Politics: Schock says Callahan is confused
From a press release:
CALLAHAN CAMPAIGN CONFUSED
(PEORIA) Colleen Callahan’s campaign manager today sent out a press release saying, “As of today, the Schock campaign has officially committed to exactly zero debates.†That is a complete and total falsehood.
For clarification, Callahan’s campaign manager might want to check his own candidate’s web site where under the “events†section, there are three debate/forum’s scheduled in September that Aaron Schock has agreed to debate the issues with Colleen Callahan and Green Party nominee Sheldon Schafer:
9th or 11th — Stark-Marshall-Bureau Farm Bureau Breakfast Forum
10th – 18th — Congressional Candidate Forum — Peoria Chamber of Commerce/WMBD Radio
16th — Peoria Medical Society meeting (candidate forum)
Perhaps Callahan’s campaign manager doesn’t have proper communication with Callahan’s scheduler and doesn’t look at his campaign’s own web site, but their own web site contradicts the Callahan campaign’s claim in their press release today.
The fact of the matter is that Aaron Schock has agreed to ten candidate forum/debates, including a televised debate on a date in October yet to be determined, co-hosted by WEEK-TV, the Peoria Journal Star and the League of Women Voters.
“The Callahan campaign either is confused or is trying to mislead voters in order to get some attention in the media,†said Schock campaign manager Steven Shearer. “The real problem for the Callahan campaign is that they need Aaron Schock to draw a crowd for them and get publicity. The ten candidate forums/debates we have agreed to are more than three times what the Presidential candidates have agreed to.â€
“The Callahan campaign has failed to excite voters because the sum total of the Callahan campaign to date has been non-stop shrill and baseless attacks on Aaron Schock,†continued Shearer. “That turns people off and is the furthest thing from change.â€
Shearer concluded, “Today’s press release from Callahan’s campaign was downright false, contradicted by her own web site, and a typical publicity stunt to get media coverage for a failing campaign. If Colleen Callahan wants to call Aaron Schock a “chicken†for agreeing to debate the issues with Ms. Callahan 10 times, then she must think Barack Obama is a super-chicken because he has only agreed to three.â€
The following listing contains the ten candidate forums/debates that Aaron Schock has agreed to. Many have joint sponsors and will allow for debate on issues across-the-board. The sponsors are a diverse set of well-respected organizations that reflect the issues of concern in the 18th District. They include television and radio broadcasting. Just as he did in the primary, Aaron Schock will debate his opponents but he is not going to help Ms. Callahan orchestrate her campaign. She will have to do that on her own.
2008 General Election Callahan/Schafer/Schock Debates & Forums
8/18 Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau Family Picnic & Forum
Location: Fairway Hill Golf Club, Virginia, Illinois
Time: 5:30 pm
Contact: James Carleton, 217/245-68339/10 Peoria Chamber of Commerce & WMBD Radio Debate
Location: Hotel Pere Marquette, Peoria
Time: 7:30 am – 9:00 am
Contact: Terry Best, 309/495-59269/11 Stark, Bureau, Marshall & Putnam County Farm Bureaus’ Candidate Forum
Location: First Baptist Church, 111 Bonita Ave., Bradford, Illinois
Time: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Contact: Robin, 309/286-74819/14 Jewish Federation of Peoria Debate
Location: Embassy Suites, East Peoria
Time: 7:00 pm
Contact: Susan Katz, 309/689-00639/16 Peoria Medical Society Candidate’s Open Forum
Location: Barrack’s Cater Inn, Peoria
Time: 6:30 pm
Contact: Meg Williams, 309/692-119210/6 Peoria Retired Teachers Association Political Forum
Location: Barrack’s Cater Inn, Peoria
Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Contact: Herb Rieke, 309/243-588910/6 AARP Debate
Location: TBD in Peoria
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Contact: Ryan Gruenenfelder, 217/522-773510/7 World Affairs Council & the League of Women Voter’s Debate
Location: MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois
Time: TBD
Contact: Dave Truesdell, 217/245-228510/9 South-West Kiwanis Club Debate
Location: Radisson, West Peoria
Time: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Contact: Mike Champs, 309/691-6070The organizers of the following debate have not been set a date & time yet.
