First of two parts
Discerning the truth in a sizzling political environment became tougher late yesterday afternoon at the classy Lucy Florence Cultural Center in Leimert Park.
Even though more than 100 days remain until the November election, a 5 o’clock showdown debate was promised between the incumbent, state Sen. Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City), and his Republican challenger, Rabbi Nachum Shifren.
On a Sunday afternoon in summer, Leimert Park is busier than Coney Island, a splendid setting for a hot political race.
But none of the well-dressed ladies and gentlemen who filed into the corner Cultural Center displayed any impatience as 5 o’clock melted into 5:05, 5:10 and 5:15, and only one participant was present.
Concluding, finally, that Sen. Price was going to be a no-show, James Spencer of America’s Black Shield, the sponsoring group, convened the session at 5:16, and away went Rabbi Shifren.
In a state Senate district where Republicans are more scarce than bobsleds, Rabbi Shifren, staunchly conservative, delivered the performance of his life. Here is the surprising part — to a steady drumbeat of applause from the audience.
Speaking from Sacramento, Sen. Price said this morning that he was “never invited to the so-called debate.”
Who Knew What When?
“Everybody knew about the debate except me,” said the senator in his first two-year term in Sacramento. He insisted that he had “no arrangement or agreement” to be at the Lucy Florence Cultural Center.
“We were contacted early last week and asked if we were having a debate, but we said no. Last Thursday, someone told me there was an advertisement in the newspaper about the debate.
“That is totally off-base. (Rabbi Shifren) is just looking for publicity, I guess.”
Is it? Or isn’t it?
“Total bologna,” retorted the rabbi. “He was contacted by America's Black Shield several weeks ago.
“No matter what they say, he will never debate me because it is not in his interest to do so.”
When told that the debate room was full, Sen. Price said, with a chuckle, “I am sure there was a crowd, probably his crowd.”
Turning serious again, he leveled a second accusation. “This is not the first time (Rabbi Shifren) has tried to stage an event,” the senator said.
“I certainly did not agree to a debate. I know the Lucy Florence Cultural Center well. I know the guys there. A great little spot. I have done events there before.
“But you just don’t announce that a debate is going to occur and then expect the candidates to show up. I had other things on my schedule that day.
“No one contacted me,” Sen. Price told the newspaper. “No one contacted my office. We got a call from a newspaper up here. There was a quarter-page ad in a newspaper, and I was quite amused by that.”
Sen. Price was asked if he would agree to a future debate with Rabbi Shifren.
“Yes,” he said, “I would have no problem debating him. I have certainly debated him in the past. I don’t know if anything would come of it, though.”
Weaving between potential agreement and skepticism about Rabbi Shifren’s intentions, Sen. Price seemed to leave room for a debate during the next 3½ months.
“The rabbi’s positions are well-known,” Sen. Price said, “and they are pretty far right as far as I am concerned.
“As a challenger, I certainly understand his motivation in trying to generate some publicity. This is not the first time the underdog has challenged the incumbent. It’s a common tactic.”
He smiled once more before adding, “I guess it is equally common to avoid those set-up confrontations.”
(Tomorrow: A report on Rabbi Shifren’s debate.)
