ILSen: Oberweis' dismal debate performance demonstrates why he is afraid to debate Truax

There was finally a debate--perhaps the only one---between newcomer Doug Truax and political gadfly Jim Oberweis. The victor in this month's Republican primary faces lifetime politician Dick Durbin.

From a Truax press release:

HUNTLEY — Jim Oberweis sighed, flip-flopped, misled the audience and threw his staff under the bus during a candidate debate with Doug Truax on Monday, demonstrating why the perennial losing candidate is not the right Republican to take on Dick Durbin for U.S. Senate this fall.

Oberweis’ stumbles came during the only public joint appearance he has agreed to with Truax, a West Point grad, Army veteran, successful businessman and health care expert. The forum was at Sun City in Huntley. Oberweis has ducked all three debates on major Chicago radio or television stations.

“Dick Durbin would make mincemeat of Jim Oberweis in a debate,” said Truax. “You can’t change your policy positions on the fly and throw your staff under the bus when you are caught misleading the public. This is exactly why Newt Gingrich said I would be the perfect candidate to debate Dick Durbin, not Jim Oberweis.”

At Monday’s debate, covered by the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald, Oberweis:

Changed his foreign policy stance almost 180 degrees. After previously stating in interviews he agrees with Barack Obama’s foreign policy, Oberweis switched gears after Truax called him on it. The Tribune noted the flip-flop.

Completely modified his high-speed rail position on the fly. Oberweis told the State Journal-Register’s editorial board he thinks high-speed rail “certainly makes all kinds of sense.” After Truax asked him how a conservative Republican could support such an emerging boondoggle, Oberweis said he only supported privately funded high-speed rail. There is no such thing in Illinois.

Boondoggle--high speed rail

Threw his staff under the bus regarding ducking debates. After telling Chicago Tribune and (Springfield) State Journal-Register editorial boards he would debate Truax anytime he could outside his General Assembly duties and that he never turned down a Sunday request from WGN-radio, Oberweis, when called on it by Truax, parsed his earlier statement to say he never knew about any request — his staff did and never informed him.

Exhibited Al Gore-like body language. The Daily Herald said: “Oberweis tried to stay on message at the debate organized by the Sun City Community Association of Huntley ahead of the March 18 primary, but Truax’s attacks visibly irked the first-term state senator from Sugar Grove, who made faces and sighed heavily at times.”

Truax said Oberweis is attempting to win the primary by coasting on name ID created by losing five elections the past 11 years.

“If you want to defeat Dick Durbin in the fall, you need to be fearless,” Truax said. “If Jim Oberweis is afraid to debate me, how is he possibly going to match up against a seasoned career politician like Durbin.”

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Related post:

ILSen: (Video) Newt endorses Doug Truax

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