Democratic congressional candidate Reshma Saujani has produced a Web video slamming Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney for declining an invitation to debate.

Not accepting a debate can be an easy way for a challenger to appear substantive and appeal to good-government types. As a front-runner, which Maloney is, resisting a debate with a challenger is a common strategy. That's especially true in this congressional race, where the challenger hasn't identified which specific votes she would have cast differently from the incumbent. Nor have there been polls showing Saujani's particularly credible.

Then again, it's sort of difficult to argue against debating someone who is an articulate and active opponent.