Julia Robinson photo

Gubernatorial candidates, left to right, Kenny Hulshof, Andrew Finkenstadt, Gregory Thompson and Jay Nixon debate yesterday at Fisher Auditorium on the University of Missouri campus.

The fact that the two major party candidates for Missouri governor are both lawyers was obvious yesterday when Democrat Jay Nixon and Republican Kenny Hulshof competed in their first public forum, pitching their arguments as if attempting to persuade a jury.

During a 75-minute encounter on the University of Missouri campus, Nixon and Hulshof each claimed to be candidates for change but sharply differed over issues such as health care and campaign finance. And they offered different answers on how they would handle a pending lawsuit to make public the inner-office e-mails of the current administration of Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican.

Because the e-mails were created with public money, Nixon said he would make them available once he assumed office. Nixon, the attorney general, launched the suit to open up the e-mails after news organizations requested them.

Hulshof, the congressman from the Ninth District, said he would resolve the suit if elected, but he offered no details. He said his own administration would be open and accountable and that "official correspondence in the course of public office" would be disclosed.

When Hulshof tried to take the high ground on ethics, Nixon attacked him for supporting unlimited campaign contributions.

"He doesn’t get it both ways," Nixon said. "He said he’d sign a bill with no limits in it."

Hulshof said he preferred a system that completely disclosed unlimited contributions as an alternative to the practice of moving large sums through various committees to bundle big donations from untraceable sources. He said his own ethics proposal would impose limits.

In a news conference after the forum, Hulshof said he would push the General Assembly to adopt limits, ban lobbyists’ gifts and remove politics from the awarding of state license fee offices. Hulshof said while he had accepted large donations from businesses, Nixon had received big contributions from trial lawyers.

In his own meeting with reporters, Nixon said 74 percent of the voters had favored campaign limits in a statewide election.

"I will present a bill to the next legislature to reinstate the limits, and I hope we will have a reasonable campaign finance system," Nixon said.

Nearly all of the 275 seats in Fisher Auditorium were occupied for the forum, sponsored by the Missouri Press Association and held in conjunction with the MU School of Journalism centennial. The format left little room for exploration of the issues. Ninety seconds were allowed for answers, and there was no chance for follow-up questions and no opportunity for one candidate to question another.

The addition of third-party candidates, Libertarian Andrew Finkenstadt and Gregory Thompson of the Constitution Party, meant that only eight questions could be asked and answered. Afterward, both Hulshof and Nixon said adding the third-party candidates was a good idea for the free exchange of all points of view.

Finkenstadt, a self-described computer geek from St. Charles, said Libertarians supported smaller government and less regulation. He said free markets could deal with many of the issues raised in the debate. As a computer engineer, Finkenstadt said he would be a problem-solver, while lawyers holding public office are more likely to simply pass more laws.

Thompson, a minister and former school superintendent from Humansville, said prayer and Scripture reading needed to be restored to public schools. If elected, he promised to "bring God’s wisdom to government."

The forum was the first of four encounters between Nixon and Hulshof before the Nov. 4 general election. Hulshof has called for more meetings around the state with prime-time exposure.

Advertisement

Get your brain and body in shape. Food Wednesdays, Pulse Sundays and Sports daily. 13 weeks of everyday delivery for as little as 29¢ a day. Get the Tribune. Get a lot.