Incumbent Wants to Hide His Record, Still Hasn’t Agreed to Debates

Washington Liberals Can Run, But They Can’t Hide

Dallas, PA – Twenty days after Republican Chris Hackett publicly challenged Congressman Chris Carney to a series of eight debates starting in August, Carney stubbornly continues to stonewall discussion regarding a debate schedule.  Refusing offers from local TV stations, Carney’s campaign has created unnecessary and unwarranted roadblocks in the path to public debates.  Just recently, the Hackett campaigned accepted an offer from Lackawanna County’s League of Women Voters to debate on October 21 at Keystone College in La Plume.  Discussions cannot move forward until Carney’s camp responds.  This follows repeated efforts by local ABC and NBC affiliated-TV stations and other 10^th Congressional District county organizations to get Carney to agree to debates, with no success.   

Hackett, disappointed in Carney’s continual refusal to debate, stated “I thank the Lackawanna County League of Women Voters for their generous offer to host a debate.  This is an excellent example of the public participating in the political sphere.  Debates are an essential part of the political education process.  It’s really a shame that Chris Carney shows such a lack of respect for voters.”

Hackett campaign spokesperson Mark Harris added, “It’s obvious what Chris Carney is trying to do: run lots of TV ads that mislead voters about his massively liberal record in Washington, and then refuse debates back home that would expose that record.  It’s a typical political move, but it won’t work this time.  We will continue to seek a series of debates, and Carney will have a choice of either owning up to his liberal record, or continuing to stonewall local TV stations, the League of Women Voters, and most importantly, the citizens of our district.  Liberals can run, but they can’t hide.”

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