Sun City sign without snow.

Wish I had known about it, but didn’t have a clue about the Sun City debate until I got a press release from the Doug Truax for U.S. Senate folks.  Truax is running against State Senator Jim Oberweis.

Needless to say it is one-sided, but the email does link to the

• Chicago Tribune story
• Daily Herald story

Here is the press release:

Oberweis dismal debate performance demonstrates why he is afraid to debate Truax

HUNTLEY — Jim Oberweis sighed, flip-flopped, misled the audience and threw his staff under the bus during a candidate debate with Doug Truax on Monday, demonstrating why the perennial losing candidate is not the right Republican to take on Dick Durbin for U.S. Senate this fall.

Oberweis’ stumbles came during the only public joint appearance he has agreed to with Truax, a West Point grad, Army veteran, successful businessman and health care expert. The forum was at Sun City in Huntley.

Oberweis has ducked all three debates on major Chicago radio or television  stations.

“Dick Durbin would make mincemeat of Jim Oberweis in a debate,” said Truax. “You can’t change your policy positions on the fly and throw your  staff under the bus when you are caught misleading the public. This is exactly why Newt Gingrich said I would be the perfect candidate to debate
Dick Durbin, not Jim Oberweis.”

At Monday’s debate, covered by the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald, Oberweis:

*Changed his foreign policy stance almost 180 degrees*. After previously stating in interviews he agrees with Barack Obama’s foreign policy, Oberweis switched gears after Truax called him on it. The Tribune noted the flip-flop.

*Completely modified his high-speed rail position on the fly*.
Oberweis told the State Journal-Register’s editorial board he thinks high-speed rail “certainly makes all kinds of sense.” After Truax asked him how a conservative Republican could support such an emerging boondoggle, Oberweis said he only supported privately funded high-speed rail. There is no such thing in Illinois.

*Threw his staff under the bus regarding ducking debates*. After telling Chicago Tribune and (Springfield) State Journal-Register editorial boards he would debate Truax anytime he could outside his General Assembly duties and that he never turned down a Sunday request from WGN-radio,

Oberweis, when called on it by Truax, parsed his earlier statement to say he never knew about any request — his staff did and never informed him.