U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer is waiting for Republican voters to tell him which Republican he'll face in November. That isn't keeping him from chiming on the Aug. 3 primary.

Schauer's campaign today suggested its own questions for Marvin Carlson, Brian Rooney and Tim Walberg, who all take the stage at 2 p.m. today for a debate at Jackson Community College. The event is free and open to the public, and will be broadcast on WILX-TV at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Schauer, D-Battle Creek, will not be the moderator, but here is a statement from his campaign and his questions:

"To all candidates: Would you have voted for legislation to extend jobless benefits for the 24,600 unemployed workers in the 7th District whose benefits will expire by the end of this year?"

"To Brian Rooney and Marvin Carlson: Tim Walberg has said he doesn't believe the federal government should set any minimum wage [Battle Creek Enquirer, 2/20/07]. Do you agree? Why or why not?"

"These extreme candidates have some explaining to do," said Zack Pohl, spokesman for Schauer's campaign. "Michigan voters deserve to know if these candidates would vote to extend unemployment benefits for people who've lost a job, and if they support the minimum wage. The number one issue this year is jobs, and since Walberg and Rooney didn't even bother to mention the word in their first TV ads, it's time for them to take a stance on these critical economic issues."

http://blog.mlive.com/jackson-politics/2010/07/us_rep_mark_schauers_camp...