[Imc-newsroom] Blagojevich Behind Exclusion, Supplemental Debate Planned

[Whitney for Governor]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 27, 2006

BLAGOJEVICH BEHIND EXCLUSION, SUPPLEMENTAL DEBATE PLANNED

CONTACT:
Jennifer Rose, Campaign Manager
Whitney for Governor, whitneyforgov.org
campaignmanager at whitneyforgov.org
618-528-VOTE (Scheduling)

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

Patrick Kelly, Media Coordinator
Illinois Green Party, ilgp.org
773-203-9631

Rich Whitney, Green Party candidate for Illinois Governor, responded today
to the Illinois Radio Network's decision to exclude him from the
gubernatorial debate to be held at Millikin University, in Decatur, on
October 2nd.

"When it comes to debating me, Blagojevich seems to want to cut and run. I
think he knows that I have better proposals than he does for the problems
facing Illinois," said Whitney. Blagojevich appears unwilling to confront
Whitney, having already refused to commit to a proposed debate in Marion
sponsored by the Southern Illinoisan and the Public Policy Institute
following their invitation of Whitney to participate.

James Anderson, News Director at the Illinois Radio Network, has noted that
debate invitations were accepted before Whitney was on the ballot. "It was
improper for the Illinois Radio Network to extend the invitations prior to
the official certification of candidates by the State Board of Elections,"
said Tim Tacker, Communications Director for the Whitney campaign.
Publicly, the Blagojevich campaign has stated that it is up to the debate
sponsors to determine who to invite; but Anderson refuted this claim,
noting that the Blagojevich and Topinka campaigns "have no interest in
changing the terms of the invitation."

The Illinois Radio Network appears to have used no pre-existing objective
criteria to determine which candidates were excluded, which may raise a
legal issue for their FCC licensed affiliate stations planning to air the
broadcast. By all indications, the only criteria used to determine
participation was "permission" from the Democratic and Republican
candidates.

In response, the Whitney campaign is planning on hosting a supplemental
debate at Millikin University, immediately following the Illinois Radio
Network debate, where Rich Whitney will respond to the same questions asked
of Blagojevich and Topinka. A recording of this debate will be made
available to the media, and at least one radio station has already agreed
to carry the program live.

"In a democracy we want to have well-informed electorate and that means
that the voters need to hear all points of view in order to choose who is
the best candidate. That's what this should be about," said Whitney.
"Voters should be outraged that the Blagojevich and Topinka campaigns have
decided to go forward with this one-on-one debate rather than permit voters
to hear their ideas pitted against mine as well, in a fair contest."

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