Bucshon Refuses Congressional Candidate Richard Moss’ Debate Challenge

The Moss For Congress Campaign is issuing a formal and public challenge to Congressman Larry Bucshon to debate Congressional Candidate Dr. Richard Moss in three areas across Indiana’s 8^th Congressional District including Vanderburgh, Vigo, and Dubois Counties in the month of April before the May 3, 2016 Republican primary.

“I call on Congressman Larry Bucshon to stop hiding behind his speech writers, spin doctors, paid operatives, hired staff, consultants, lobbyists, and propagandists and debate me on the issues and his voting record, one on one, face to face, eyeball to eyeball, in Evansville, Terre Haute, and Jasper in the month of April. Stop ducking the issues, Congressman. Stop snubbing the voters. Stop hiding behind your huge campaign war chest and the power and perks of incumbency, and face me, your challenger in the Republican Primary – and let the voters decide who should represents them.”

We had scheduled a debate with Congressman Bucshon at our expense at the Eykamp Scout Center on Wednesday, March 30, 2015, in Evansville.  My campaign staff made the arrangements including food and beverages.  The Moss For Congress Campaign paid for the insurance and rent for the facility.  We notified the public through the press and other venues.  We contacted the Bucshon campaign by phone and email through his website and Evansville District Office on multiple occasions going back weeks before the event.  Each time our campaign was given the run around, leading up to a final dismissive and patronizing email note from the Bucshon campaign regarding how busy the beloved Congressman was.  Further, his schedule for that day indicated that he was in Evansville the day of the debate meeting with the Vanderburgh County Republicans Women’s Group.  He had plenty of advance notice and opportunity to respond but for purely political reasons, chose not to – until a campaign staffer fired off a summary, off-handed dismissal.

As I mentioned at the time, none of this was unexpected.  Bucshon has better things to do.  Ensconced in office, enjoying the advantages of incumbency, self-satisfied, smug, secure, well funded, plenty of perks, a large staff and budget, the Congressman has grown complacent and insulated.  He doesn’t have to confront his opponent in a debate or meet the constituents other than in controlled, staged settings.  He prefers not to pick through the various votes he has taken in nearly six years in Congress that have done enormous damage to the 8^th District, Indiana, and the nation. I would understand his hesitation. Friendly Lincoln Day Dinners as keynote speaker without being challenged would be more to his liking.

We provided an opportunity for the voters to hear from both candidates, in a face-to-face debate. Ron Cosby of the City County Observer agreed to moderate.  We leased a suitable facility. The Congressman was given ample notice to arrange his schedule.  He found it unacceptable. Fine. It’s over.  But let’s agree now to arrange a series of three Lincoln-Douglas style debates, in honor of the founder of the Republican Party, our 16^thPresident, in the three main divisions of the 8^th district, sponsored by local media in each area.  And let the voters decide.

Congressman Bucshon claims to be transparent.  He asserts that he wants to be open with his constituents. But when it comes to an honest debate, he snubs the people.  Where is the accountability?  We don’t need more glossy campaign mailers from speechwriters and ministers of propaganda.  We don’t need to hear from the graphic designers, media consultants, marketing specialists, and other paid political hacks.  We don’t need the slick TV commercials and radio spots telling us how wonderful he is or the Face Book ads and Robocalls.  We need to hear from you, Congressman.  Without the layers of staffers and operatives that protect and shield you.  In a series of three debates across the district face to face.  Leave your advisors, managers, and other hangers-on behind. And let the people decide who should represent them.

As I have written before:

“Congressman Bucshon voted for the Omnibus bill last December, not less than 2000 pages, a $1.1 trillion behemoth, or about half a billion dollars a page, that increased spending by $53 billion over the last year.  It also fully funded Obama’s lawless executive amnesty, not to mention Planned Parenthood and “sanctuary cities,” while quadrupling H2-B visas bringing in more unskilled labor to compete with American workers.  So his claims to oppose Amnesty are false.  If you fund something you support it.  And he has voted to fund amnesty.  Anything after that is meaningless political pablum.”

It’s time to pick over Congressman Bucshon’s voting record.  Not his “conservative” rhetoric when he comes home to campaign – but his actual votes. The people deserve a face-to-face comparison of the two candidates in the Republican primary. I publically challenge Congressman Bucshon to a debate.  And let the voters decide!