Feingold and Johnson spar over debate schedule

Russ Feingold’s campaign isn’t happy with Republican Ron Johnson’s decision to do three debates instead of the six the Middleton Democrat wants.
Feingold senior adviser John Kraus said the campaign remains “committed” to the six debates that it had accepted – including one this Sunday at UW-Eau Claire – and accused Johnson of preferring “hollow, negative television ads” to an honest debate.
“If Ron Johnson is afraid to fight for himself and his ideas, then voters are right to question whether he has the guts to fight for them in Washington,” Kraus said.
Johnson said the debates “will show voters that there is a clear choice between the politics as usual offered by Sen. Feingold and the common sense approach and fiscal responsibility my background would bring to the U.S. Senate.”
Johnson accepted invitations to: an Oct. 8 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association debate in Milwaukee; an Oct. 11 Wausau debate hosted by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, Wisconsin Public Radio, the Wausau Daily Herald, WAOW ABC-TV Wausau, and WSAW CBS-TV Wausau; and an Oct. 22 debate in Milwaukee hosted by WISN-TV, WisPolitics.com, Marquette Law School, Channels 10/36, and network affiliates WKOW, WAOW, WXOW and WFRV.
Feingold’s campaign had previously committed to the Oct. 8 and 11 events that Johnson wants. But Feingold’s his list also included events in Eau Claire on Sunday and in Madison and Oshkosh later this fall.
Initially, the two candidates had also agreed to separate debates on Oct. 22, with Johnson signing up for a debate at the Marquette Law School and Feingold agreeing to one the same date hosted by the We The People/Wisconsin coalition in Madison.
WISN-TV reported Wednesday night that Feingold also has now agreed to appear at the Marquette Law School debate. WisPolitics.com is part of both coalitions that proposed Oct. 22 debates.
-WisPolitics.com