Branstad willing to debate GOP opponents

By James Q. Lynch 

The Gazette

Former Gov. Terry Branstad says he's willing to join in three campaign debates with his Republican gubernatorial rivals ahead of the June 8 primary.

Branstad, who so far has largely avoided joint appearances with Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats and Carroll Rep. Rod Roberts now welcomes the opportunity to share his “message of job creation, family income growth and restoring fiscal responsibility to the state's budget,” campaign manager Jeff Boeyink said.

“We are excited to participate in these debates,” Boeyink said.

Vander Plaats is too.

“I'm pleased Gov. Branstad accepted our campaign's Feb. 26 challenge to debate,” said Vander Plaats, a Sioux City businessman.

“As candidates, we have a responsibility to let GOP voters size us up side-by-side to see for themselves who has the energy, the new ideas and the focus on the future to lead us forward,” Vander Plaats said when issuing the challenge. “I'm prepared to talk about how to open Iowa for business, fix our broken tax system, cut state spending and create a culture of innovation and results in our public schools.”

Vander Plaats and Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll have challenged the better-know Branstad to multiple campaign debates. Roberts specifically asked for two debates in rural Iowa prior to the June 8 primary election.

“We cannot forget rural Iowa in the 2010 elections. By holding debates in smaller Iowa communities, the Republican gubernatorial candidates can send a message to rural Iowans that we are concerned about the issues that matter to them,” Roberts said. Since the vast majority of Iowans live in rural Iowa, we need to be holding debates there, too.”

The first debate will be April 7 debate to in Sioux City and will be shown on KTIV in Sioux City, KWWL in Waterloo, and KTTC in Rochester, Minn.

The second debate will be May 1 in Cedar Rapids sponsored by the Iowa Broadcast News Association.

The third debate will be sponsored by The Des Moines Register but details are still being finalized.