Voters hoping to size up the candidates in one of the nation’s marquee Senate races with a series of high-profile debates may be disappointed. Though Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, and Democrat Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday agreed to their first two primetime television debates, they are at loggerheads over the rest of the schedule, a sign of increasing acrimony in a race that could help determine control of the Senate.
Brown has said he wants three or four debates, but two of those would be low-profile radio appearances he has accepted. Added to those will be the two primetime television debates - one on WBZ-TV (Channel 4) with Jon Keller, and another sponsored by a consortium of Springfield media outlets.
Comments
Instead of war room strategies to speak to his own constituencies and avoid the general public, Sen Brown should finally face the fact that he represents all the people of Massachusetts. Up to this point he has managed to keep deeper scrutiny to a minimum. This does not serve the Commonwealth well. Further he should embrace the opportunity to let voters know what he supports. His latest vote to stop job discrimination for women puts the kibosh on his campaign slogan that he votes independently as a Republican. Massachusetts is the only state in the Union that has over 50% of its workforce college educated. Women make up at least half of that number and the time has come to make sure they receive the same income as men for the same job. He needs to explain his vote. When the rubber meets the road Scott Brown votes with Mitch McConnell to obstruct or dilute this President's agenda. It has not allowed attempts at improving economic conditions or broadened legitimate civil rights. If this is what his ideology tells him to do, he should be voted out of office.
There was a movie called RADIO; maybe Brown wants to star in the sequel? Senator Sidelines obviously likes his time on the sidelines. The two TV debates Brown agreed to will be at 2 am and 4 am on consecutive Sundays when everyone is at the beach.
If I were Scott Brown, I would avoid Elizabeth Warren like the plague. Are you serious? She is so much smarter on financial matters, bankruptcy, mortgages, credit card law, derivitaves, TARP, details of the stimulus package, the Fed, the banking industry, the entire financial sector, Wall St., the law, attending a state college, and deconstructing his votes. Big Oil, Big Money, votes against women, against, pay parity, against the middle class... what has he to gain? If I were Warren's camp, I would keep telling everyone how good-looking and accomplished he is, how he did so well in the Coakley debates and how wonderful a campaigner he is. Guaranteed he never read The Spider and The Fly. Brown has nothing to gain and everything to lose; that's why he will waffle on several debates just the way he put his finger-to-the-wind before he votes. "If, by now, you haven't realized that Scott Brown is lighter than air, you're not paying attention."
Since this campaign has set a standard a bit higher than those in the rest of the country, would it be too much to ask that the League of Women Voters host moderate and set up the format as an actual debate, with questions, answers, rebuttals etc. instead of a sound bite riddled stage act?