GOP Debate Date, Venue 'Decided' Without Candidate's Approval

The chairman of the Republican Town Committee and the wife of a GOP first selectman candidate said Wednesday night that a debate between two Republican first selectman candidates would take place July 11 before the RTC.

The only problem is, the other first selectman candidate says he never agreed to that.

James Baldwin, the RTC's chairman, left a voicemail for Fairfield Patch about 8:30 p.m. saying the debate between Board of Finance Vice Chairman Robert B. Bellitto, Jr. and David M. Becker, a District 1 member of the Representative Town Meeting, would be at the RTC's July 11 meeting. About two hours later, Maureen Bellitto, Robert Bellitto's wife, sent a letter to the editor (editor's note: see separate posting) in which she too said the debate was at the RTC July 11.

Becker had said Wednesday afternoon that he wanted more than one debate and that he didn't think the RTC meeting was an appropriate venue, given that it wouldn't be an independent location, such as Fairfield Public Library, and was so close to the July 19 GOP caucus, in which Republican voters in Fairfield can head to the polls to endorse their party's candidate for first selectman.

Late Wednesday, Becker said he was surprised that a decision apparently had been made on the date and location of the debate, saying he had agreed to neither. "There was no agreement as of when we last spoke," Becker said, referring to himself and Bellitto.

Becker said he had talked with Bellitto after he and Bellitto talked to the media Wednesday afternoon. "We never settled on the date, the venue," Becker said. "We left off that we would speak again tomorrow [Thursday]."

Becker said he didn't receive an e-mail or phone call from Baldwin or anyone from Bellitto's campaign after he and Bellitto last spoke. "I was also surprised to hear this through [the media] and not through Rob or even the chairman of the RTC," Becker said.

James Millington, a past chairman of the RTC and the RTM's majority leader, said the RTC chairman is supposed to be neutral toward Republican candidates until Fairfield Republicans have voted in the caucus. He said Baldwin mentioning the date and location of the debate without Becker's approval of the date and location "shows a great deal of bias."

"I would hope that the two campaigns would talk and mutually decide on the venue and format of the debates, just as it's done throughout the country," Millington said. He said an RTC chairman who shows favoritism toward one Republican candidate over another before the caucus starts the "downfall of the party and the process."

Bellitto and Becker also don't agree on the format of the debate. Becker wants a moderator, while Bellitto said he favors a debate without a moderator. The two do agree on fielding questions directly from the audience, rather than having a moderator select questions. The moderator's role, as Becker sees it, would be to keep the debate "somewhat on track" and prevent overly long answers to questions.

The debate over debates was initiated by Becker, who sent an e-mail to the media early Wednesday afternoon saying he had challenged Bellitto to two debates "earlier today [Wednesday]" and that Bellitto "seems to be resisting the opportunity" and that he, Becker, was "surprised by Rob's trepidation."

Bellitto, contacted by Fairfield Patch late Wednesday afternoon, said Becker had mischaracterized their Wednesday morning conversation and that he, Bellitto, did not say "No" to a debate. Bellitto said he just mentioned the difficulties in working out the logistics, given that this week is the final week of school, people would be leaving for vacations and time had to be devoted to fundraising and campaigning.

After Becker went public with his interest in having two debates, Bellitto sent Becker an e-mail proposing one debate at the RTC's July 11 meeting.

Becker said he went public with his interest in having two debates because Bellitto said Wednesday morning that he would get back to him next week.

Republican insiders say Bellitto is the preferred candidate among GOP leaders in Fairfield, though the ultimate endorsement is left up to Republican voters in Fairfield via the GOP caucus July 19.

Feuding among Republicans isn't new - it dates to the days of former First Selectman John Metsopoulos, who served in the town's top job from 1999 to 2001, and has continued at times since then, most notably before an election or when a candidate is scheduled to fill a vacancy on a town board.

Becker said late Wednesday that he hadn't decided to debate Bellitto at the RTC's July 11 meeting and planned to talk with Bellitto Thursday morning.