Jay Inslee hides behind candidate forums - James Watkins, 1st District, Washington

This in from Watkins for Congress     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 
September 29, 2010
LYNNWOOD—Jay Inslee has continued to refuse to debate his opponent James Watkins. Pressured by the media last week, Inslee made a vague commitment to attend candidate forums which limit the engagement between candidates. Inslee has not committed to a single real debate with Watkins.


“This is just like comparing what he does in D.C. to what he tells voters back home,” says Watkins. “He’s telling the media one thing, but still avoiding the guy he’s allegedly going to debate.”


Watkins recalls Inslee’s "health care town halls" and sees the past repeating itself.


"Just like he did in the health care town halls, Inslee is hiding behind a fig leaf. He tried telephone town halls, and when that didn’t work he devised 'citizen' panels which asked only softball questions. Now he’s hiding behind the controlled formats of 'community forums' which do not have the give and take of full debates.”


The first candidate forum is scheduled for October 4. According to the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, each candidate will get a one-minute opening, two questions with one and a half minutes to answer and a two-minute closing.


When questioned by a Watkins supporter about Inslee’s intent to actually face a live audience, “Team Inslee” replied in an email, “The two candidates are planning to ‘man up’ at several forums and debates throughout the district during the next several weeks.”


Concerned about the dignity of the process, Watkins says, "Look – voters don’t want my volunteers following Inslee around in chicken outfits tooting duck calls just to get a debate. Voters want choices, and they want a real debate on the issues that matter most – jobs and government spending. Six minutes is a joke. Voters want to hear their candidates really debate the issues before the election. Instead, assuming Mr. Inslee actually attends, they’ll see a career politician trying to hide from his record.”


Watkins stands with 1st District voters in supporting good government principles of transparency, independence, and fiscal responsibility. Inslee voted for a budget with a $1.34 trillion deficit and watched as Boeing cut 30,000 jobs.


Watkins is the only candidate that has helped create new jobs and helped cut spending at the federal level. As an FDIC troubleshooter Watkins helped reduce federal spending at that agency. In the private sector he has helped small businesses in all fifty states produce thousands of jobs. For more information on James Watkins, visit http://www.watkinsforcongress.com/.
 
Christy Anderson
Watkins for Congress