Gannett News - Opponents bash Spitzer for Avoiding Joint Forums on TV

Gannett News - Opponents bash Spitzer for Avoiding Joint Forums on TV

Candidates for governor were given four chances to appear together on television this week to answer questions from voters and reporters, including twice in Rochester, but front-runner Eliot Spitzer turned down three of them.

His opponents jumped on Spitzer's decision Monday as an example of what they see as his reluctance to engage them and directly answer questions.

"This should be a chance for New Yorkers across the state to hear and compare our ideas, but Eliot Spitzer is nowhere to be found when the people of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown, Elmira, Long Island and Westchester want to know what we will do to make their lives better," said Tom Suozzi, Spitzer's opponent in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary. "New Yorkers deserve better from the candidates competing to be their next governor."

A spokeswoman for the Republican candidate in the Nov. 7 general election, John Faso, also blasted Spitzer. "Either he doesn't care about the issues facing upstate and western New York or he doesn't know the issues well enough and is afraid to show up," said the spokeswoman, Susan DelPercio.

A Spitzer spokeswoman pointed out that the four exchanges Spitzer has agreed to participate in — two before the Democratic primary and two before the general election, if he wins the primary — is more than in any recent race for governor. Suozzi and Spitzer have debated once already, on July 25 in Manhattan.

http://tomsuozzi.com/news/gn_082906/