"are we willing to listen to the answers he might offer?"

"I'm pretty sure that no reasonable person would fault Pete for being unwilling to walk into the rhetorical equivalent of an ambush, especially since some leaders within the Michigan Tea Party Patriot Network have openly threatened to "pour gasoline" on his campaign and then light the match."

• One, would be to convince us he is truly contrite for positions held that are anathema to the constitution.  I will not elaborate, if it is necessary, someone has not been paying attention.
  
• Two, is that the GT GOP event was quite simply a GT GOP event.  It was not a Tea Party, a "tea party ambush" or even a hostile environment.  Sadly some Hoekstra supporters simply left.  Others stayed and a couple changed their support. The Republicans who stayed for the event, are the grass roots folk who will be the ground game up here.
  

"It's fair to point out questionable elements of someone's public record, but only if you provide an honest opportunity for defense.  "

If those who write are worried about disagreement, then I suggest its time to put on the big boy pants and face the band.  It might be best to not get sucked into some of the ad hominem dialogue, but I am sure that gets figured out quickly enough.  Can't win the game if you don't play, right?

Bottom line?

I'm pretty sure that no reasonable person would fault Pete for being unwilling to walk into the rhetorical equivalent of an ambush...

Rhetorical equivalent of an ambush?  That's bullsh!t.  And bullsh!t needs to take a walk this time around with sniffing at another opportunity to belly up to the taxpayer trough.  It is Legendary Sofa's record we are reviewing here NOT some planted stink bomb.  He did it and he earned it.

Mr. Heine, what you have offered us here really cannot be considered by any stretch of the imagination as a "different perspective".  Some on here do remember all those wooden shoe side of the state torpedoes that were launched from the USS TARPstra during the 2010 gubernatorial primary.

Pete's your guy.  We get it.

The TEA movement should be commended for showing a sherd of sanity with rejecting the idea of another 6 years of the HOEKjoke.

Point blank - this guy is an a$$hole.