Congressional debate scheduled after argument

After weeks of arguing and finger-pointing, candidates for Indiana’s 9th congressional district have agreed to debate.

Democratic incumbent Baron Hill, Republican Mike Sodrel and Libertarian Eric Schansberg said Monday they will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Jasper Arts Center in Jasper, Ind.

The debate will have two parts, each an hour long. The first will be an 18-minute conversation between each candidate, a panel of reporters and a student from Vincennes University.

The second will be a debate  among the three candidates with questions posed by the audience. Each candidate will have a minute and a half to answer. The second part will be moderated by Tony Cloyd, news director for Vincennes University media.

Candidates have come close to setting a debate date before, but Hill recently said he would not debate until Sodrel apologized for how the office transitioned when he took over for Sodrel after the 2006 elections.

The pair has been arguing publicly about who was at fault for the transition for weeks. Hill has claimed Sodrel closed the office early and did not hand over important paperwork.

Meanwhile, Sodrel said he left when ordered and that Hill’s claims are simply a reason to avoid debating.

Both Sodrel and Schansberg have criticized Hill for not agreeing to other debates.
Schansberg said the trio was close to an agreement to debate at the Madison Chamber of Commerce in Madison, Ind., when Hill backed out.

Other debates Hill did not accept include one at Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., and on a radio station in Louisville.

In a statement released Monday, Hill claimed Sodrel did not work with him to ensure a smooth transition in 2006 but said he didn’t want to hurt the voters because of Sodrel.

“I believe this is a clear reflection of his true desire to be a public servant,” Hill said in a statement. “That said, I will not commit a similar disservice to the voters by not participating in this debate, particularly during this time of economic turmoil.”

Ryan Reger, Sodrel’s campaign manager, and Schansberg, said Hill might have decided to debate because of his declining numbers in the polls.

Schansberg said Hill would have taken a hit in the polls if he hadn’t committed to the debate. He added that he and Sodrel have already spoken at town halls together.

Both Hill and Sodrel missed the initial Sept. 15 deadline to accept the invitation for the Jasper debate, which is sponsored by Jasper and Vincennes University. Schansberg said the deadline was extended until last Friday, Sept. 24.

He said that Sodrel agreed on Sept. 22 and Hill agreed on Friday.