Neo-Con Republican Lindsey Graham vs Jeffersonian Democrat Bob Conley for US Senate

Neo-Con Republican Lindsey Graham vs Jeffersonian Democrat Bob Conley for US Senate
NationBuilder, 9/23/08

COLUMBIA, S.C. -

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's campaign said Monday he's agreed to face Democrat challenger Bob Conley in a South Carolina ETV debate next month.

Graham had put off committing to a debate for weeks, saying as recently as last week he was still checking a calendar filled with surrogate work for U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential bid. "I'm not afraid to debate him," Graham told The Associated Press. "It's just a matter of my time and priorities."

On Monday, Graham campaign manager Scott Farmer said the campaign was committing to the Oct. 11 debate at 8 p.m.

Conley campaign manager Lee Griggs had said the campaign had been considering showing up at debates with a cardboard cutout of Graham. "I don't know if there's a particular reason for this except for the fact we keep hollering," Griggs said Monday.

In the debate, SCETV spokeswoman Catherine Christman, said the candidates will stand and face questions from a couple of reporters and Mark Quinn, host of SCETV's "Big Picture" radio and television shows. Christman said ETV and C-SPAN are discussing a national airing of the debate.

Graham, 53, is running for his second term in the Senate against underdog Conley. He finished the primary with $3.6 million on hand to Conley's $983 and a debt $3,692, according to July Federal Election Commission filings.

Conley is a relatively unknown 43-year-old engineer and flight instructor. He ran as a Republican for an Indiana state House seat, then bolted for the Reform Party. After moving to North Myrtle Beach, he joined his local GOP committee and backed Ron Paul in this year's South Carolina presidential primary before signing on as Democrat in the primary.