2012 Penn. Senate Debates: on Principles & Values

Bob Casey: Optimistic there will be debates; but won't say so on record

Sure, everyone understands busy campaign schedules. Pennsylvania is a big state to travel around, and candidates do have to hold a certain number of fundraisers and meet and greets. But no debates?

You have to wonder whether either candidate wants to be accountable and accessible to the public if they will not even take time for a debate. When The Patriot-News Editorial Board reached out to the two campaigns Thursday, their answers were unimpressive.

"The race has been tightening for the past several weeks, and we are optimistic there will be a debate. Should anything be finalized I will let you know," wrote a spokeswoman for Tom Smith's campaign in an email.

Casey's team would not speak on the record, although it, too, expressed optimism there would be a debate. The responses are not reassuring, considering there are only 26 days left before Election Day.

Tom Smith: Optimistic there will be a debate; but nothing finalized

Sure, everyone understands busy campaign schedules. Pennsylvania is a big state to travel around, and candidates do have to hold a certain number of fundraisers and meet and greets. But no debates?

You have to wonder whether either candidate wants to be accountable and accessible to the public if they will not even take time for a debate. When The Patriot-News Editorial Board reached out to the two campaigns Thursday, their answers were unimpressive.

"The race has been tightening for the past several weeks, and we are optimistic there will be a debate. Should anything be finalized I will let you know," wrote a spokeswoman for Tom Smith's campaign in an email.

Casey's team would not speak on the record, although it, too, expressed optimism there would be a debate. The responses are not reassuring, considering there are only 26 days left before Election Day.

Bob Casey: Declined to respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania said it is trying to arrange two debates between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Tom Smith, but nothing was final Wednesday. The league has even had trouble getting responses from Smith and Casey for its voters' guide, said the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania: "This has been one of the toughest years yet to get information out of people."

Tom Smith: Declined to respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania said it is trying to arrange two debates between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Tom Smith, but nothing was final Wednesday. The league has even had trouble getting responses from Smith and Casey for its voters' guide, said the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania: "This has been one of the toughest years yet to get information out of people."

Steve Welch: Voted Democratic in 2008; but renounced support of Obama

Tom Smith: Elected as Democrat as township supervisor for decades

Steve Welch: Switched party from Democrat to GOP in 2005

Welch offered a mea culpa on the party switch, and reiterated his support for John McCain in the 2008 general election, saying he thought Obama was the lesser of two evils compared to Hillary Clinton. For the first time, he answered the Sestak charge by bringing up the record of then Rep. Curt Weldon, the man Sestak defeated in 2006. Weldon was an establishment Republican who ran into ethics troubles near the end of his term, culminating in an FBI raid of his office.

In perhaps his strongest response yet to the party-switching charge, Welch said, "Tim Burns' Republican party means Ronald Reagan could never have been President."