By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A scheduling issue has forced Congressman Mike Michaud (D-Maine) to decline an invitation to participate in a proposed Oct. 17 televised debate in Aroostook County with Senate President Kevin Raye. LEADers Encouraging Aroostook Development, in partnership with WAGM-TV, had hoped to bring both a televised U.S. Senate and Congressional debate to Aroostook County this election season.
“We have planned a series of debates and candidate forums for both the statewide federal offices, as well as for local state legislature in October. The forums will focus on issues of significance to Aroostook County and the questions will come largely from voters in northernmost Maine,” said Jon McLaughlin, LEAD president. “Should circumstances change and schedules permit, we would gladly work with our partners at WAGM-TV and both candidate campaigns in the Second Congressional District to move forward with a debate to help County voters make a better informed decision Nov. 6.”
According to Dan Cashman, spokesman for the Michaud for Congress campaign, it’s impossible to honor all debate requests.
“For this election cycle, we’re doing more debates than we have in the last two election cycles,” said Cashman in a recent phone interview. “When you have requests for more than a dozen debates and limited time to do them, I unfortunately have to make decisions, and while it would be wonderful to be able to do every debate, that’s just not feasible when Congressman Michaud has responsibilities in Washington, D.C. to do what he’s asked to do in Congress and then be home to be a candidate, as well.
“It’s a tough, delicate balance, but at the end of the day, choices have to be made on the number of debates that can be done,” he said.
While having to decline LEAD’s invitation, Cashman said there are still four debates between Michaud and Raye in the coming weeks, with three of them being televised.
On Oct. 16, the candidates will meet for a lunchtime debate in Bangor hosted by the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. Televised debates will be held Oct. 18 (7 p.m. on WABI), Oct. 25 (8 p.m. on MPBN) and Oct. 30 (7:30 p.m. on WLBZ 2).
Cashman noted the MPBN debate will be on both television and radio, as well as online, and will be rebroadcast prior to the election.
Raye said in a statement that he was disappointed the local debate won’t occur.
“This invitation was the only opportunity for the people of Aroostook County to see and hear a televised debate between Congressman Michaud and me on issues of particular importance to residents of The County,” said Raye. “With jobs, small business and agriculture issues at the forefront of so many people’s minds in northern Maine, I hope that Congressman Michaud will reconsider and accept the invitation.”
Robert Caverly, Raye’s campaign manager, took a harsher stand against Michaud’s decision to decline the invitation.
“At the Democrats’ state convention in June, Congressman Michaud boldly proclaimed that he was proud of his record and would quote ‘defend it at any time, anywhere and any place’ but we now know that was just an empty statement he had no intention of honoring — unless he meant to add ‘except Aroostook County,’” said Caverly in a press release. “It is shocking that the congressman does not feel a discussion of Aroostook issues is a worthwhile use of his time. It is obvious he is nervous about trying to defend his zero rating on small business issues and abysmal 17 percent rating from the Farm Bureau as a party-line backbencher in Congress.”
Cashman reiterated the Second Congressional District incumbent isn’t “backing away” from the challenge.
“Between the four debates, that’s three-and-a-half hours of discussion time which is quite a bit of time,” he said. “Even the president is only doing three debates.”
