Conlin camp takes Barbara Grassley’s advice?

You saw the headline above.  Read the details below from a news release issued this morning by the campaign of Roxanne Conlin, the Democrat running against Barbara Grassley’s husband, Senator Chuck Grassley:

Barbara Grassley Calls for Debates; Conlin Extends Invitation

(Des Moines, Iowa) – While campaigning for Congressional Candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa, Barbara Grassley supported debates between Miller-Meeks and her opponent.  In fact, Grassley suggested that “Miller-Meeks notify Loebsack of a certain time, date and place for a debate and if he does not show, “do the empty chair routine.”

http://www.westlibertyindex.com/article.php?viewID=3535

“Mrs. Grassley is absolutely correct,” said Conlin campaign spokesperson Paulee Lipsman.  “And to that end, the Conlin campaign would like to extend an invitation to Senator Grassley to debate on Sunday, September 19th in Des Moines.” 

A location is being finalized. The Conlin campaign hopes Mrs. Grassley is successful in getting her own husband to agree to debates with Roxanne Conlin.  So far, Senator Grassley has not agreed to any debates.  He has said he will do one 30-minute joint interview with Conlin on Iowa Press, but refusing to agree to an hour long session on the Iowa Public Television program.

“It would be embarrassing for Senator Grassley, a career politician with 50 plus years of service, to have his opponent resort to the ‘empty chair routine,'” added Lipsman. 

Barbara Grassley works for a D.C. lobbying firm and her online bio says she works on “message development” as well as “crafting legislative strategy.”