The testy Republican U.S. Senate Primary in Kentucky is adding another controversy tonight, as a debate between candidates Rand Paul, Trey Grayson and Gurley Martin has been canceled by the Metropolitan Republican Women's Club.
All three candidates and a fourth, Bill Johnson, had confirmed their respective appearances. Johnson has since dropped out of the race. Paul pulled back his confirmation 13 days ago, saying that the event wasn't impartial.
Yet, that hasn't stopped Paul from participating in debate forums friendly to him, such as a Tea Party event in Louisville on Saturday.
So far, last month's debate in Paducah is the only one with both Republican frontrunners Rand Paul and Trey Grayson.
"I think it's important to debate to see who can articulate the message best for our party," Paul said at the February 13 debate.
But, that first debate was not without controversy as 86 year old candidate Gurley Martin was forcibly removed.
And more controversy this past Saturday in Louisville.
"It was supposed to be a debate," said Paul, "it's a Tea Party debate and Mr. Grayson was invited a month ago and he chose not to show up."
Event organizer, conservative activist Dr. Frank Simon criticized Grayson from the lectern, "never heard from him, never heard from him, never heard from him," Simon told the dozens of debate attendees, "and finally heard a rumor he wasn't coming."
Grayson says that's nonsense and that his campaign sent its regrets in an exchange of e-mails with event organizers and that the group confirmed as much in an e-mail sent to Tea Party supporters.
"So I think it's kind of disengenuous to say I skipped something when I had a scheduling conflict," Grayson contended in an interview the day after the event, "They knew it, and even publicized the fact I had a scheduling conflict."
The Tea Party group mocked Grayson's absence, while cutting off Senate candidates Gurley Martin and John Stephenson as they attempted to address the forum.
"Listen to the tape," said Stephenson, whose wife videotapes each of his appearances/, "They say Rand Paul, 'Our candidate.' They gave him 15 minutes to speak plus another 45 minutes to answer questions from this panel."
So, was the "debate" a set up?
"It was a total set up, total set up," Stephenson said, "And it was a travesty on what they say they are standing for which is constitutional protections."
The scheduled debate Wednesday night by The Metropolitan Republican Women's Club was the only Louisville debate confirmed by both Paul and Grayson. But then, less than two weeks ago, Paul backed out.
"And after he cancelled is when I started hearing he had all these issues," said MRWC President Julie Hinson, "but he never addressed any of those issues with me."
"Rand canceled at the last minute," Grayson said, "Every debate that I have agreed to participate in, which are several, I will show up as long as its still going on."
Paul, however, contends that the event planned by Hinson was not an impartial forum.
"I think (Grayson) chooses to come when he likes the venue, and he wants to give us criticism when he chooses the venue," Paul argued, "but the other event in question is being hosted by a 1000 dollar donor of his and being moderated by someone who's already written what we consider to be not impartial comments about us. We'll debate before any impartial group anywhere anytime as long as the group is impartial."
The Louisville debate moderator was to be John David Dyche, the conservative guest columnist in the Courier-Journal who, in an op-ed column, questioned Paul's responses to several hot-button issues.
"John David Dyche to me is a pretty straight shooter," countered Grayson, "He wrote that book about (Mitch) McConnell, "but then last week he had a column criticizing McConnell."
"If they want to have people who are not large donors of his run the debate and people who have not written impartial things about us moderate the debate, we're happy to debate," Paul said.
Paul's campaign manager, David Adams, contends that the MRWC's first proposal included an opportunity for the candidates to make speeches, but Paul backed out when the club changed the rules, and included a question and answer session with no guarantee of equal time during rebuttals.
Hinson insists that the rules did not change.
"I just think he didn't think our group was important enough and didnt think this debate was something he wanted to attend," Hinson said, adding that she is communicating her feelings to the statewide Kentucky Federation of Republican Women.
If the group was impartial prior to the debate, it appears to be tilting to Grayson after the cancellation. Yet, Hinson says her $1000 donation to Grayson would not have affected her fairness in the debate. Hinson said Paul should not be surprised that anyone active in such political events has made a political donation.
"You know, I gave that donation to Trey back in the fall," Hinson said, "and he called and asked me for it and needed some help and I knew him better than I knew anyone else. He kind of worked with me a little bit and told me what his ideas were and I believed him and he asked for a check and I gave him a check."
Paul found questions about his absence from one debate ironic, as Grayson was absent from the Saturday debate.
" I'm standing here at a debate this morning and my opponent hasn't shown up," Paul said, "So, really the shoe's on the other foot. We have said we'll debate anywhere, and we're standing here this morning and asking where is our opponent?"
"I feel like I won at Paducah, so I'm not afraid to debate," Grayson said, "I'm not the one who's canceling at the last minute
Though Wednesday's debate is canceled, both Grayson and Paul have agreed to three other debates, in Knox County, Bowling Green and on KET television, but none in Louisville.
The two GOP frontrunners, however, will be together in Louisville Thursday, at a pro-coal rally.
