Cicilline Under Fire for Skipping Debate
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Democratic Congressional candidate David Cicilline is coming under increasing pressure to show up to tonight’s primary debate on 630 WPRO, a GoLocalProv media partner.
Yesterday two of his District 1 primary opponents who will be attending the debate, which will air at 5 p.m., ripped into him for announcing that he was refusing to go.
“The mayor thinks he’s above such basic campaign activities as talking to those he hopes to represent,” said Bill Fischer, a spokesman for Bill Lynch. “He is clearly worried about having to defend his record in Providence, which includes rising crime rates, increased taxes, a residential and commercial property crisis, and a $50-million budget deficit.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAnthony Gemma also blasted the decision.
“David Cicilline’s excuse – that he won’t appear on a show hosted by the former mayor of Providence – is incoherent,” Gemma said. “In both technical and practical terms, the Buddy Cianci Show will end before the debate begins. The debate will take place in a studio that is not used to broadcast the Buddy Cianci Show. Further, Cianci will have no role in the debate whatsoever. What is David Cicilline afraid of?”
The third candidate, David Segal, held his fire, after criticizing Cicilline earlier this week for running what he said was a misleading ad.
Cicilline Campaign Says Decision Is 'Out of Principle'
Cicilline campaign manager Eric Hyers said the invitation to the debate clearly stated that it would be on the Buddy Cianci show. Even though Cianci is not actually hosting it, he noted that the on-air announcer is billing it as a “special edition” of the show.
Hyers said the Providence mayor does not go on the Buddy Cianci show. “The mayor does not go on that show. He’s never gone on that show and he’s not going to start going on that show,” Hyers told GoLocalProv.
He said Cicilline boycotts the show “out of principle,” declining to elaborate much further. “It’s common sense,” he said.
WPRO Says Voters Deserve to Hear from All Candidates
But Gemma challenged Cicilline to meet for a debate on any one of the other talk show slots. “We will consider any debate that comes up,” Hyers responded. “We will take into account the people organizing it and the schedule.”
Paul Giammarco, the program director for 630 WPRO, said Cicilline should still show up—regardless of whatever issues he might have with Cianci. “It’s not about Cicilline, Cianci, Giammarco, or WPRO,” he said. “It’s really about the people of Rhode Island being able to make a decision in District 1.”
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