Bell Proposes Series of Debates with Klobuchar

[MessiahRp]

Hey my Minnesotan friends.. I hear Bell was amazing tonight... Yahoo picked up the story as well... check it out. :)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060121/pl_usnw/bell_proposes_series_of_debates_with_klobuchar__says_race_now_is__clear_choice_about__soul__of_dfl104_xml

Bell Proposes Series of Debates with Klobuchar; Says Race Now is 'Clear Choice About 'Soul' of DFL'
Contact: David Lilly, 612-280-2755 or Olin Moore, 612-384-4757

LAKEVILLE, Minn., Jan. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a speech at the DFL Central Committee meeting here, U.S. Senate candidate Ford Bell challenged Amy Klobuchar to a series of debates around the state to discuss "the serious issues facing the nation, and the kind of party the DFL will be."

Bell praised Patty Wetterling, who withdrew from the race Friday, saying she has brought "hope and promise" to the DFL. With her withdrawal, he said the DFL Senate race is now a "referendum on the Party's soul."

Bell also blistered Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, saying that Schumer's message to the DFL grassroots was "sit down, shut up, we're from Washington and we know best."

-snip-

During the speech, Bell also spoke about a specific timetable to end the war in
Iraq and his call for universal, single-payer health care, and he renewed his challenge to Ms. Klobuchar and presumptive Republican nominee Rep. Mark Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) to join his pledge to make such a health-care bill the first act of Minnesota's next Senator.

Rp

[katinmn]

1. Bravo! Good release, and to be picked up by Yahoo

Yahoo is the most visited news site of All.

Bell's right: this is a battle for the soul of the party.:thumbsup:

[hermetic]

2. This morning on television

WCCO news (which I never watch but waanted to know about today's weather) they were all over the story about Wetterling, Klobuchar, Kennedy, and not word one about Bell. Even the vampyre got air time. What a crock.

[katinmn]

3. The media is a barrier. They are pre-selecting candidates

as much as the DLC.

[dflprincess]

8. Okay, so I'm cynical

but I'm wondering how much Jim Klobuchar's relationship with the local press may have to do with this.

[secretdj]

6. So did you see the "At Issue" piece?

I did not, but the Republican blogs are crowing that because the show was taped on Friday, Kennedy issued a debate challenge first. Probably why they scrambled the Repug blogs to issue the Kennedy debate statement Saturday night. They refer to Bell's speech Saturday morning as "joining" Kennedy in a call for debates. I don't think a tape delay excuse works do you? Sunday, Jan. 22 now comes before Sat. Jan 21? Apparently the rules of temporal quantum physics mean nothing to the flat-earthers. Did Kennedy call for debates on "At Issue"? (like I said... didn't see it)

Here's the bigger issue. If Kennedy wants debates he a)wants to marginalize Ford Bell along with the DNC b)is confident that he can beat Klobuchar at the podium and/or c) realizes his poll numbers suck and is desperate.

[hermetic]

7. No, I did not see that either.

I just saw the morning news show. Not finding anything at the wcco website right now either re the debates. I was just surprised at the complete lack of acknowledgement of Bell as a candidate. Their website news story on this now though does include Bell.

[CatholicEdHead]

4. This would be good for the DFL as a whole

while it may not change Amy's chances, it will show the state that the DFL is still open to many views.

I still wish that Patty would have stayed in until at least the Caucuses in March.

[dflprincess]

5. The full text of Bell's speech to the Central Committee is at his website

http://www.fordbell.com