NJN hosts second debate for independent candidates

TRENTON-The Republican running for governor was looking to score points by announcing he would be in two state-sponsored candidate debates, while his opponent would not. But GOP candidate Doug Forrester wasn't invited to one of the events. NJN public television said its Oct. 20 debate is for two sanctioned independent candidates only, and that the two leading contenders, Forrester and Democratic Sen. Jon Corzine, already had their turn. NJN hosted a live televised debate between Forrester and Corzine Tuesday night, which the station said was seen by 50,000 viewers. That forum excluded Libertarian Party candidate Jeffrey Pawlowski, who had unsuccessfully challenged the station in court to let him debate. NJN agreed to host a second event, for Pawlowski and independent candidate Hector Castillo, on Oct. 20. ``The other candidates are not invited to participate,'' NJN marketing director JoAnne Ruscio said. ``This is an Election Law Enforcement Commission-sponsored debate with ELEC-sanctioned candidates.'' Asked about the inconsistency, Forrester campaign spokeswoman Sherry Sylvester said, ``I talked to NJN about doing an official debate for them, so I'm assuming we're invited.'' ``I can't believe that if you called NJN and said Doug Forrester and Jon Corzine wanted to be in the debate, they would say no.'' NJN reiterated its position Friday. The exclusion of Forrester and Corzine angered Pawlowski, who threatened another legal challenge to state-funded NJN. ``We think this is a travesty that a publicly funded television station is using taxpayer dollars to limit the choices of the people of New Jersey,'' campaign spokesman Jay Boucher said. ``They promoted the big game with the headliners, then they're going to have a Little League game with the rest of us.'' Before hearing that Forrester wasn't invited to the Oct. 20 debate, Sylvester wrote a politically charged letter to the Corzine camp urging the Democrat to participate in that debate and an Oct. 18 debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Corzine spokesman Allyn Brooks-LaSure said the Democrat already agreed to debate Forrester on Oct. 18. Pawlowski and Castillo also have been invited. ``NJN can learn something from the League of Women Voters, who invited the four qualified candidates to debate,'' Boucher said. ``We encourage everyone to protest NJN for their abuse of editorial privilege.'' Candidates who accept public financing are required to participate in ELEC debates. But Forrester and Corzine, both multimillionaires, are self-financing their campaigns and are therefore exempt. Amy Davis, ELEC's public financing director, said only Castillo is required to debate in the ELEC-sanctioned events because he has received $404,900 in public financing. Pawlowski is recognized by ELEC as a candidate though he did not qualify for public funds. Forrester fought his way into ELEC debates during the seven-way Republican gubernatorial spring primary after hiring a lawyer to make his case that privately financed candidates should not be excluded from debating their opponents. ELEC agreed to allow Forrester to take part. ``Our point is that the spirit of ELEC's regulations is that New Jerseyans deserve a debate,'' Sylvester said. ``Even the privately financed candidates can and should participate in the ELEC debates.''