Congressional candidate Sweetland rips Maffei for missing debate
Syracuse Post-Standard
Mike McAndrew
October 10th, 2008
Republican Dale Sweetland criticized his 25th Congressional District Democratic opponent Dan Maffei today for citing the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur as the reason he did not attend a debate Thursday night at Le Moyne College.
Maffei attended a Baldwinsville Democratic Alliance candidates event at Foxfire Golf Club, scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Sweetland and Green Populist candidate Howie Hawkins debated about economic issues at Le Moyne at 7 p.m.
"This is an insult to the voters, to the students at Le Moyne College, and worst of all, to the members of the Jewish faith," said Sweetland. "Dan Maffei claimed that he was not going to attend the Le Moyne College debate because of the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, but he chose to attend a cocktail party at a golf course instead."
Maffei's campaign spokesman Michael Whyland said earlier this week that Maffei was not skipping the Le Moyne debate because of the event in Baldwinsville.
"We told Le Moyne from the beginning that we didn't want to do any kind of big public debate, forum, or press event on Yom Kippur," Whyland said. "That's a lot different than doing a stop by at an event planned by another group."
Whyland also pointed out that Sweetland skipped a debate in Eastwood last week on universal health care that was sponsored by the Alliance for Retired Americans. Maffei and Hawkins debated each other at that event while Sweetland was in Rochester at a candidates event sponsored by the New York State Nurses Association.
Maffei, Sweetland and Hawkins have appeared together at numerous public forums and debates to discuss their positions and are scheduled to appear at future events.
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