Barbour, Eaves had rules demands for debate

The Sun Herald, 9/19/7

It’s on. But before the two gubernatorial camps would agree to Thursday night’s debate, organizers spent more than a month hammering out details, demands and rules.

For starters, incumbent Gov. Haley Barbour required that challenger John Arthur Eaves Jr. stand to his right on the Saenger Theatre stage, because Barbour hears better with his right ear.

Eaves initially wanted to cut out the middleman and grill the governor one on one. Barbour’s camp wouldn’t agree to it.

The two sides eventually settled on guidelines from the 2004 presidential debates.