Warren Challenges Brown To Accept Local Media Debate

Press Release from Elizabeth Warren's campaign:

If Republican Senator Scott Brown really wants a debate with an unbiased, local media sponsor, he should join consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren and accept the debate sponsored by a consortium of local media, Warren’s campaign manager said today, June 20.

Mindy Myers, campaign manager for Elizabeth Warren, challenged Brown to join Warren in accepting the debate invitation from the Boston Globe, NECN, WCVB-TV, WGBH-TV, WHDH-TV, WBUR and WGBH radio in Boston, in concert with several outlets in Western Massachusetts.  This statewide consortium of media outlets has come together to reach the broadest audience possible.

“Republican Senator Scott Brown says he wants a debate with unbiased, local media as sponsors. Here’s his chance. Elizabeth has accepted the debate invitation from local media that reach across the state to talk with the people of Massachusetts. We challenge Scott Brown to join us and accept this debate and let the people of Massachusetts see where he stands,” said Myers.

Brown rejected a debate invitation from U Mass-Boston and the Edward M Kennedy Institute, claiming the non-partisan institute is biased against him and, the host, Tom Brokaw, represented a national, not local, media outlet. This rejection came despite Brown participating in a debate in 2010 also hosted by U Mass and the Kennedy Institute.

“Elizabeth appreciated the invitation from UMass and from Mrs. Kennedy and was looking forward to participating in what would have been a fair and open debate, as it has been in the past,” said Myers.

 “Scott Brown refused to participate in that debate hosted by one of the largest academic institutions in our state as well as a respected, non-partisan foundation, a debate he accepted and in which he participated two years ago. It's not clear what he’s afraid of,” she said.
 
“Brown laid out his conditions for debate and under his own conditions, there is nothing to stop him from accepting a debate hosted by a wide variety of Massachusetts media – unless he really doesn’t want to talk about his record siding with Wall Street, big corporations, and millionaires." 

Warren, who was in , is calling for four televised debates.