From the Tom Perriello Campaign:
DebateGate - Day 6 - "Duck, Duck, Goode" Officially Blows Off Televised Debate
Perriello to Hold Press Conferences Outside NBC 29 and ABC 13 Studios
October 6, 2008—Ivy, VA—Rep. Virgil Goode has blown off NBC 29 and ABC 13, saying that he will not reschedule a televised debate that has been on the calendar for six months and that he unexpectedly pulled out from last week. NBC 29 confirms that Tucker Watkins, Goode's campaign manager, had made a commitment to debate. The event that Rep. Goode has deemed more important is a fundraiser.
Tom Perriello will hold press conferences in front of both television studios to condemn Goode's dishonorable and irresponsible action.
NBC 29 Studios
When: 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7 - the original time of the scheduled debate
Where: 503 E. Market Street, Charlottesville, VA
ABC 13 Studios
When: 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8
Where: 2320 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, VA
The most damning part of this is not that he has confirmed he has gone back on his word to debate. It is the fact that NBC29 confirmed that Tucker Watkins made the arrangements for the debate, contrary to what both Goode and Watkins had claimed earlier.
I sense a growing feeling of panic in the Goode camp, as their recent actions have proven. Virgil Goode does not want to face the public, his constituents, or the press. He is afraid that he will be shown as being the intellectual lightweight and pandering career politician that he really is. One can hope.
He seems to be running scared. Maybe if he gets scared enough, he will actually agree to a debate with Tom Perriello, our fine Democratic candidate.