{news} (THORNTON)Cournat- "Candidate Thrown Off Debate Seesa"

[Green Party-CT]

Candidate Thrown Off Debate Seesaw 

Green Party's Thornton Won't Appear With Rell, DeStefano 

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       -->By CHRISTOPHER KEATING
Capitol Bureau Chief

October 1 2006

First he was out. Then he thought he was in. Now he's out again.

Clifford Thornton, the Green Party candidate for governor, was caught in the political crossfire Friday in back-and-forth maneuvering over whether he could participate in the first gubernatorial debate on Oct. 9 in New London.

The campaigns of Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Democratic challenger John DeStefano originally negotiated two one-on-one debates that left Thornton out. But then, at 4:15 p.m. Friday, the Thornton campaign released a victorious statement under the banner that "Democracy Prevails" because the Connecticut League of Women Voters, a co-sponsor of the New London debate, had decided to let Thornton participate.

Less than two hours later, the deal had fallen apart, and the League of Women Voters, in protest, had withdrawn as a sponsor. The other sponsor, The Day of New London, said it would proceed with the televised debate. 

"The Day disagreed with the League regarding whether Mr. Thornton met all of the League's standards for inclusion," said a statement released by Morgan McGinley, The Day's longtime editorial page editor. "After consulting with the League and both the Rell and DeStefano campaigns, the newspaper and League agreed that the League would not be a debate co-sponsor."

Rell campaign spokesman, Rich Harris, said he was unaware of the machinations and that Rell just wants to debate at New London's Garde Theatre.

"We have a date and a location, and we're going to be there," Harris said Friday night. "We'll debate whoever shows up. This decision by the League [to include Thornton] was certainly out of our hands. We're going to be there. Period."

DeStefano's campaign spokesman, Derek Slap, said the two major producers of the debate - the Day and Channel 8 - are honoring their agreement to hold the televised debate at 8 p.m. "There is no change," he said.

"It's entirely expected, given the juvenile politics the two parties play," said Ken Krayeske, Thornton's campaign manager. "You can be sure the two parties have not heard the end of the Connecticut Green Party. This is treating the debates like a joke. ... It's repugnant."

The second debate will be televised live on WVIT-TV, Channel 30, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. 

Contact Christopher Keating at ckeating at courant.com.   Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant 
  
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