Plans for 7th District debates unsettled, despite proposals

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August 28, 2010

By Susan Redden Globe Staff Writer The Joplin Globe Sat Aug 28, 2010, 11:33 PM CDT

JOPLIN, Mo. — Scott Eckersley said he’ll start a series of campaign stops this week, but the schedule won’t include debates with Billy Long.

Eckersley, Democratic candidate for Congress from Missouri’s 7th District, said debate invitations from him and others have been refused by Long, the GOP nominee for the post now held by Roy Blunt.

“I’m going ahead without him, but I’ve invited him to join me at any time if he reconsiders his decision not to debate,” Eckersley said Friday.

The Democrat’s campaign had proposed a series of debates to take place on the steps of every county courthouse in the 7th District. A spokesman for the Long campaign agreed to the debates, but said details would have to be worked out.

Long is willing to debate but is not interested in debating at county courthouses, as Eckersley has proposed, Jason Klindt said Friday.

“We met with their campaign and tried to come up with a debate schedule, but they only wanted the courthouse debates. We currently are looking for venues and locations for debates that make sense for voters and the campaign,” he said.

Klindt said the Long campaign intends to offer a debate plan to Eckersley, adding “whether they accept it or not will be up to them.”

He acknowledged that several news organizations and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce had offered to help set up debates between the two candidates.

“They have expressed an interest, and we’re looking at those options but can’t comment on one or the other,” Klindt said.

He noted that Long and Eckersley were involved in three candidate forums before the Aug. 3 primary election. Most of the exchanges, however, involved the eight candidates seeking the Republican nomination.

“Billy’s already debated 17 times, including three times with Scott on stage,” Klindt said.

Eckersley has said part of his goal is to take the campaign into all the counties, including the smaller communities in the 7th District, to meet residents there and to take questions from them and from representatives of newspapers and media outlets in smaller towns.

“Many times, they get ignored,” he said.

He said the campaign will be at the Barry County Courthouse on the square in Cassville at noon Tuesday, and will canvass city centers and business districts in Cassville and Monett throughout the day. Stops will include a gathering at the Monett Chamber of Commerce at 3 p.m. and at Mocha Jo’s, 404 Broadway, at 5 p.m. Stops in Stone County are planned for Thursday and in Lawrence County on Friday.

Long, of Springfield, is an auctioneer, real estate salesman and a former radio talk show host. Eckersley, a former Kimberling City resident who now lives in Springfield, is an attorney who at one time worked for then-Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican. He was dismissed after he said the office broke the law by refusing to release e-mails to the press. Blunt staff members said he was dismissed for work performance and other issues. Eckersley sued and received a $500,000 settlement from the state, through there was no admission of wrongdoing.

The winners

Billy Long received 38,126 votes to win the GOP nomination for Missouri’s 7th Congressional District, followed by Jack Goodman, with 30,335; Gary Nodler, 14,548; Darrell Moore, 9,283; Jeff Wisdom, 4,548; Mike Moon, 4,468; Steve Hunter, 2,166; and Mike Wardell, 843. On the Democratic ballot, Scott Eckersley received 9,199 votes and Tim Davis got 5,479.

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