Word - Those wacky candidates

What they said

Never let it be said among diehard political supporters that the campaign season is dull, even when one candidate is 20 points down in the polls. There are always some licks to get in, and that’s what happened Oct. 12 in Perry’s Reeves Arena when the three gubernatorial candidates squared off in a debate.

“I challenge Gov. Perdue tonight in his home county of Houston to name one other Georgian who benefited from the $100,000 retroactive tax break that ... State Rep. Larry O’Neal provided. The people of Georgia are just beginning to understand that Gov. Perdue has sold the office of governor. Georgians demand that their governor maintain high ethical standards. ... Gov. Perdue looked after himself, cut his taxes by $100,000.”

-- Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor

“Lt. Gov. Taylor wanted to make accusations and charges. That’s not what we’re here for. I’m not sure what the people of Georgia will gain from him attacking me. ... It’s going to be one charge after the other. There’s no telling what will come from his mouth in the next few days, and that’s sad.”

-- Gov. Sonny Perdue

“There you go again.”

-- Garrett Hayes, Libertarian candidate for governor, channeling Ronald Reagan as he chastised Perdue and Taylor following a particularly volatile exchange between the two leading candidates