Why Roskam - Coolidge debates important
Its been 33 days since Leslie Coolidge challenged IL 6th District Congressman Peter Roskam to a series of town hall style debates with no response and just 50 days to go till election day.
It's not Leslie Coolidge who is being cheated out of a chance to discuss the vital issues with Congressman Roskam, its the 700,000 IL 6th District residents. Also cheated is the democratic process, which has used face to face debates to make more informed voting decisions since the Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas Senate debates 154 years ago. Interestingly, those debates, which introduced the American public to the brilliant mind and generous spirit of Honest Abe, occurred right here in Illinois and showcased the first future Republican president. I wonder if Illinois Republican Peter Roskam considers the irony of an Illinois Republican denigrating the state and the man responsible for those historic first debates.
These debates are needed infinitely more now than in 1858 because fabulously rich corporate interests weren't around then to insulate the incumbent, in that case Senator Stephen Douglas, from avoiding a competitive race. In his last re-election race in 2010, Roskam raised $2,243,451, much of it from the big money boys, compared to just $60,066 for Ben Lowe, who proudly refused even a dollar from those same fat cats. Does that disparity fuel Roskam's disdain for debates which are the only hope the voters have to judge these candidates on a level playing field?
Douglas went on the defeat Lincoln after those seven debates in 1858 but he lost to Lincoln when it really mattered, the Presidential election of 1860. By then, Lincoln's emergence upon the national scene from the eloquence and wisdom and humor he displayed in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton enabled him to vault ahead of Douglas into the Presidency. Arguably, without the Lincoln-Douglas debates, there may not have been The Great Emancipator.
Congressman Roskam needs to emerge from the shadows of wealthy special interests and corporate clout to discuss the issues straight up. Every concerned citizen, Republican, Democrat, Green, Socialist, independent or other, should call Roskam's campaign office at 630-221-0006 and ask when those IL 6th District debates will take place.
It's not Leslie Coolidge who is being cheated out of a chance to discuss the vital issues with Congressman Roskam, its the 700,000 IL 6th District residents. Also cheated is the democratic process, which has used face to face debates to make more informed voting decisions since the Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas Senate debates 154 years ago. Interestingly, those debates, which introduced the American public to the brilliant mind and generous spirit of Honest Abe, occurred right here in Illinois and showcased the first future Republican president. I wonder if Illinois Republican Peter Roskam considers the irony of an Illinois Republican denigrating the state and the man responsible for those historic first debates.
These debates are needed infinitely more now than in 1858 because fabulously rich corporate interests weren't around then to insulate the incumbent, in that case Senator Stephen Douglas, from avoiding a competitive race. In his last re-election race in 2010, Roskam raised $2,243,451, much of it from the big money boys, compared to just $60,066 for Ben Lowe, who proudly refused even a dollar from those same fat cats. Does that disparity fuel Roskam's disdain for debates which are the only hope the voters have to judge these candidates on a level playing field?
Douglas went on the defeat Lincoln after those seven debates in 1858 but he lost to Lincoln when it really mattered, the Presidential election of 1860. By then, Lincoln's emergence upon the national scene from the eloquence and wisdom and humor he displayed in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton enabled him to vault ahead of Douglas into the Presidency. Arguably, without the Lincoln-Douglas debates, there may not have been The Great Emancipator.
Congressman Roskam needs to emerge from the shadows of wealthy special interests and corporate clout to discuss the issues straight up. Every concerned citizen, Republican, Democrat, Green, Socialist, independent or other, should call Roskam's campaign office at 630-221-0006 and ask when those IL 6th District debates will take place.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 4:10 PM
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