TBD WEEK, PJ Star & League of Women Voters Debate
Location: WEEK Studio
Time: TBD
Contact: Bruce Brown, 309/696-1105
August 26th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Boom. Done.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I see 8/18 on this list. That was last week, if my calender reading skills are up to snuff. Did he show for that one? Seriously, I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
PS…can Schock speak for himself or does he have his own Rovian character here?
August 26th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I can’t believe Colleen Callahan’s campaign made such a stupid mistake. They must be pretty disorganized to not know they had listings on their own website. Unfortunately her campaign reeks of amateurs. They are definitely not ready for the big leagues.
August 26th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
No doubt an apology will be forthcoming from the Callahan Campaign.
August 26th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
BJ Stone–what’s with the double standard? Callahan’s campaign manager spoke for her in her press release and Schock’s campaign manager responded in the Schock press release. But you fault Schock for not responding directly to Callahan’s campaign manager?
August 26th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Anon – they probably shouldn’t apologize until he shows up at one. Again, I’m still wondering if he showed up August 18th? If he DID, then they SHOULD apologize for their mistake.
Sentinel – No double standard. Colleen should do her own talking, too. But the press release in this post came from Schock’s campaign mangl..um, manager, hence my question.
But when you get down to it, Aaron Schock hasn’t done much of ANYTHING – except campaign for his next job – for about six years.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Maybe she’s been too busy arranging “going away” parties for Ray LaHood to pay much attention to her campaign staff.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Doogie cancelled out of last week’s debate at the last minute, no reason given.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Callahan’s “non stop shrill and baseless attacks on Aaron Schock” says the campaign manager. Shrill? That’s a sexist attack. Right out of Rove’s playbook. Callahan is anything but shrill. I challenge Schock to list one ’shrill’ attack from Callahan. And baseless? Give some examples.
The list above consists mainly of private forums, not debates. Here’s the difference: a forum is where candidates introduce themselves but do not question each other. Schock cancelled the Eureka College DEBATE.
Is he afraid to debate Callahan and Schafer? Apparently. He might be asked about nukes to Taiwan and other warlike statements he has made during the campaign. (See my blog, peoriastory.com for some of these statements.) He also won’t allow anyone to record or tape his appearances, again perhaps afraid.
So he is engaging in personal attacks to confuse the public. “Shrill?” That’s a sexist lie!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:49 am
He was at the Cass-Morgan forum so I’d recommend that you call the Farm Bureau to verify his attendance since you are obviously misinformed, Army of One. I even believe he stayed the entire duration of the event unlike Ms. Callahan, who left immediately after speaking.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Anytime her lips move.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Elaine, an example of a baseless attack is Callahan’s press release saying “Schock has agreed to exactly zero debates.” He has agreed to 10 and some are listed on her web site. How many DEBATES has Obama agreed to? To attack Schock for not debating when he has in fact agreed to 10 is by definition, shrill. Merriam Webster dictionary’s 3rd definition of shrill: 3 : STRIDENT , INTEMPERATE, EXCESSIVE
August 27th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
If that is true, she really should apologize to the Schock campaign. It would be the polite thing to do.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Let the FACTS be known…
While the “BoyWonder” tries to ride on the wave of the ‘W’ legacy (not that there’s much to brag about), the TRUTH is that he has cancelled -at the last moment- on several debates with Callahan and Schaefer.
Callahan is not confused; rather Aaron’s campaign is being dishonest. While Ms Callahan (with 30+ years of agri-business and communications experience) has agreed to the debates listed on her website, she has also shown a willingness to meet in forums/panel discussions/debates or any other format with Shock — but he continues to be unavailable.
Let the voters of the 18th district decide, by meeting the candidates face-to-face via a real discussion of the issues.
Instead, Shock has been too busy traveling to fundraisers everywhere BUT the 18th district – flying from DC to LA and briefly stopping in Peoria to have lunch with the most corrupt President in a generation.
Shock consistently shows more interest in raising money than in raising his voice and discussing issues right here in the 18th congressional district.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hi ANON… you’re correct – it would be the polite things to do, except that Callahan is not wrong.
August 29th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
[...] you can see on the list posted on your blog of the 10 debates Aaron Schock has agreed to do, there is one in October which the co-sponsors, [...]