Campaign Day 20 (cont'd)...Debate Talk....Burns On The Line, Go Ahead!

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4:40pm: Starts at five, on any TV channel you can still get without cable....Also on CBC Radio One and that other radio station that once almost employed Pat Burns, that cannot be named 'round here....

4:45pm: Public Eye Live thing seems to be working...panel checking in....

5:00pm: Here we go, it's live streaming on cbc radio one also and they have a live blog.

5:01pm: Moderator is James Hoggan Senior Counsellor Russ Froese....complicated format...He will 'intervene as necessary'.... no props?

5:02pm: The format is so compressed....will it be anything more than sound bites?

5:03pm: First question from 'Ben' is like a softball made in Liberal manna heaven...James goes with 'costed platform with specifics....Campbell gets to hit natural clean-up....he's going with the toxic fudge burial, goes back at James...Campbell sounds like he's on heavy beta-blockers.

5:05pm: 2nd question from North, small business owner, rural shut-out...what will be done....James first, is well rehearsed....Sterk forced.....James tries to jump back in....Gordo goes sound bites, feels Clinton's pain on forest fire....James goes hard on 'hurtland' abandoned....Campbell starts to get testy....maybe the start of a turnaround...we're expanding services...Cranbrook emergency center?....Sterk no Gordon Wilson....James goes right back at Cranbrook, with Kimberley hospital closing?

5:10pm: First rebuttals....Campbell getting tongue-tied...Sterk goes with her green jobs thing again...James is ready?....Here she goes....Polished, goes to plan, gives some reality re: Campbell doctrine....She really is a better debater than Campbell....he's been in the bubble for too long?

5:11pm: Next is just gratuitous question on 'crime'....this stuff is garbage....why James first again....(must say Froese has not 'injected' himself into the debate in anyway yet....James goes to 'prosecutors' another Campbell cut, more cops than Liberal....Campbell back to being 'modulated'....blames NDP for not enough cops....Sterk goes to the prohibition issue!!!!!!... Wow!!!!

5:14pm: Next question is another stupid one about safety....Where are the real issues for crap sake....This is what happens when you let TeeVee do stuff...Campbell first, just fluff....James goes right at him with prosecutor cuts!!!...Debate gets cut off because Sterk gets to ramble....James goes right at back him with the prosecutor/courts cuts, 'how can you say that you are fighting crime when your actions don't show it....Gordo says he is adding to prosecutors....Will James nail him....Gordo goes all faux popular...Sterk babbles...James goes right back at him re: prosecutors cuts (Froese was good)...Campbell laughs...ok Russ (amongst us friends)...

5:20pm: Privatization of Healthcare...Campbell first goes with all the Rovian/Orwellian names of programs, then just babble....does get in some stats.....he goes with 'single payer'?....Sterk goes blah blah....waiting on James...Here she goes....plan/investment/innovation/public....long term care beds!!!...she's getting them all in...I smell sound bites.

5:23pm: Senior care question/health related....Sterk first...so much of what she has to say on specifics sounds very old line, NDP....Campbell goes with bogus long term bed numbers...Will he get nailed...James goes hard, makes her angry...no beds his Health Care minister says something different...Campbell says that James is lying....he has put in the beds....Sterk babbles....Will James get him back....Let's see...Yup...She got him on that 'separated couples'....She's really showing that she cares...Oooohhhh Gordo talks to 'Russ' again and then changes subject...

5:29pm....Next question, private power....ooooohhhhh.....Sterk first...James good...Here comes Campbell with 'plan', nobody is 'selling' BCs Rivers....Did he just open himself up....IPP is creating jobs in BC he says....

5:30pm....Protecting Enviro question, tax v. cap 'n trade....Let's see how Ms. James gets out of this...she gets a little shrill....Sterk kicks Campbell on his weak Carbon Tax (just lost a big whack of voters)...OK....here goes Gordo...takes big credit...goes with the Enviro endorsements....James attacks....Goes to Parks Wardensh!!!!! (ya vs the PAB Spin Machine)....Sterk attacks James on Carbon Tax....Campbell hits pretty hard....Sterk actually talks about the real issue...Will James get out alive?....

5:38pm: Next up is dumb question on 'leadership': James first, blah, blah, but what else can you do with this.....Campbell second, he says it's difficult....(hard work Gordon?)....Sterk last she's trying, but she's no Gordon Wilson (not sure she will get the young kids as she is so school-marmish)....

5:41pm: Next question is MLA pay raises and gold-plated pensions.....Campbell first....just junk...James does turn around right at minimun wage!!!!...Campbell says everything is good....Sterk babbles on MLA salary....James goes back right at him with BC Rail!!!!!!...Froese cuts it off....James goes right back!....Campbell changes subject....

5:48pm: Next is child poverty....Campbell makes stuff up re: numbers.....Sterk just flies with outrage....Here comes James loading up....Here she goes...It's a nailing....

5:50pm: next is student debt....James hits hard....Campbell spouts numbers....that's it James People: Campbell numbers.... James goes to priorities good times, why didn't he invest in things for people?....Campbell goes numbers again....Sterk goes 'blame game'...tries to pull a Gordon Wilson....

5:55pm...OK they are just on with their talking points now...It's done.


Why?

Why aren't they forced to do this every single day from now till May 12th....?