New York Times - Suozzi Asks Spitzer To Debate State Issues Twice A Month

New York Times - Suozzi Asks Spitzer To Debate State Issues Twice A Month

Eliot Spitzer, a Democratic candidate for governor of New York, was challenged at his doorstep yesterday by his rival, Thomas R. Suozzi, who appeared in front of Mr. Spitzer's campaign headquarters in Manhattan to demand twice-a-month debates until the primary election in September.

Mr. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, who lags far behind in the polls, said that Mr. Spitzer, the state attorney general, has been treating the election "like a coronation" and has avoided talking in detail about how he will address issues like Medicaid and the state budget. Mr. Suozzi began demanding debates earlier this month, but his aides said that they had not received a response from the Spitzer campaign.

"I don't think that it can be that he's afraid to debate me," Mr. Suozzi said. "I think that he's doing what traditionally happens with front-runners that are afraid to take any chances for people to find out what they really stand for and the chance that he'll make a mistake in the debate."

Christine Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Spitzer campaign, said that the campaign had received several requests for debates from news organizations, but that it had not been decided when those debates would take place.

"Of course we'll debate," Ms. Anderson said. "Eliot has never shied away from an opportunity to debate his opponents."

Mr. Suozzi's grab for attention could signal his difficulty gaining traction as a candidate running as an outsider. He acknowledged yesterday that he would have far more to gain by engaging in a debate than Mr. Spitzer.

"I know that most front-runners don't debate, that's what typically happens," Mr. Suozzi said. "But what typically happens is not going to work in New York State."

Mr. Suozzi has repeatedly said that he will get his name on the primary ballot. If he fails to get enough support at the Democratic state convention next month to achieve that, he plans to collect the 15,000 signatures needed to put his name on the ballot.

His criticism of Mr. Spitzer has grown more pointed over the last several weeks, as he has faulted the attorney general for not doing enough to rein in state spending or control spiraling Medicaid costs. Mr. Suozzi repeated his claim yesterday, and said that Mr. Spitzer is reluctant to criticize Sheldon Silver, the Democratic leader of the State Assembly.

"How is he going to have influence as a governor if he can't have influence when they're all trying to get him elected?" Mr. Suozzi asked. "This is typical Albany two-step where everybody says, 'Oh, I can't do it now because I'm not elected yet.'

http://tomsuozzi.com/news/nyt_042606/