The two candidates for Louisiana governor have faced off in their final televised debate. The addition of a live audience turned up the heat in some exchanges.
The 400 people gathered at the Dunham School in Baton Rouge were told to hold applause until the end. They didn’t. In fact, supporters of Republican U-S Senator David Vitter and Democratic state Representative John Bel Edwards were sometimes louder than the candidates.
Vitter and Edwards clashed over each other’s voting records. Vitter himself referred to a 2007 scandal that tied him to the Washington, D.C., madam prostitution ring. He gave no specifics when asked directly, instead focusing on family and redemption.
Here’s Edwards:
“We’re all obligated as Christians to forgive. That doesn’t mean we have to forget. And there certainly is no obligation to vote for someone who commits a crime and refuses to talk about it, and refuses to answer any questions. He has never answered the question about whether he committed a crime. And certainly the truth….and the sad fact for Senator Vitter is we have Congressional records showing when votes are cast or not cast and we have cell phone records showing when phone calls are accepted or made. That is his record. That’s the truth of the matter.”
They both agree that they would hire Louisiana residents for cabinet and staff jobs, and have their administrations reflect the diversity of the state.
