Sean Bielat: AWOL from Congressional Debates

Over the first few months of our campaign, we have noticed a distubring pattern:  While our campaign has been requesting debates high and low, from every conceivable organization, our opponent Sean Bielat has been avoiding them, just like he did in the 2010 primary against Norfolk's own Earl Sholley.  Frankly, this unprofessional conduct must come to an end. 

Therefore on Friday, we put out a press announcement publicly challenging Sean Bielat to debate, or explain why he won't.   appeared in the Attleboro-Seekonk Patch, featuring statements from both Sean Bielat's camp and from mine.

To recap, the writer-editor, Jonathan Friedman, correctly reported to his readers that we're eager to debate and we believe Sean Bielat is running away from the opportunity to articulate his positions to the people of the 4th District in anything other than the most controlled environments.  Sean Bielat's communications director, Sarah Rumph of Florida, said we were lying.

This simply is not true. 

I'm not out looking for a fight.  I'm more interested in wearing out shoe-leather walking the cities and towns of our beautiful 4th District and meeting and listening to people.  But down here in Fall River, when you call a man a liar when he's no such thing, then that's asking for a fight.

I immediately commissioned my campaign to draft a response to the charge, and I present it to you here.

FALL RIVER… Dr. David Steinhof has answered the charges from Sean Bielat’s camp that Dr. Steinhof, a man with unassailable integrity and a long history of strength of character which is known throughout the district, that he has lied about Mr. Bielat, a New York native, running away from debates.

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of this campaign is that I have met many wonderful people.  I have developed respect for my two opponents which is why I am confident Sean Bielat would not have used the word “lie” in response to our challenge for a debate.

“In, fact my opponent appears to be the victim of hyper-management.  My challenge was in fact answered by one of his lieutenants, Ms. Sarah Rumpf of Florida.

“I believe the problem is that he is being so hyper-managed that his camp will not allow him to enter a debate until the last possible moment, if at all. 

“As to Sean’s consideration for my supposed exclusion from Republican Town Committee debates, I respectfully request the name of these RTC’s so they can be exposed for a violation of ethics, and I may be included.

“The proof that it is Mr. Bielat, and not our campaign or other campaigns ducking the issue is plain to see:  wherever I go, and wherever Dr. Childs goes, we make it clear that we seek as many debates as possible.

“I truly don’t expect the Bielat camp to expose those RTC’s.  I do not believe they exist.  Certainly in any case, Sean’s out-of-state hired gun, Ms. Rumph, will find a way to hide the truth from the voters of the Commonwealth and the 4^th District.

“Our challenge was not meant to spur harsh feelings, simply improve competition.  In fact, the level of competition in the Republican Party may have spilled over to our Democratic opponent, Joe Kennedy III:  It’s been rumored that young Joe Kennedy is finally ready to take a stand on an issue.  Our sources reported that Joe will no longer accept anything less than union-labor-produced low-fat milk in his lattes, in the interest of fairness to unionized cows!”