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In debate flap, Dent shifts focus to rock band playing for Towne
A rock band set to perform at a campaign event for Jake Towne have given Congressman Charlie Dent (R-15) an opening to make a less overtly political argument for excluding the independent candidate from campaign debates.
Dent has taken some flak on the blogosphere ever since pa2010.com reported last week that his campaign doesn’t want Towne included in debates between him and Democratic challenger John Callahan. But after saying that Towne would distract from the debate between the two main contenders, Dent’s campaign shifted gears slightly and noted that Poker Face, a band performing at a Towne fundraiser on Friday, has been castigated by the Anti-Defamation League for the violent and anti-Semitic views espoused its song lyrics.
“Given this information, we are calling on John Callahan to immediately join us in telling organizations interested in sponsoring debates that neither he nor I will agree to participate in any debate involving Jake Towne,” Dent said in a statement. “I’m calling on John Callahan to put aside politics regarding Mr. Towne and do the decent thing—don’t give credence or a public platform to someone enmeshed in ideas of anger, violence, anarchy and bigotry.”
Callahan campaign manager Justin Schall, who, like Towne, has called Dent’s reluctance to participate in a three-person debate a sign of weakness, framed things differently.
“Mayor Callahan thinks all anti-Semitic behavior is deplorable and the whole idea behind ‘debating’ someone is that you disagree with him and his views,” Schall said in a statement. “Mayor Callahan looks forward to telling Jake Towne to his face exactly what he thinks of the deplorable anti-Semitic fringe groups with which he chooses to associate.”
But Dent campaign manager Shawn Millan said that would be a distraction.
“We need to be talking about jobs and the economy… people in the Lehigh Valley know that Jake Towne is in the wrong on this,” Millan said in an interview. “Some people are so beyond the pale that you don’t give public credence to them by having a public debate.”
Towne, for his part, defended the band while still keeping their message at arm’s length.
“The views of any the five bands present at the Freedom Concert are not necessarily the views of Towne for Congress,” Towne said in a statement. “If any of the bands were believed to be anti-Semites, they would not have been invited to play at the concert.”
July 27, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Tags: Charlie Dent, Jake Towne, John Callahan, PA-15
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Dent is PATHETIC
Jul 27th, 2010
Charlie Dent is pathetic. The fact that he revised his reason why Towne couldn’t participate shows how weak his argument actually is. They obviously think everyone is stupid and only has a 24 hour memory except them.
By the way, did you Shawn Millan in the Express Times saying that Callahan is a real threat and Dent is a Washington insider?
“The Democrats are looking at a bleak playing field across the nation, so if there’s one place they have an opportunity, they’re going to do their utmost,” said Shawn Millan, Dent’s campaign manager. “That’s why we’ve brought in people like Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and Rudy, and now the Republican leader is coming in for us.”
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2010/07/john_boehner_gop_leader_to_stu.html
d.eris
Jul 27th, 2010
It is fairly easy to demonstrate just how absurd Dent’s position is here.
On his official website, Dent celebrates the Bethlehem Musikfest, calling it part of the area’s “cultural richness” and “America’s Music Festival.”
This year, Musikfest is headlined by Sublime with special guests The Dirty Heads. The Dirty Heads song “Lay Me Down” is a love song about a couple who kill a local sheriff.
How can Dent support the Bethlehem Musikfest when they support bands that sing happily about killing police? Does Dent support the killing of police? He must be an anti-government extremist.
Furthermore, Dent supports Arizona’s new anti-immigration law. The ADL has called that law bigoted, misguided, un-American and biased. Can we not presume then that Dent is bigoted, misguided, un-American and biased?
See also: Poli-Tea on this issue.
Jon Geeting
Jul 27th, 2010
When a campaign changes its rationalization 3 times in 48 hours, that is a clear signal that you can’t trust what they’re saying. Notice Dent never condemned Mark Williams’ racist comments on the NAACP even though he’s been brandishing a Tea Party endorsement himself. Dent is only situationally opposed to racist fringe groups when they hurt his reelection chances. He’s happy to embrace them when he thinks he can ride their froth to reelection.
Heller-Towne
Jul 27th, 2010
it’s amazing, they KNOW they totally messed this up so a DAY later (after their campaign blogger Bernie O’Hare brought the issue up) they change their story to try to deflect the criticism they received all across the internet AND on Fox News in Philly. What’s more they have showed clearly they think Towne is some push over candidate. This political climate isn’t anti-dem, it’s anti-incumbent. And Charlie Dent hasn’t done a whole lot for the people of this district. And now Charlie Dent thinks he controls the democratic process in the 15th district…..well he most certainly doesn’t. And announcing that Leader Boehener is coming to rack up the bucks doesn’t take the focus off the fact Dent is a fool. Just terrible stuff. The Dent campaign is tripping all over themselves.
Donny Tealroy
Jul 27th, 2010
What’s happened to Charlie Dent? This is sad politics. A competitive election and he seems to be put all in a tizzy. Being endangered and put against a wall makes any animal a little crazy, but I didn’t realize it made you irrational. None of this makes sense. Why not just be the better candidate instead of forcing weaker ones out of the picture? And what is the response of his most blind ardent supporter? It’s John Callahan’s fault. Wrong, it’s Charlie Dents, he’s the candidate forcing someone out of the picture for his own political gain. Don’t mess with the Tea Party Charlie.
Tea Partier
Jul 28th, 2010
This is a slimy move by Charlie Dent. FREE JAKE TOWNE.
Texmex
Jul 28th, 2010
Charlie Dense is just another politician. He has unleashed his attack dog, Shawn Millan, to conjer up a smear campaign.
DaveB
Jul 28th, 2010
Interesting to see all the Callahan supporters supporting anti-Semiteism. . .
PoliticsPA’s Morning Buzz: 7/28 Edition | Politics PA
Jul 28th, 2010
[...] PA2010.com: Jake Towne, the third-party challenger and tea party candidate in the 15th congressional district represented by Charlie Dent, is holding a campaign event with the rock band “Poker Face,” which has been accused of writing anti-semitic lyrics. John Callahan said he wants to tell him in person what he thinks of associating with this rock band while debating him, and Charlie Dent does not want to give Towne the time of day, calling him a distraction. This race just keeps getting more interesting. [...]
2 cents
Jul 28th, 2010
It’s interesting to see all the Dent Supporters trying to change the issue. As has been said don’t mess with us tea partiers. Dent will pay for this mistake by giving up his seat. Hasn’t he noticed how he’s having a tough time raising money?
T. D.
Jul 28th, 2010
Does anyone actually believe this has anything to do with Anti-Semiteism? This has more to do with Charlie Dent not wanting Jake Towne in the debate for his own selfish reasons.