Shuster ducks debate with Barr
Tony Barr is running against incumbent Rep. Bill Shuster for United States Congress. The voters will decide between these two in the Nov. 7 general election, when both candidates’ names will appear on the ballot. On July 3, 2006, Barr asked Mr. Shuster to meet him in a series of public debates so voters could compare the candidates and make their choice intelligently. Shuster answered (it was a live radio broadcast) that such debates were cheap publicity stunts. In a recent visit to Shuster’s office, a constituent asked Shuster to cooperate and debate. Again, the words “publicity stunt” came from our congressman’s denying mouth.
It’s not surprising that Tony Barr thinks it’s time for a change in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Shuster thinks things are going just find. Shuster defends our agonizing war in Iraq, and votes with the Bush administration virtually all of the time, like a rubber stamp. Barr thinks that’s a mistake.
I hope these two will get together and hold a joint public discussion, in debate format. Shuster doesn’t think the voters have a right to see such a thing happen.
What do you think? Is asking candidates to state their views in a debate a publicity stunt? Or is it the most efficient and fair way for voters to gauge how well each candidate would represent them?
Why is Shuster afraid to debate Tony Barr?
Bill Payne
Fayetteville