I just got the
Radnofsky campaign's newsletter and it looks like
Kay Bailey Hutchison is a little scared of debating. Here's the quote:
After going on record to the Dallas Morning News and Austin American-Statesman that she would debate, our opponent has refused to commit to the Sept. 29 debate in Dallas sponsored by the Dallas Women Lawyers Association. The Libertarian candidate has accepted. The debate begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Belo Mansion.
The Associated Press picked up on the story, and questioned Sen. Hutchison's staff about her schedule. Her spokesman excused Hutchison's absence claiming congress was in session, despite the fact that the Senate does not typically meet on Friday.
Sen. Hutchison's staff insisted that she would likely be unavailable, despite the fact that the editorial board interview with the Dallas Morning News is scheduled for the 29th, and that the paper has had a firm policy of requiring candidates seeking their endorsement to attend a joint interview.
Then it gets interesting. The Dallas Morning News, apparently thinks that encumbents don't have it easy enough, and aren't requiring a candidate to give a joint interview in order to receive their endorsement.
"Dear Ms. Radnofsky:
"As you know, we are looking forward to your interview with the Editorial Board. As we explained in our letter of invitation to you earlier this month, it was to be a joint interview.
"This email is a courtesy to alert you to a modification we have made to our candidate-interview process. Going forward in this election and in future elections, our candidate-interview policy will be:We ask all candidates in races we choose to recommend in to fill out questionnaires and sit for joint interviews. We do everything possible to demonstrate that these sessions will be fair, productive and professional - in the interests of both the candidates in communicating their views to us and to us in appropriately comparing/contrasting ideas and policies. They may, for example, choose to participate in the joint interview by phone if they wish.
"If the incumbent in either of the state's top-ticket races - US Senate and Governor - declines our invitation for a joint interview we will offer an individual board interview to that incumbent. We will afford the same courtesy to the challengers in the race, if requested.
"These are the only two races where such an exception will be made. The justification is that they are the very top-of-the-ticket races and this is somewhat consistent with the individual board interview courtesy we already extend to presidential candidates.
"Declining to participate in a joint interview is a factor in our recommendation, but it isn't an overwhelming factor or litmus test. Substantial weight, of course, is given to the composite of the person - a candidate's record, background, experience, performance, etc."
So Kay Bailey Hutchison thinks that she deserves to hold her Senate seat without debating Barbara Ann and the Dallas Morning News does everything in their power to confirm that it is so. Anybody else out there willing to make some noise about this? If so, write the paper and tell them how lame it is that they'll consider endorsing a politician who is unwilling to debate.