Walker, Burns bow out of televised congressional debate

SAVANNAH - Congressional rivals Charles ``Champ&#39;&#39; Walker Junior and Max Burns have both pulled out of a debate scheduled to be televised statewide Sunday. <br> <br> Campaign spokesman John Kirincich said Wednesday that Democrat Walker turned down the debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club because of a scheduling conflict - the opening of a new campaign office in Augusta. <br> <br> Republican Burns then declined the organizers&#39; offer to appear alone, though not for the full 30 minutes originally scheduled. Spokeswoman Anne Forbes said Burns decided not to go to Atlanta so he could spend more time at a Savannah event with U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. <br> <br> ``We were just kind of left high and dry. If our opponent would be there, it would be worth our while,&#39;&#39; Forbes said. <br> <br> Forbes said Burns is willing to debate Walker face-to-face before the November 5 election. But Kirincich said Walker has no debates on his calender. <br> <br> Georgia&#39;s new 12th Congressional District sprawls 200 miles between Athens, Augusta and Savannah. The state Legislature drew the district to favor a Democratic candidate. <br> <br> The 34-year-old Walker is the entrepreneur son of state Senate Democratic Leader Charles Walker. The 53-year-old Burns of Sylvania is a former Screven County commissioner and a professor at Georgia Southern University.