Sept. 30, 2006
 
Editorial: Public Officials Owe Us Debates
 
Suddenly, it appears that the entire Democratic Party delegation from West Virginia to the U.S. Congress has contracted laryngitis. First, U.S. Senator Robert Byrd has refused to debate his Republican opponent, John Raese. This is odd coming from a man who has engaged in lengthy filibusters over the years. Byrd likes to debate!
 
Then we have a more local situation of the same stripe, namely Congressman Nick Joe Rahall refusing to debate his Republican opponent, Cabell County Sheriff Kim Wolfe. Again, Rahall is hardly a shrinking violet. So what gives?
 
In politics, there is only one reason for inexplicable behavior by a given candidate -- or in this case, a given political party. That reason is that, if it would go worse for the candidate to do something than NOT to do something, then the candidate is advised not to do it.
 
So how do we make a candidate engage in the most minimally responsible behavior and debate the issues with his opponent? How do we get to inspect the goods before purchasing them for another two or six years?
 
Unfortunately, we cannot depend on the conscience and sense of civic duty of the candidate involved. We have to be their conscience for them.
 
We have to make some noise, letting pollsters, the media, and the candidates themselves know that refusing to debate before the public is both unacceptable and un-American.
 
Here are the phone numbers for U.S. Senator Robert Byrd's office and Congressman Nick Joe Rahall's office. We give you their business offices' phone numbers, not their campaign offices' numbers, because it is their duty as our elected representatives to debate the issues fully before their constituents every election season.
 
Remind them that they serve you, the voter, with your phone call. Tell them you want them to debate the issues and act like leaders--for a change:
 
Senator Byrd's offices: (202) 224-3954 (Washington, D.C.)
 
(304) 342-5855 (Charleston)
 
Congressman Rahall's offices: (202) 225-3452 (Washington, D.C.)
 
(304) 522-6425 (Huntington)