Mayoral Debate Called Off

From Tim McNulty of the P-G:

Another Pittsburgh mayoral debate has been called off.

The three candidates in next month's Democratic mayoral primary were set to debate on KDKA-TV on Wednesday, but the station has called it off. A debate scheduled for last Monday, April 6, on WPXI-TV was also called off after the three fatal Pittsburgh Police shootings.

The next -- and now first -- debate is scheduled for Monday, April 20, on WTAE-TV.

KDKA-TV says Wednesday's debate among Luke Ravenstahl, Patrick Dowd and Carmen Robinson -- set to be taped in the afternoon then broadcast in the evening -- is being postponed. But the Ravenstahl camp says it has no open dates before voting on May 19, so the debate is effectively canceled. The only date it had open was May 4, when the WPXI-TV debate was rescheduled.

Wonder why.

An UPDATE from the Dowd campaign:

That a mayor who has never run in a contested primary is using last week’s tragedies to avoid a discussion about public safety and other critical issues facing our city is an absolute outrage.

Since he became mayor, Luke Ravenstahl has been absent time and time again: absent from meetings on the Hill District, absent from discussions on critical policy issues, absent from important decisions about circumventions of the permitting and zoning processes, some of which have ended in death and others of which have cost the taxpayers. Yet, he has had time to meet with campaign contributors, ensuring that they will continue to procure no bid contracts.

Now, there is no time for the citizens?

I have pledged that as mayor I will make my schedule available to the public. Luke Ravenstahl should immediately show the citizens what meetings are more important than hearing him be held accountable for his record.

Amidst a citywide increase in gun violence, a national economic crisis, and serious questions about ethics in the mayor’s office, Luke Ravenstahl must make time to debate his mayoral challengers.

This is an absolute outrage.

And so it goes.

UPDATE: The Mayor's office responds. The text as posted on Matt H's blog:

About three hours ago, my campaign reaffirmed my commitment to participate in the scheduled debate this Wednesday at 1:30PM. We have yet to hear back from you and would again like to stress my eagerness to debate on Wednesday as planned.

I want to set the record straight: I was the first candidate to propose debates. I was the first candidate to propose dates for those events. The two other candidates, one with haste and one with vacillation, agreed to my proposal.

So from the moment the debate was set weeks ago, I fully intended to keep this date and see no reason why Wednesday's debate should be canceled by KDKA. I am also disappointed that the debate was canceled before anyone consulted with me or my campaign.

Finally, it is with great sadness that I must respond to the despicable comments by Patrick Dowd in reaction to your cancellation of this debate. I will seek an immediate rebuke of Patrick by the League of Women Voters, who secured a letter from each candidate promising a clean campaign - something Pat must have forgot in his insatiable quest for another political office.

But more to the point: how dare he use last week's tragedy for political purposes. How dare he even bring it up at a time like this.

I find his comments disgusting, offensive, and completely out of line.
Pittsburgh deserves an apology. Shame on you, Patrick.

A follow-up statement from Dowd:

Obviously, I did not agree to cancel. I agreed that KDKA -- and all of us -- were stretched thin last week and for obvious reasons. I also agreed that they needed time to prepare. In a follow-up email (posted on my website dowdformayor.com) I offered dates for a rescheduled debate. Mayor Ravenstahl refused to reschedule the debate. There are about 720 hours in the next 30 days. Apparently, the mayor is busy during all of them.

And so it goes.