. ”
BACKGROUND
KTIV bars media from GOP debate. Eric Woolson, spokesman for Sioux City candidate Bob Vander Plaats, said the debate rules were set by KTIV. "It had always been my assumption that there would be media in the studio," Woolson said. He said he doubted major newspapers or the Associated Press would give much coverage to a debate airing four days after the fact. “I understand why the host (KTIV) would want their debate to air first, but I believe there ought to be as much coverage as possible," Woolson said. [Lee News 3/31/10]