Shuler, Mumpower agree to radio debate

A debate scheduled for tonight (Oct. 2) in Murphy between Rep. Heath Shuler and challenger Carl Mumpower has been cancelled while Shuler stays in Washington to vote again on a proposed $700 billion bailout for the ailing financial industry. However, both men have agreed to appear jointly for a debate in late October on WWNC-570 AM.

Mumpower has been highly critical of Shuler for “ducking an adult debate,” though he said he understands the need for Shuler to go back to Washington to vote on the bailout package, which both men oppose. The radio debate, which will allow access to other media, “is better than nothing,” Mumpower tells Xpress, “but it’s a token effort on his part.” Mumpower says he agreed to the WWNC debate, only because other media will be invited.

The debate will cap off a three-day look at the 11th District Congressional candidates on the radio station. According to Take a Stand! host Matt Mittan, who will moderate the debate on his show (which airs 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays), Mumpower will appear alone with Mittan on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 4 to 5 p.m., to take listener questions. The following day at the same time, Shuler will repeat the same process. That culminates in the debate on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. as both men sit down with Mittan for a formal debate, which will include questions from listeners in the show’s final hour.

For his part, says Mittan, “I’m going to focus to the issues that each campaign has made a priority, and just give them an opportunity to contrast each other’s priorities and where their differences lie.”

For a full story, see the Oct. 8 edition of Xpress.

— Hal L. Millard, staff writer

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Shuler, Mumpower agree to radio debate

  1. Marcia

    Finally. Shuler will look the poor spoken man he is. Unless Nancy Pelosi is putting words in this mouth, he won’t know what to say. President Bush is a real wordsmith compared to Shuler.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.