Quigley Chickens Out, Cancels Pulido Debate

Little Mike Quigley is a study of contradictions. On the one hand, he's so confident that he will win the April 7 special election in Illinois' 5th Congressional District that he was all over Washington DC yesterday acting as though he'd already won. On the other hand, the League of Women Voters said that Quigley declined their invitation to debate Rosanna Pulido, the conservative Republican challenger in the 5th District. Is Mike Quigley afraid of women, or does he just not like them? Democrat Quigley is currently a Cook County Board Commissioner and has been a loyal supporter of the hugely unpopular board president, Todd Stroger. Perhaps without Todd in the room, Quigley would not have been comfortable going toe to toe in a debate with Pulido in front of all of those ladies. In a press release today from Pulido's campaign, Quigley's priorities were questioned. "I find it amazing that he's doing a victory lap in Washington before the voters have even expressed their will," Pulido said. "He's meeting with K Street lobbyists and their checkbooks and I'm spending my time listening to the voters of the Fifth District. Turning down the League of Women Voters debate doesn't just show disrespect for the women in this district. It shows he doesn't much care what anyone here at home thinks." Pulido is accusing Mike Quigley of "chasing Washington cash" while "dissing women voters at home." Pulido's campaign manager Tom Hoefling has issued an open debate challenge to Mike Quigley's campaign. Hoefling says that the planned April 3 meeting of the two candidates at the City Club "isn't nearly enough." He added, "If Mr. Quigley has time for the folks in DC, certainly he can find a couple of spare hours for the people he wants to represent. The voters deserve to have to have a full airing of the candidates' views before they make this very important decision on April 7." Chicago News Bench can also report that Rosanna Pulido agreed a week ago to debate Mike Quigley in front of a group of mostly gay voters on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. at Sidetrack Video Bar, 3349 N. Halsted Street, Chicago. There, the 5th Congressional District candidates will participate in a “meet and greet” co-sponsored by Gay Chicago Magazine and Sidetrack. If conservative Republican Pulido is happy to meet and greet a group of largely gay voters, why is Democrat Quigley so reluctant to debate Pulido in the company of the League of Women Voters? RELATED: Claypool Blasts Quigley for Supporting Stroger Budget Emanuel Replacement Race: Quigley, Feigenholtz Jab Over Stroger Ties Feigenholtz attack ad links Quigley to Stroger Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Cool Stuff...