Conscientiously Conservative: Betty McCollum, Where Are You?

Conscientiously Conservative: Betty McCollum, Where Are You?

An awesome post from my friend at Conscientiously Conservative. Betty McCollum can't be found with a searchlight. If you haven't heard Betty speak, save your time. When she is interviewed, she either had the questions ahead of time and it sounds like she is reading from a script, or stumbles all over herself. Either scenario is painfully grating on your intelligence. She hasn't debated in the past, so why would that change when this time she is facing her stiffest challenge to date, from soon to be MNCD4 Rep Teresa Collett.  Teresa is a St. Thomas Law school professor; and I am not biased because I went to graduate school at St. Thomas. Teresa is a great candidate, and SHE can formulate and articulate an argument on the fly.

Betty McCollum, Where Are You?

Betty is avoiding using the "D" word... no, not Democrat. Debate.

Minnesota District 4 voters are still anxiously awaiting a "Yes" answer from Congresswoman Betty McCollum-D, on the question, "Will you agree to debate Teresa Collett?". So far, nothing but silence from the McCollum campaign.

Perhaps because she is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, i.e."Card Check"? See if you like the idea of losing your right to a secret ballot during union negotiations, from The American Spectator:

Union officials are working in concert with their allies in the Obama Administration to implement an electronic version of "card check" that would jeopardize voter confidentiality and open the way for coercive anti-democratic tactics, according to free market groups.

Under the card check scheme included as part of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would be required to certify a union without a secret ballot election once labor representatives obtained signatures from 51 percent of a company's workforce. In practice, this means workers would no longer have the opportunity to debate the merits of a particular union and to cast their votes in private. Moreover, union bosses would be in control of the cards and would know who signed for and against representation.

Kind of hard to convince voters about the benefits of being forced to share how you vote -- knowing that if you don't vote the way the union wants you to vote, you're going to pay for that, one way or another. I'm sure it won't be pleasant.

Is she avoiding debate because the question of abortion would most assuredly come up? The debate would certainly be lively on that subject, given that Betty supports Partial Birth Abortion and Not Restricting Interstate Travel for Minors Seeking Abortion vs. Teresa Collett, who is a committed Pro-Life candidate, and the first Minnesota candidate to sign the Defund Abortion Pledge.

Last month, Betty paid a visit to Minneapolis with her "big sis", Princess Pelosi. Betty took great care not to interact with "the small people" as Bill Jungbauer notes on his blog:

As usual, and in predictable Betty McCollum fashion, she was not available to the public, or to address the concerns of us gathered outside. She refuses to debate Teresa Collett or any past opponent running against her and survives as a candidate by wearing the "D" after her name.

What is Betty afraid of? As the 4th Congressional District candidate, Teresa Collett once said, "Come out and play Betty." This is what the people want, to see and hear the candidates so they can have the ability to judge and decide for themselves.

Betty is afraid to debate. Why? Because she is not very good at it. Take 2008. Ed Matthews put her to shame at a League of Women Voters forum. This should have gone well for Betty but it didn't. However "non-partisan" they try to be, they generally come up short in their attempt. So does Betty as a debater.

So it's obvious why Betty does not debate. But in the end it's we the people, the voters, who come up getting short changed with her lack of participation in public debate.

So when will Betty agree to a debate? We're hoping that she's agreeing to it right here! (Rondo Days Parade Photo from Teresa Collett's Facebook Page)




Maybe all Betty needs is a little encouragement from her constituents. Why not contact her today, I'm sure she'd love to hear from all of us! Let her know how much you're looking forward to a good healthy debate between both candidates!

Betty's Washington Office: 202.225.6631
Betty's St Paul Office: 651.224.9191

Minnesotants from District 4 deserve the opportunity to make an honest comparison between the two candidates. Debates allow us to do just that.