Mayoral debates added, but Maura wants more
By Kevin Rothstein, Boston Herald
Thursday, October 6, 2005
Dates were set yesterday for two final mayoral head-to-heads,
but challenger Maura Hennigan, seeking the exposure to help unseat
a powerful incumbent, says they're not enough.
``One of the favorite pastimes in our city is sports,
the Red Sox, Patriots and politics, and why aren't we celebrating
with Lincoln-Douglas style debates?'' Hennigan asked.
Hennigan's camp plans to ask Boston media outlets
to host a traditional political debate before the Nov. 8 election
to supplement the three meetings planned between her and Mayor
Thomas M. Menino.
In addition to last week's televised mayoral town
meeting, the two candidates will field students' questions Oct.
12 at Boston University. Ground rules set up at the insistence
of the Menino campaign won't allow him and Hennigan to appear
on the stage together, said Northeastern student and Boston Intercollegiate
Government chairwoman Meghan Loraditch. Former Gov. Michael Dukakis
will moderate.
``A lot of students are very excited, especially
since Dukakis is going to be there,'' Loraditch said.
The second forum will be an hour-long appearance
on Paul Sullivan's WBZ 1030 AM talk show on Friday, Oct. 14, at
8 p.m.
Asked to respond to Hennigan's calls for more debates,
Menino's new campaign spokeswoman, Jacque Goddard, said, ``The
mayor will be discussing the issues before many different audiences,''
noting the three head-to-head forums and a series of interviews
Menino plans with neighborhood newspapers.
Since Comcast pulled the plug on plans to make
last week's town meeting available on demand through October,
Hennigan suggested it air on local cable. But city Cable Communications
Director Michael Lynch said that would violate federal rules barring
political content from those channels.