Minnesota's three remaining candidates for governor met face-to-face Friday night for the first time since Tuesday's primary in a very feisty televised debate that highlighted the messages each campaign hopes to solidify before November.
Appearing live on TPT's "Almanac," DFLer Mark Dayton, Republican Tom Emmer and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner jousted largely over taxes and jobs. With two DFL opponents now mere spectators of the race, Dayton and Emmer wasted no time hammering each other over their plans -- particularly regarding the state's $6 billion budget deficit.
"You're gonna put a target on the back of every business in this state," Emmer told Dayton, who has made taxing the rich a signature focus of his campaign. "We can't do this."
Emmer said streamlining government programs and encouraging businesses' growth are two key routes to resolving the state's budget crisis. Dayton insisted that Emmer's plan was overly vague and insufficient to tackle the deficit.
"Where is the 6 billion dollars in [revenues]? "Tell us where the 6 billion dollars in cuts are," Dayton said.
The hourlong discussion was packed with crosstalk and occasional interruptions from moderators Eric Eskola and Cathy Wurzer, who had a tough time restraining Dayton and Emmer from attacking each other's plans.
Horner, meanwhile, found himself in the middle of two warring partisan giants, and spent most of the discussion criticizing his opponents for their aggressive sparring.
"The bickering has got to stop," Horner said. "How can you guys possibly work together? How are you going to get anything done?"
