Democratic candidate for Attorney General Mark Totten has been attempting to schedule a debate with the Ken Cuccinelli of Michigan, Republican Bill Schuette. Schuette’s jerk move response was to give one date, October 31st, so that it would air just a couple of days before the election. Totten was not available that day given the intense get out the vote (GOTV) effort that takes place in the last week before the election. So he offered up 10 alternate dates. Several weeks passed by with no answer from the Schuette campaign so Totten added five additional dates. In other words, Totten gave 15 dates that worked for him other than the one the Friday before the election.
Schuette refused to even consider a single alternate date.
Schuette has now run to the press claiming Totten won’t debate him. His campaign manager told MIRS New Service, “Everything has an expiration date,” referring to Schuette’s decision to call the whole thing off.
As Totten told MIRS, “[It] seems pretty clear that he’s running from his record. If he thinks the people of Michigan want another four years of right-wing crusades, he should stand up on stage and defend his positions.”
Schuette is pulling a classic “Terri Lynn Land” by running away in such a blatant fashion. He pretends he wants a debate but refuses to actually close the deal. The reason is clear. He doesn’t want to have to answer questions on his massive failures as Attorney General and state legislator. Things like:
- His co-sponsorship of a bill that later became law making Michigan the only state in the country that prevents lawsuits against drug companies whose drugs were found to harm or kill people who used them
- Support of Arizona’s racist “show me your papers” law
- His filing an amicus brief opposing the EPA’s pollution clean-up plan in the Chesapeake Bay
- His lead role of a coalition of state AGs trying to overturn EPA rules about mercury emissions from power plants
- His endless wasting of Michigan taxpayer money attempting to stop same-sex couples from obtaining the rights to adopt and to marry the person they love, even after a federal judge ruled that Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, even after the Supreme Court last week refused to hear similar cases from other parts of the country
- His belief that marriage is for “regulating sexual relationships between men and women”.
- His attempt to strike down a provision in the contract state workers have with the state of Michigan that allows for domestic partners benefits (more wasted tax dollars)
- His joining of a federal lawsuit attempting block the tax credits qualifying citizens would receive to purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act which would cost nearly a half million Michigan residents as much as $5,000 a year in additional taxes
- His support of making Michigan a “right to work” state
- His filing of an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs in the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case that restricts women’s access to certain types of contraceptives
Given that list, it’s easy to see why Schuette’s approval rating is only 17% after three decades in public service and why Totten is virtually tied with him in the polls.
It also explains why he’s pulling a “Terri Lynn Land” and running away from debating Mark Totten. Who would want to defend a record like that?
You can sign a petition demanding that Bill Schuette debate Mark Totten and answer for his failed record in Michigan HERE.
Read my interview with Mark Totten HERE.
