Politics: Schock campaign defends decision to not attend debate
I received the following email responses from Steven Shearer, State Rep. Aaron Schock’s campaign manager, to information that Schock will not attend the Peoria Area World Affairs Council debate next month. Callahan has criticized Schock for not agreeing to debates in the race for Congress from the 18th District. The response:
Aaron Schock and his campaign never committed to this proposed World Affairs Council debate in Peoria in the first place. Aaron has agreed to do a World Affairs Council debate in Jacksonville. He already did one for the Peoria World Affairs Council in the primary which was broadcast on radio.
As 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, WEEK-TV, the Journal Star and the League of Women Voters, are still working out the date for. This will be held in WEEK’s studios and broadcast live on television. WEEK has a very large viewership in the 18th Congressional District, so it is false that Aaron Schock is not willing to debate in a televised debate.
He will also participate in the Peoria Chamber and WMBD’s debate which will be broadcast on WMBD radio.
There will be both a televised and a radio broadcast debate. Aaron Schock has agreed to 10 debates, which is a level not many congressional campaigns do. They will be held by diverse organizations that are each well respected; several of the debates have multiple organizations co-hosting the event; they are spread out among the district, and one will be televised and one will be broadcasted on radio. All in all, we feel the line up Aaron Schock has agreed to will allow for a thorough airing of the candidates views on subjects across-the-board. Colleen Callahan can disagree all she wants as to what Aaron Schock should do but she is running her campaign, not this one. Most objective observers will agree that ten debates are a solid commitment.
Debates are an important component of a congressional campaign but not the only component by far. Again, there will only be three presidential debates because Barack Obama has only agreed to three.
Colleen Callahan needs to make the most of these 10 debates and figure out on her own how else she will take her message to the voters. Aaron Schock is not going to walk her hand in hand throughout the district, taking up one third of the evenings left in the campaign.
The Callahan campaign’s first press release on the subject of debates wrongly said “Schock has agreed to exactly zero debates.” That point was proved flat out wrong. Now, when given ten separate opportunities to debate, Callahan and her campaign clings to another false notion that Schock pulled out of a debate. The bottom line is that she has ten opportunities to debate Aaron Schock, including both a televised and radio broadcast debate.
The Callahan campaign has said the “debates” to which Shearer refers are actually forums and joint appearances, and not true debates in which candidates take turns answering questions. Many commenters have expressed similar sentiments. In the interest of fairness, I asked Shearer to respond:
They all have either questions from the audience which each candidate will answer, or a moderator or panel asking questions. Debate rebuttals will be included in at least the formats of the: WEEK-TV/Journal Star/League of Women Voters televised debate; the Peoria Chamber of Commerce/WMBD Radio debate broadcast on radio; the Jewish Federation of Peoria Debate; the World Affairs Council and League of Women Voters debate in Jacksonville; and the Southwest Kiwanis Debate. AARP has not yet determined its format. Each of the ten events will allow for a side by side comparison of the candidates on the issues.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
now will ya shuddup already
August 30th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Doesn’t matter how many debates he AGREES to attend… only matters how many he ACTUALLY DOES attend… and weather you call it a debate, forum, panel, he did it again yesterday – in spite of having previously agreed to do it (PAWAC).
August 30th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
What is more important than joint appearances that are open to the public, so voters can accurately judge the candidates?
Guess Schock is too lazy or intimidated to bother with these, preferring instead closed meetings with select groups, with only a few reaching the public through broadcasts.
Apparently he prefers TV ads, spin, and of course he has plenty of money for these.
And once again his campaign offers a condescending and sexist comment: “Aaron Schock is not going to walk her hand in hand throughout the district, taking up one third of the evenings left in the campaign” as if Callahan is a little girl instead of a woman old enough to be his mother.
She should take him by the hand and march him into more debates! And give him a lecture about treating his opponents in a civil manner, as well.
August 30th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Elaine that was your spin, not his words. There was nothing sexist about his remarks. You throw that word around way too liberally, to the point that any further VALID claims of sexism may be discounted in the public eye. Further, the incivility and vitriol you complain about is not originating from the Schock campaign.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:02 pm
My parents from Peoria will be voting in the 18th District in November, and as such I have some questions for Mr. Schock. Not for his campaign manager, but for Mr. Schock himself:
1. Where does you stand on gay rights, family values, and the gay marriage amendment? (I’ve never seen anywhere where he has stated an opinion.
