Another Democrat candidate for statewide office has developed a terminal case of cowardice. Late last week, Superintendent of Schools Denise Juneau suddenly cancelled a previously agreed upon debate scheduled for last night. Challenger Sandy Welch has posted this letter to her opponent:

August 21, 2012

Superintendent Juneau:

In light of your recent cancellation of our first agreed upon debate, I am writing you this letter to inform you of my unwavering call for debate. In public service, no official is exempt from appearing to debate and defend their record. Not only will I agree to any debate that meets the below criteria, I will also debate no matter how rushed or disorganized a host or venue may seem. Leaders show up, even when situations are disorganized. Education is no topic for political gaming. This demands transparent dialogue, in any setting.

I accept any offer to debate you, and hope you are willing to defend, publicly, your term as Superintendent. The voters of Montana deserve to hear you contrast yourself with my vision for OPI in an objective environment.

I will debate you in any setting that meets the following criteria:

– Each campaign will be equally given tickets to disperse to audience members.
– Media must be present.
– Our scheduling team has adequate time (at least seven days) to rearrange previously set calendar items.

Public officials must be held accountable and responsive to all voters. This is why we have a democratically elected government. As Superintendent, I won’t hide from fulfilling this duty. I look forward to debating you.

Sandy Welch

We understand that Montana Democrats are finding themselves wedged squarely between rocks and hard places. Bullock and Juneau are firmly tied to the far left, anti-development environmental lobby and President Obama’s unpopular and failed policies and programs. Having to defend their votes against the Otter Creek coal lease which flooded state coffers with $85 million dollars is not the kind of position any politician wants to be in. For Juneau especially, it’s hard to advocate for increased revenues for public schools after having turned down that kind of cash. It’s also got to be pretty intimidating to stand in front of an audience who thinks that having job opportunities for the kids who graduate from our public schools is high on the list of priorities when you’ve voted against those jobs.

Juneau has much to defend from her four years at the helm of OPI. She’s gotten a failing grade (65% – what we call a “solid F”) when it comes to meeting accreditation standards. Parents and school boards are equally frustrated with the high school dropout rates and overall academic achievement scores throughout K-12. The increasing demand for charter schools, private schools, and home schooling is a direct result of her tenure.

It’s no wonder that she would rather stay hidden behind her office door or skee-daddle off to the Democratic National Convention rather than face Montana voters. A cursory review of her latest campaign finance report underscores her lack of support from Montanans – 20 out of 23 named donors are from out of state. The people of Montana are looking for leadership and accountability. Denise Juneau however would rather run away than face the people she’s accountable to.

Sandy Welch is the most credible candidate for the office of public instruction that Montanans have had in a long time. She’s got an awesome resume and great experience to bring to the job. She’s knowledgeable, articulate, and really understands the issues surrounding education. She has proposed workable, realistic, practical solutions and common-sense approaches to improving our school system. And she’s enthusiastically taking that message to the receptive voters all over the state. It’s no wonder that Juneau is ducking the debates.

There are precious few days left before the election and the latest polls aren’t going to warm the cockles of any Democrat’s heart. But avoiding the tough questions and pandering to friends-only audiences won’t win elections. Make no mistake – the word is out – Democrats are afraid. Very afraid.

This strain of yellow fever can be a fatal diagnosis for a political career.