Candidates argue over abortion, electability in first debate

HENOTIA, Harvannah--The first Conservative gubernatorial primary debate saw attacks and insults hurled in every direction.

Held at the Emporium Theatre in east Henotia, the evening's first attack came from H-Tel CEO Rich Tuller, who criticized state Attorney General Julia Giorchani's changed stance on abortion, an issue that arose earlier in the week when fellow candidate Tom Marelo brought it up on the campaign trail.

Tuller accused Giorchani, who in the past has identified as pro-choice, of back-pedaling in recent months, and quietly altering her position to be more pro-life, a move that could help her with far-right Conservative voters.

Giorchani responded, saying that her Catholic faith has always taught her to be personally opposed to abortion, but she believes "the government should not be in the business of telling women what to do with their bodies."

Tuller, who also has moderate views on abortion, called Giorchani's changing stance "hypocritical."

"It's clear, Julia, that you've changed your position on abortion because you think it will win you points with the primary voters, and that's deceptive politics," Tuller said.

Giorchani responded, "I've been much more pro-life than you've been, Rich, and I will stack up my record and my positions on the issue of abortion with you any day."

Goldchrist businessman Tom Marelo criticized all of his opponents, saying he is the "only true Conservative."

"I am the only candidate up here on this stage that can honestly say I am pro-life, I am against tax increases, and I am committed to saving the budget," Marelo said.

"These two over here," he said, pointing to Garesby and Giorchani, "want you to believe that you have to choose between them. But there is, in fact, another choice. And that is to vote for me, the only true Conservative in this race."

Garesby, who has led in the polls since he entered the race in September, was largely silent for the first ten minutes of the debate, refusing to involve himself in the abortion debate, likely because his views on abortion are the most ambiguous of the four candidates.

Instead, he attacked his leading opponent, Julia Giorchani, for comments she made about he and CNS Senator Dick Ammons, who endorsed Garesby two weeks ago.

In a TV interview, Giorchani was asked for her reaction to news of the endorsement. She responded by saying that the senator's endorsement of Garesby was a bad thing because of Ammons' "liberal" voting record.

"Dick Ammons is not a real conservative. He's voted with the Nationalists more than 50 percent of the time. So the fact that George Garesby has received his endorsement is not surprising and it's actually disturbing," Giorchani said.

During the debate, Garesby chided Giorchani for "insulting a fellow Conservative."

"Dick Ammons is a good man. He has faithfully served this party and this state. Those kinds of comments are destructive and hurtful," Garesby said to Giorchani, who defended herself, saying "the proof is in the voting record."

The candidates also sparred over electability. Garesby claimed he is the most electable of the four candidates, because he is a bridge-builder able to win over independents and moderate Nationalists.

"I'm someone who builds bridges and finds common ground, and that's why Conservatives and independents and many Nationalists have endorsed my campaign and have endorsed me in the past when I ran for mayor of Harrisport," he said.

Giorchani cited her state-wide name recognition, her gender, and her previous run against incumbent Nationalist Governor Mark Andres.

"I'm the only candidate in this race who has worked in state government. People all across this state know me and trust me, and have trusted me to fight crime and protect Harvannah families as Attorney General.

"The fact that I'm a woman makes me more electable because, as my sister [Secretary of State Jennifer Giorchani] can tell you, there are more female voters in Harvannah than male," she said to laughs. "Being a woman doesn't make me more qualified to be governor, but it does allow me to be more in tune with the needs and issues that women face.

"And finally, I'm the only candidate that has gone up against Mark Andres. I ran against him back in 2007. I know how he works, how he operates, the kind of tactics he pulls in a campaign. I've been tested and I am prepared to go up against him in battle again, if I have the opportunity," Giorchani said.

Tuller touted his experience as a CEO, telling the audience, "the last thing we need is someone who has worked in government."

"I'm the only person who has been a CEO. I've led a company. I continue to lead a company. And if I were a voter, I would not want to choose between someone who is entrenched in state government and someone who is entrenched in city government. I would want an outsider who has a different perspective and a different way of going about doing things."

Marelo, who is a self-made millionaire through real estate projects and investments, agreed with Tuller.

"This is one area where Rich and I agree completely. We both have experience in the private sector. Neither one of us has experience in government, and that's a good thing. The last thing this state needs right now is someone from the government. If we wanted that, we'd just vote for Mark Andres," he said to cheers and applause.

The debate came to a close with the candidates giving their closing statements and shaking hands afterward. The next televised debate between the four Conservative candidates will be held Thursday, November 17, at the Overcliff Events Centre, just outside Goldchrist.

Coach has outburst, calls player 'stupid brown kid'

SYDMORE, Lial--McKenlan University head basketball coach Paul Dillian shocked players and fans at Monday night's game against Canthorne University, when he made a scene on the court and yelled a racial slur at his own player.

Each teams' players were shaking hands when Dillian, visibly angered at his team's 66-75 loss, began yelling, flailing his arms, and calling player Antoine LaNett expletives and a racist epithet.

Sports Network Grassadellia (SNG), switched camera angles and attempted to delay the audio as Dillian made his on-court tantrum. Dillian, who has headed McKenlan's basketball program since 2007, had to be escorted off the court by the team's assistant coaches and players.

During his rant, he reportedly yelled several expletives at LaNett, and called him a "stupid brown kid."

LaNett, a 21-year-old junior, appeared upset but remained calm during the episode, following a disappointing performance in which he made several turnovers, got into foul trouble, and scored just 6 points. He typically averages close to 20 points per game.

LaNett declined to speak with reporters in the locker room, and the school released a statement denouncing Dillian's comments and behaviour.

"We strongly condemn Coach Dillian's harmful actions and words tonight after the McKenlan-Canthorne game.  What Coach Dillian said was wrong, hurtful and unsportsmanlike. His behaviour was highly reprehensible and in direct contradiction to the values and code of conduct for both McKenlan University and the National Association of College Sport (NACS)," the statement read.

It continued, "We especially apologize to Antoine LaNett, who is a dedicated and celebrated player and student at McKenlan. We also apologize to the rest of the team and the fans who were offended by tonight's incident."

The statement also said school administrators will take "swift action" to resolve the incident. A spokesman for the NACS said the association would release a statement tomorrow.

Weather balloon crashes into Lamberth house, injures homeowner

LAMBERTH, Kalnier--In what officials are calling a "freak accident," a 59-year-old man was injured when he was struck by falling equipment from a weather balloon.

Just after 1 pm Eastern time, dispatch received a call from a neighbor, who heard the victim yelling for help.

Emergency crews responded to the home in north Lamberth, where they discovered a large piece of equipment had improperly detached from the balloon, fell through the roof of the house, and struck the man while he was sitting inside.

The man was taken to hospital with a deep gash to his leg. After receiving sixteen stitches, he was released.

The falling piece of equipment that was a recording box attached to a parachute, which did not deploy. The box weighs about ten pounds.

The National Weather Observancy Bureau (NWOB) is investigating why the balloon did not land properly. Officials say accidents involving falling debris are extremely rare and the victim was just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.