Oct. 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Evan Lips, communications director
617-523-5005 ext. 245
WOBURN -- Massachusetts Republican Chairman Jim Lyons on Thursday ripped U.S. Sen. Ed Markey over the career lawmaker’s refusal to engage in more than one debate with Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor, calling it a disservice to voters unfamiliar with Markey's socialist-friendly agenda.
“Sen. Markey begged and pleaded for at least a half-dozen debates when he was being challenged in the primary by a Kennedy, and now he’s afraid of extending the same courtesy to Kevin (O’Connor),” Lyons said. “He’s hiding in the basement of his Chevy Chase mansion playing dodgeball, just like Joe Biden, hoping he doesn’t have to answer questions about his socialist fantasies.”
Markey notably co-authored his “Green New Deal” with avowed socialist U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and wants to grant statehood status to Washington, D.C. as part of a progressive power grab. Markey has even declined to participate in a debate with O'Connor where the senator's signature legislation would be the sole topic of discussion.
Meanwhile, just hours before their debate on Monday, Markey demanded debate host network GBH place himself and O’Connor in different studios, citing COVID-19 precautions, despite the fact that he had already signed off on debating O’Connor in person. During the debate itself, O’Connor dutifully worked to expose Markey’s ultra-leftist record and cited Markey’s 43-plus years of Washington, D.C., entrenchment.
“Sen. Markey has spent almost a lifetime inside the DC beltway with nothing to show for it, so he decided to hitch his wagon to an out-of-control socialist in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Lyons said. “Meanwhile, here in the real world, Kevin O’Connor presents voters with a fresh perspective, optimism, and zero DC baggage.
“It’s clear to me that Ed Markey would rather hunker down and duck questions because his radical policies are indefensible. Now we’re in the general election and the last thing Ed Markey wants to do is have to talk about the radical socialist promises he made to the leftist mobs over the summer.
“Kevin O’Connor isn’t getting seven debates, he’s not even getting two out of Ed Markey, and the reason is that the last thing Ed Markey wants to talk about are his own policies.”
