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Grassley, Challenger Camps Swap Insults Over Debates

No debates yet on the calendar with early voting to start in two weeks

Former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge is accusing Sen. Charles E. Grassley of ducking debates. Grassley's campaign said Judge's camp is making excuses. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge is accusing Sen. Charles E. Grassley of ducking debates. Grassley's campaign said Judge's camp is making excuses. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The campaigns of Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley and his Democratic challenger Patty Judge have yet to agree to a debate schedule, with early voting in the Hawkeye State set to begin in two weeks.

And both campaigns are accusing the other of ducking debates, The Des Moines Register reported

Judge, a former lieutenant governor, launched a website DuckDuckChuck.com that accuses Grassley of ducking debates.

“When it comes to debates, we’re more likely to get an answer out of the cardboard Chuck Grassley in our television ads,” campaign spokesman Sam Roecker said in a statement.

Grassley has accepted a debate with Iowa Public Television, which is stationed in Johnston, on Oct. 20 and another with WHO Radio on Nov. 4. The Judge campaign objected to the site of the IPT debate and said it was considering the radio debate. Both come after early voting begins in the state on Sept. 29.

“As of this date, the Judge campaign has not committed to either of these statewide, substantive debates,” Grassley campaign manager Robert Haus said in a statement. “The truth of this matter is the Judge campaign doesn’t want to debate at all. This is a smokescreen and an excuse.”

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