Tag: debates

Cross posted at Blue Jersey.

Dear Rep. Smith:

It’s been over a month since I first invited you to join me in a series of public debates or forums so that we can provide the voters in New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District an opportunity to weigh their electoral options.  

Over the past six weeks my campaign has placed phone calls to your office and issued public statements inviting you to debate.  As a show of good will, I also sent a personal letter to your attention, along with a copy of Allen Guelzo’s fine new book on the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858.  Disappointingly, we have received no response from you or your staff.  

Among your colleagues, you stand out for your consistent refusal to debate your opponents.  Barack Obama and John McCain are debating each other on Friday.  Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are scheduled to debate next month.  Frank Lautenberg and Dick Zimmer will soon debate (and, along those lines, Rob Andrews and Frank Lautenberg debated last spring).  John Adler and Chris Myers have debated twice, and Linda Stender and Leonard Lance have already debated each other once. But you have not publicly debated an opponent in almost twenty years.  Your refusal to engage in the electoral process suggests a fundamental disrespect for the citizens of Central Jersey, who deserve much more from their candidates.

As you know, our economy is in a deep crisis. This week in Congress, you are weighing the merits of the $700 billion bailout proposed by the Bush Administration. Once Congress recesses over the next few days, we should honor the voters of the Fourth Congressional District with a vibrant debate on the future of our country.  Now more than ever, it is crucial that the voters know where their candidates stand on the issues facing our nation.  The stakes are simply too high for continued debate-dodging.

I have reserved space and time at the public libraries in Brick and Hamilton. I originally planned to use these venues to stage town-hall meetings to discuss our troubled economy. But given the seriousness of the issues facing our country, I would like to invite you to hold joint appearances at both locations. Of course, we would agree to turn the program over to an impartial, third-party group.  My campaign has already been contacted by Veterans4Education, a nonpartisan group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans currently studying at New Jersey colleges and universities.  They sponsored a fine debate in the 3rd District and have invited us to participate in a similar forum.  With your agreement, I would invite Veterans4Education to assume responsibility for one of our joint appearances.  If any group deserves to press its candidates on the issues, it is Veterans4Education.  I hope you will join me in showing them the respect they have earned in service of our country.

We have reserved the following dates and venues:

Brick Branch Library: October 9th, 6PM

Hamilton Public Library October 23rd, 7PM

If these dates do not fit into your schedule, I am happy to accommodate your calendar.

It should be noted neither of these libraries is sponsoring a debate. Rater, they have offered to provide free meeting space.  

Sincerely,

Joshua Zeitz  

Date Set for Fourth Boccieri-Schuring Debate

Schuring, Canton Chamber of Commerce Reject Additional Forums

Both 16th District congressional candidates have agreed to a fourth debate before the November election. This discussion will take place live on the WHBC radio show “Points to Ponder” on October 15.

Unfortunately, Sen. Kirk Schuring has refused a debate proposed by the AARP that was to take place at Stark State College of Technology. Sen. John Boccieri had agreed to this debate, but the AARP has canceled the event after Schuring rejected their offer.

Senator Major John Boccieri(D-Alliance) responded to the news as follows:

“It’s unfortunate that Senator Schuring refused to participate in an open discussion about the issues facing our seniors in this election. Social Security, pension protections, and the cost of health care and prescription drugs are vital concerns that the next Congress will have to address, and it’s disheartening that Senator Schuring is unwilling to do so.”

Don Singer, a representative of the Boccieri campaign, also responded to the Canton Chamber of Commerce’s cancellation of a debate that both candidates were willing to participate in:

“After much progress, I’m disappointed that the Chamber of Commerce suddenly closed the door on negotiations despite Senator Boccieri’s willingness to debate the candidate they had just endorsed.”

What gives? The Canton Chamber of Commerce endorses Schuring, plans a debate, but as soon as John Boccieri accepts they pull the plug? I might be wrong, but this just doesn’t pass “the smell test”. As for the AARP debate, I think we covered that here.

Cross-posted at Blue Jersey.

Josh Zeitz, the Democratic nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s 4th Congressional district, today challenged Rep. Chris Smith to four public debates.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates, Zeitz asked Smith to join him at one public debate in each of the fourth district’s counties: Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean. During their campaign for the U.S. Senate from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated in each of Illinois’s nine congressional districts.

As a sign of respect, Zeitz mailed a personal debate invitation to Smith’s home, along with a copy of a book on the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Here’s what Josh had to say:

“The rising cost of food, gas, health care, and education is hurting many working families,” wrote Zeitz. “People have a right to know how each of us proposes to address these grave problems, and they have a right to challenge us in a public forum.”

“I can think of no better way for us to honor the anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates than by providing the residents of New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District a similar opportunity to see their candidates engage in a vigorous but respectful exchange of ideas.”

“While neither of us would presume to walk in the footsteps of these two giants, let’s agree to honor their memory — and to honor our neighbors in Central Jersey – by debating in Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington, and Mercer Counties.”

The campaign is entering a critical phase and we need your support. You can contribute at Josh’s ActBlue page. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact ian_at_joshzeitz_dot_com. Please visit Josh’s website to learn more about why we need to elect Josh to Congress.

If any of you, in particular those from the Garden State, have specific things you’d like to suggest Josh focus on in the debate, feel free to email ian_at_joshzeitz_dot_com and I’ll pass them along. No guarantees of course, but Josh and the campaign want to hear your thoughts.