Attorney General candidates attack their own techniques
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Attorney General candidates attack their own techniques

Date: September 11, 2008
By: Jack Cunningham
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: The two candidates running for Missouri Attorney General denounced political robo-call at their first face-to face debate in Columbia Thursday, but used it in their campaigns.

Jack Cunningham has more to report from the State Capitol.

RunTime:0:47 OutCue: SOC

Harrisonville Democratic Senator Chris Koster and St. Louis County Republican Senator Mike Gibbons met face-to-face for the first time and slammed political robo-calling but admitted to robo-calling for campaigns.

Senator Koster defended his use of automated phone calls by arguing he only used them to clear his name whereas Senator Gibbons used robo-calls to publicize committee meetings.

 

Actuality:  GIBBONS3.WAV
Run Time: 00:14
Description: The volume of calls is unbelievable and I think robo-calls, is a federal problem if they are anonymous.  They are offensive and drive people nuts and if you eliminate them by statute, then it is a level playing field for all people and I think that needs to happen.

Koster said he would agree to a truce but Gibbons said it will have to amount to legislature to end robo-calling.

Reporting from Jefferson City, I'm Jack Cunningham.

Intro: The candidates for Missouri Attorney General do not agree with their own use of robo-calling.

Jack Cunningham has more to report from the State Capitol. 

RunTime:0:42
OutCue: SOC

The Missouri Attorney General candidates want to expand Attorney General Jay Nixon's no-call list to include political robo-calls.

Harrisonville Democratic Senator Chris Koster and St. Louis County Republican Senator Mike Gibbons agreed on many issues, including robo-calls, at their first face-to-face debate in Columbia.

 

Actuality:  KOSTER1.WAV
Run Time: 00:13
Description: At least we should demand that political disclaimers paid for by so-and-so be included in these calls because what we're seeing now, increasingly, are hit pieces.  If they weren't in the political world, they would be considered libelous or slanderous.


In spite of their attacks on robo-calls, both candidates admitted they used automated calls during the primary elections.

Reporting from Jefferson ity, I'm Jack Cunningham.