Governor Howard Dean and Tony Blankley, two former presidential press secretaries, engaged in a debate on the 2004 Presidential election at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on October 13, 2004. The debate was held in the Meridian Ballroom of the Morris University Center at 7:30 pm and was sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council, WSIE, The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, and the National Endowment for the Arts.