The following is a press release from Jim Henley:
Rep. John Culberson has refused to debate challenger Jim Henley, a middle school debate teacher at Sidney Lanier middle school. Two weeks Henley invited Culberson to participate in a series six public debates prior to Election Day.
“I have always said I will debate my opponent anytime, anywhere” Henley said Thursday. “Culberson is afraid to debate a middle school debate teacher in public because his constituents are angry. They are angry about rail, I-10, immigration, and furious about his ties to Tom Delay.”
This summer the Rice University College Republicans and College Democrats invited the two congressional candidates to debate, and Culberson agreed on the condition that is was closed to both the public and press. The Henley campaign has always insisted on debates open to the public and media. Henley insists that open debate is essential to the democratic process.
“Closed to the public and the press”? Seriously? That’s not a debate, that’s a private conversation. Would Culberson prefer to invite Henley over for tea and crumpets? At least then he can be sure no undesireables can listen in on what he has to say.
Man. Between Culberson and John Carter, I have to ask: Why are these guys such scaredy cats?
UPDATE: Since the subject came up elsewhere, let me add the following: I have an email forwarded to me by Ryan Goodland, the president of the Rice Young Democrats, which came from his opposite number in the Rice College Republicans. In it, the CR president says that Culberson “agreed to an educational debate limited to a student audience.” He reiterates later an agreement to “a debate that is educational in nature and is limited to students and the student press.” Henley had actually not agreed to those terms (he wanted it open to the public; there was some miscommunication on that point), which leads to the present stalemate.
Given that a Rice Thresher reporter could have attended, this isn’t completely closed. But since you and I and Kristin Mack and 99.99% of the voters in CD07 couldn’t be there, it’s still basically a private conversation. Maybe a class lecture, given the “educational” stipulation.
Bottom line: Culberson refused a public debate. That’s all there is to it.
No, more smart cat (or rat) rather than scaredy cat, at least in the case of Culberson. I’m sure internal GOP polling shows Culberson at least 10 to 15% over Man of LaMancha Henley, so why risk it by saying something stupid (and if you have heard Culberson think out loud you know this is a real risk) in a debate.
Culberson has a tendancy towards mispeaking or “overspeaking”. In a statement following the retirement of Tom Delay, Culberson quoted Confederate General Stonewall Jackson saying, “The Democrats and the liberal media are targeting Tom DeLay for the same reason that Confederate General Stonewall Jackson always ordered his troops to shoot the brave ones first – because it will scare the others.”(http://www.culberson.house.gov/news.aspx?A=215). This is posted on his website.
He also has referred to the Civil War as the “War Between the States”. (Abrams Report Transcript 4/5/2005; http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=87940&keyword=&phrase=&contain=). Maybe its a good thing for Republicans that Culberson not debat in public or in front of press.