FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 5/28/2010) Willie Herenton was wearing a suit.
A killer-diller of a suit.
A white shirt with french cuffs and City of Memphis cufflinks.
Veteran Herenton watchers will tell you, when he's wearing a suit, he's going to drop something serious on folks.
He did.
Standing in front of the campaign headquarters of his opponent, incumbent 9th District Congressman Steve Cohen, Herenton had a message. "I want to debate Steve Cohen. Please understand, I want to debate Steve Cohen."
Please understand something else. The former mayor says he'll do what it takes to get a debate.
Sort of. "I'm willing to debate," Herenton says. "I'm willing to honor the particular debate on News Channel 3. My only condition, and it's still my condition, that I would not engage in a debate if two individuals, you know who they are, are the commentators."
He's talking about veteran Memphis reporter Norm Brewer of News Channel 3, and Commercial Appeal Editor Otis Sanford.
Both men have been involved in every single debate News Channel 3 has held for at least the last five years.
Herenton says this isn't an issue of debates only under his terms. "I don't know the questions you'll ask," he said. He did admit, he had no idea what questions either Brewer or Sanford would askl, but says "they would get involved with a lot of trivialities."
Herenton says he might let local reporters ask anything they want of him at a news conference in a few weeks, to end all this talk about, using his words, "trivialities." "They want to talk to me about MSARC, (the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center) or the dog pound situation."
There have been investigations into both the animal shelter and the rape crisis center, but the former Mayor says the issues don't make sense in a congressional campaign.
Incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D 9th District) was in Washington during the news conference.
Press secretary Stephanie Young said "We agreed to a debate last September on News Channel 3 for July 11th. That's our debate.
I don't think there's going to be any more discussion about it."
- Original debate had been planned on WREG for July 11th
- Herenton says he's been involved in negotiations with other television stations
- Cohen calls Herenton "chicken" for not allowing Brewer and Sanford to ask questions
(Memphis 5/28/2010) Willie Herenton was wearing a suit.
A killer-diller of a suit.
A white shirt with french cuffs and City of Memphis cufflinks.
Veteran Herenton watchers will tell you, when he's wearing a suit, he's going to drop something serious on folks.
He did.
Standing in front of the campaign headquarters of his opponent, incumbent 9th District Congressman Steve Cohen, Herenton had a message. "I want to debate Steve Cohen. Please understand, I want to debate Steve Cohen."
Please understand something else. The former mayor says he'll do what it takes to get a debate.
Sort of. "I'm willing to debate," Herenton says. "I'm willing to honor the particular debate on News Channel 3. My only condition, and it's still my condition, that I would not engage in a debate if two individuals, you know who they are, are the commentators."
He's talking about veteran Memphis reporter Norm Brewer of News Channel 3, and Commercial Appeal Editor Otis Sanford.
Both men have been involved in every single debate News Channel 3 has held for at least the last five years.
Herenton says this isn't an issue of debates only under his terms. "I don't know the questions you'll ask," he said. He did admit, he had no idea what questions either Brewer or Sanford would askl, but says "they would get involved with a lot of trivialities."
Herenton says he might let local reporters ask anything they want of him at a news conference in a few weeks, to end all this talk about, using his words, "trivialities." "They want to talk to me about MSARC, (the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center) or the dog pound situation."
There have been investigations into both the animal shelter and the rape crisis center, but the former Mayor says the issues don't make sense in a congressional campaign.
Incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D 9th District) was in Washington during the news conference.
Press secretary Stephanie Young said "We agreed to a debate last September on News Channel 3 for July 11th. That's our debate.
I don't think there's going to be any more discussion about it."