2. Where does you stand on a property tax exemption for disabled veterans? (Schock did not vote)
3. I want to hear why you voted “no” on stem cell research? (HB 138)
4. I want to hear why you voted “no” on taking away an individual’s FOID card if that individual’s minor child had possession of a parent’s gun more than two times unapproved? (HB 5191)
5. I want to hear why you voted “no” on a bill that requiresd Illinois electric suppliers to grant consumers an electricity relief package? (SB 1592)
I know your position on Ethanol and E85. Right now, it’s the one issue I do agree with you on, if indeed your position is the same as it was down in Jacksonville back in January of this year.
Thanks in advance for the response.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Biilie;
Re: “Aaron Schock and his campaign never committed”…
OK, no argument from me on that point.
Re: “you can see on the list posted on your blog of the 10 debates Aaron Schock has agreed to do”…
Better grab a dictionary, and read the difference in definition between DEBATE vs FORUM.
If it’s all just semantics, why do I never hear historians talk about the great Lincoln-Douglas “forums” ??
Re: “In the interest of fairness, I asked Shearer to respond…”
Why did you ask Shearer to respond?? Can’t A-ron speak for himself???
September 5th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Ginny: I have Mr. Shearer’s email address. I don’t have Rep. Schock’s.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:13 am
And isn’t that convenient that a law-maker who gets paid by OUR state taxes doesn’t make his e-mail address available to you?
Besides Billie, last century we had this amazing new invention, called “telephone” — look into it.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Jeez Ginny, if you want the answer get it yourself. Its not like Billy draws a full time salary from this blog so that he can meet the demands of all the posters. “Look into it” yourself if you want the answer so damned bad.
So many people want to whine and complain, but so few want to actually do something about it…
September 5th, 2008 at 12:29 am
…and thus, are Liberals. According to whiny Republicans who expect the market to carry the country while the government does nothing to break its fall. Am I warm? In the ballpark?
September 5th, 2008 at 12:35 am
EleventhBRAVO:
Well then… Billie should not try to pass himself as the almighty, all-knowing Peorian.
As for looking-up Shock’s info… OK, will do:
741 W. Main St.
Peoria, IL 61606
309.672.9292
(Of course, don’t bother calling this taxpayer-supported legislator, because you’ll rarely ever get him to return constituent calls, anyway.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Ginny: Several things you need to be consider:
1. You are new here, relatively speaking, so you aren’t aware that I’m not exactly a huge fan of Aaron Schock, and the feeling is mutual. It isn’t so much about his politics. It’s that I think he’s too young and inexperienced for the job he’s applying for. I think he was just beginning to grow into his job in the state legislature. So, if you are under the impression I am somehow defending Rep. Schock, you are mistaken.
2. Like other state legislators, he can be reached via the “contact your legislator” feature on the state of Illinois Website. I find that process cumbersome and don’t use it.
3. No one is obligated to supply me with his or her email address. I’m pretty familiar with the 1st Amendment and related court decisions, and I’m pretty sure that there’s no right for the press to have anyone’s email address. Steve Shearer has been kind enough to add me to his client’s mailing list, and I appreciate his having done so.
4. Most of the original reporting I do here is via email (it’s a huge time saver) or by direct observation. For the most part, I leave the day-in- day-out beat reporting to the full-time journalists in Peoria media. I am a citizen-journalist, which means I do this part-time. Sometimes I do some reporting. But not often. The rest of the time, I opine about what I read. In other words, I’m like most other bloggers.
5. I’ve noticed at least twice you’ve called me “Billie.” Please refrain from doing so.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Dennis: So noted; Gracias’.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:46 am
its 11 (E-L-E-V-E-N) Bravo, and if you don’t like how Billy handles the site then don’t visit it. I am sure it won’t bother him too much, nor anyone else for that matter. He provides a service to the Peoria area and a lot of us actually appreciate the time he has spent doing so. If you don’t agree with him that’s one thing, but to insult him for managing his blog the way he chooses is out of line.
October 24th, 2008 at 1:19 am
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