Here is a clip from the anticipated Rory Reid press release addressing Sandoval’s insistence yesterday that this week’s impromptu Q&A counted as one of their four debates:
Brian Sandoval Hiding Again
Republican candidate back to his pattern of dodging questions and ducking debates
Las Vegas, NV – Brian Sandoval ran back into hiding on the day after Rory Reid fired the first shot and went on the offensive during the first joint appearance by candidates for governor.
Today Brian Sandoval made a feeble case to the Associated Press that a three-question exchange – sparked by Rory on Wednesday – amounted to debate, one of four he claims his campaign had agreed to. That was a truly bizarre comment.
In truth, Rory has committed to 12 debates across Nevada. As of yesterday, Brian Sandoval has only publicly committed to one – an Aug. 29 debate at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.
It’s just another example of Brian Sandoval’s desperate attempts to avoid public scrutiny of his agenda to continue to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from 7- and 8-year-olds’ classrooms and lay off 1-in-5 Nevada teachers.
“It’s ridiculous to claim that three questions in front of closed audience of 200 is in any way the same as a full, stand-up debate in front of the voters of Nevada,” said Mike Trask, press secretary for Rory 2010. “Rory has agreed to 12 debates across the state, because Nevadans deserve to know where the candidates stand on the issues. Brian Sandoval is just crying because he finally had to answer some tough questions yesterday.”
Sandoval was no doubt annoyed with Rory’s stunt, but it is doubtful the man with the double-digit lead in the polls is “crying” about it.
That said, will he buckle under the press release pressure and agree to participate in four full debates after all? Or will he really insist that he is going to appear on stage with Rory only three more times between now and November? As long as Sandoval remains ahead by a wide margin, he probably reasons that less is more.