Congressman Joe Walsh has been busy trying to get Brady Campaign “Acting” President Dennis Henigan to debate him. But Henigan won’t take him up on it, unless the debate is hosted in Washington D.C. Walsh has even goaded him with a letter.
This is very useful information to us, because I can’t think of any reason that Henigan would spurn Walsh’s challenge, except the the Brady Campaign doesn’t want to spend the money to send Henigan out to Illinois. He’d rather have it in DC, because, quite frankly, he doesn’t have to travel for that. If this is indeed the case, Henigan is a fool for even making the counter offer, for what that reveals.
I’m really starting to believe we’re witnessing the end days of the Brady Campaign, and possibly even of the Brady Center. If they can’t even send their lead man out to an important battleground state to make the organization’s case, things can’t be good  for them.
That plus ISRA members showing up would outnumber BC/ICPHV supporters by at least 10:1
I think the final outcome of the 2012 election will determine their demise date!
Watch Fox 29 tonight for a big story on Philly with their made up Florida loophole story!
Interestingly, I think another Obama win would be worse for the Brady Campaign than a GOP win. Obviously, we know which way the election has to go. However, another Obama win will continue to keep their constituency quiet.
I think your analysis of the Brady Campaign is spot-on, but I think Walsh anticipated it and calculated that he would never have to face up to his own safe challenge.
With GOA pitching an alert showcasing Walsh within the past few days, and now this, I think Walsh just figures its time to establish some pro-gun bona fides before the 2012 election season.
Do you think that Joe Walsh should setup a site similar to:
http://krugmandebate.com/
So far Paul Krugman appears to have ignored this challenge but I have a feeling that a sitting Congressman could probably get more coverage than an economist from Main Street USA.
Not that I want to defend Brady, but I don’t think its the cost of travel that’s getting in the way. I just pulled up a $250 round trip ticket. I’m pretty sure a senior Brady guy can find a place to stay for free in Chicago (with a board member, or one of their supporters, certainly he has friends in Chicago). If they can’t afford that, they can’t afford rent here in DC.
I suspect they don’t want to hold the debate in Illinois because of the implications that has vis a vis the upcoming presidential election. Obama doesn’t want to discuss gun control, and having a debate in his home sort of forces the issue.
If you do it in DC, Obama can easily say “hey, its just DC that’s where this stuff happens.”
Or, it could be because of the ongoing problems with how Chicago acted prior to McDonald and has acted post McDonald. In DC, you have less “Chicago” style gun control problems and Brady doesn’t have to address Chicago’s problems.
Again, that’s better for Obama’s re-election.
Plus, why would the Brady Campaign want to waste its time debating Joe Walsh. He’s a freshman Republican. It helps him and provides no benefit to them.