Post by sclcookie on May 31, 2006 2:11:11 GMT -5
Dems pummel each other on death penalty
Democrats Chet Culver and Mike Blouin, rivals for their party's nomination for governor, traded jabs today over the state's job creation efforts and the death penalty.
Culver, in his 2nd term as Iowa secretary of state, charged that Blouin did not do a good job of managing the Iowa Values business assistance program when he was director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
"We need some oversight. We need some accountablity," Culver said.
Blouin charged that Culver doesn't understand how the program works or what it's accomplishing. "He doesn't understand that it's succeeding incredibly well," Blouin said.
The pair of candidates appeared separately on tapings of "Iowa Press", a public affairs program on Iowa Public Television. The 30-minute interview with Culver will be shown at 7:30 p.m. tonight, followed at 8 p.m. by the show featuring Blouin. On Sunday, the shows will be rebroadcast at 11:30 a.m, and noon, with the Culver show first.
On the death penalty, Culver said his belief that capital punishment is warranted for certain heinous crimes doesn't mean he'd push for such a law if he became governor, or that he'd definitely sign a bill.
"I have not said that we should reinstate it. It's my personal belief," he said.
In April 2005, Culver sent out a news release saying he supports the death penalty for certain crimes.
"I've come to the conclusion, after much soul-searching, that some crimes are so heinous that they warrant the death penalty. For example, the killing of a child, murdering a police officer, serial killers or acts of terrorism are all crimes where the death penalty should be considered," he said in the statement.
Blouin, a death penalty opponent, charged that Culver was backtracking on his position. "If there's a Republican majority in both houses, he'll have a death penalty bill on his desk within a week, and he's going to have to make that decision. I think he owes it to people to come clean. What will he sign?"
(source: Des Moines Register)
Democrats Chet Culver and Mike Blouin, rivals for their party's nomination for governor, traded jabs today over the state's job creation efforts and the death penalty.
Culver, in his 2nd term as Iowa secretary of state, charged that Blouin did not do a good job of managing the Iowa Values business assistance program when he was director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
"We need some oversight. We need some accountablity," Culver said.
Blouin charged that Culver doesn't understand how the program works or what it's accomplishing. "He doesn't understand that it's succeeding incredibly well," Blouin said.
The pair of candidates appeared separately on tapings of "Iowa Press", a public affairs program on Iowa Public Television. The 30-minute interview with Culver will be shown at 7:30 p.m. tonight, followed at 8 p.m. by the show featuring Blouin. On Sunday, the shows will be rebroadcast at 11:30 a.m, and noon, with the Culver show first.
On the death penalty, Culver said his belief that capital punishment is warranted for certain heinous crimes doesn't mean he'd push for such a law if he became governor, or that he'd definitely sign a bill.
"I have not said that we should reinstate it. It's my personal belief," he said.
In April 2005, Culver sent out a news release saying he supports the death penalty for certain crimes.
"I've come to the conclusion, after much soul-searching, that some crimes are so heinous that they warrant the death penalty. For example, the killing of a child, murdering a police officer, serial killers or acts of terrorism are all crimes where the death penalty should be considered," he said in the statement.
Blouin, a death penalty opponent, charged that Culver was backtracking on his position. "If there's a Republican majority in both houses, he'll have a death penalty bill on his desk within a week, and he's going to have to make that decision. I think he owes it to people to come clean. What will he sign?"
(source: Des Moines Register)