Schansberg and Hill Agree On Debate Format Compromise

"Contact:
Melanie Hughes
Campaign Manager, Schansberg for Congress
(502) 432-1930
SchansbergForCongress@gmail.com
www.SchansbergForCongress.com
or
Eric Schansberg
Libertarian Candidate
U.S. House, 9th District—IN
(812) 218-0443

September 7, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Schansberg glad that Hill accepts debate compromise; waiting on Sodrel

Dr. Eric Schansberg's debate proposal has been accepted by Baron Hill. But in response to a query about the proposal—by David Mann of the The (Jeffersonville) Evening News—Representative Sodrel's camp "declined to comment". Schansberg and Hill have both called on Sodrel to agree quickly, so the rest of the debate details can be arranged.

Under Schansberg's proposal, there would be three "single-issue" debates and a final open-format debate. Each of the three candidates would be allowed to choose the location of one debate and control its topic— including how narrowly or broadly "the topic" would be defined. The final debate could then be the one tentatively scheduled for November 1st in Jasper.

Schansberg said, "Sodrel and Hill both want the debates structured a certain way. I want to discuss Social Security reform and payroll taxes—an important issue that they mostly ignore, despite the terrific damage this causes to the working poor and the middle class. So, this proposal gives all of us something. Mr. Sodrel has said that he's quite willing to debate multiple times. This compromise seems like the best way to make that happen."

On the need to compromise when organizing debates, Schansberg said, "In Washington, we're told that principled stands are desirable but compromise is sometimes necessary. Presumably, our elected officials should be principled on important issues and compromise on non-essentials. Unfortunately, Sodrel has been willing to compromise on being a fiscal conservative. Hopefully, he won't combine that with a stubborn insistence on having every debate in his preferred format."

For more information, contact Eric Schansberg at (812) 218-0443, Melanie Hughes at (502) 432-1930, or send an email to SchansbergForCongress@gmail.com.

END"