JACK KINGSTON CANCELS TWO DEBATES

By R.A. Pearson

Jack Kingston, the eight term Congressman from Georgia’s First District who originally ran on term limits, has canceled the two remaining debates he had scheduled with his Democratic opponent Bill Gillespie. The debates were due to be held on October 17th and 26th. Georgia’s First Congressional District runs along the coast of Georgia from Chatham County to Camden County and includes Glynn County.

After a rather poor showing in the first debate held on October 9th held on the Brunswick News Channel, Kingston canceled the next two debates due to be held at Savannah State University and The Atlanta Press Club. The Atlanta Press Club debate was to be broadcast on Georgia Public Television.

The Gillespie campaign indicated in a press release, “This (canceling the debates) is so unfortunate given our national, state and district issues. Where is the leadership? Kingston "the 16 year incumbent," owes his constituents answers. This is totally unacceptable. We will try every major news outlet to rectify this cheapening of our democracy. I am willing to address the issues any time and any place. We need this prior to November 4th.”

Here at the Clarion Issue we would have liked to have seen Mr. Kingston and Lt. Col. Gillespie together to answer tough questions on the economy, the Wall St. bailout, the national deficit, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, foreign policy, and other issues facing our nation. Mr. Kingston had time to make a few chippy political commercials but bailing on debates after being taken to the woodshed during round one is like throwing in the towel after a bad first round during a boxing match or forfeiting the World Series because you lost seven to one in the first game. No one does that unless ‘they ain’t got no game.’ Kingston must feel real safe in this ‘safe’ First District in costal Georgia.

However, Americans are getting tired of the Republican Party hiding from the real people they are supposed to answer to and represent. The days of the eight-second sound bites and the easy “foxtrots” on the FOX propaganda network with Sean Hanity style softball questions are over as Americans see home values crumbling, their savings cut in half, and our young soldiers nation building and dying in parts of the world where Jeffersonian democracy remains a dream of individuals who believe they can export democracy to parts of the world reluctant to accept it.

Lt. Col. Gillespie’s platform and biography can be found a few article entries down in this blog. Please read it then visit his web site; especially since we can’t see any more Kingston v Gillespie debates.

His web site can be found at www.BillForGeorgia.com .

Editorial Addendum: Jack Kingston did finnaly attend the October 26th debate broadcast on Ga. Public Television and Radio; however, this was after the fact he had announced he would not show up had been printed in various newspapers and internet sources around the state. The number of costal Georgians who missed the debate due to Kingston’s actions will never be known.