Reagan Library, city prepare for round two of GOP presidential debates
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers FINAL PREPARATIONS- Entertainment lighting services tech Benjamin McAdoo inspects a group of cables on Thursday inside the Ronald Reagan Library's Air Force One Pavilion, which next Wednesday will play host to the final GOP debate before Super Tuesday. The participants will be Republican presidential candidates John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul.

Five Republican candidates will be back in Simi Valley next week when they face off at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the final GOP debate before the "Super Tuesday" primary on Feb. 5.

Former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S.Rep. Ron Paul of Texas will participate in the Jan. 30 debate, which is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. in front of a live audience at the Air Force One Pavilion.

According to Melissa Giller, communications director for the Reagan Library, media partner CNN has been working in the pavilion since Monday to build new temporary staging that will allow Air Force One to be the backdrop of the debate.

"The other nice thing is that now we only have five candidates in a 90minute debate," Giller said. "Last time, we had 10 candidates, and that made it much harder to really get into the issues. Their answers had to be short and very succinct. This time, CNN will be able to ask the really important questions."

Wednesday's event will be the second GOP debate to take place at the Reagan Library during the current campaign cycle. The first debate, which took place last May, left city officials pleased with the various benefits that resulted from the event, such as a shortterm economic boom and the favorable portrayal of Simi Valley through the media.

Mayor Paul Miller, who will be attending the debate again, said he hopes it will impact the city similarly.

"It created a lot of nationwide interest last time, and it was just good publicity for our city," Miller said. "Everybody's really interested in both parties' debates. It's an interesting election this year. . . . Who knows how it'll turn out?"

Miller said the Simi Valley Police Department will once again be supplying security for the event, although they do not anticipate having any significant incidents.

"There were no problems last time, and we don't think there'll be any this time either," he said. "But we're always prepared."

The Reagan Library will be closed to the public on the day of the event, and admittance to the debate is by invitation-only.

Full live coverage of the debate will be available on CNN cable, cnn.com, latimes.com and politico.com.