Frank Gaffney, the founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, is challenging Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, to a policy debate.

In a new letter, Gaffney sets the stakes. He highlights his interpretation of Norquist’s positions on numerous issues ranging from the Patriot Act (opposes) and closing Gitmo (supports) to trying KSM in NYC (supports) and and immigration (open borders). He also criticizes Norquist for “outreach to individuals and organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the name of GOP ‘inclusiveness.’”

“You have claimed that those who disagreed with you on these recommendations were ‘scaremongering,’ ‘racists’ and ‘bigots,’” Gaffney writes. “It has been troubling to me that your policy preferences and efforts to advance them may have contributed to a serious diminution of the amount and quality of attention given to these and related subjects in the Conservative Action Project’s Mount Vernon Statement, the Conservative Political Action Conference’s program and the choices available to respondents as part of the development of the Contract From America.”

He continues: “It was, therefore, heartening to me to learn of the enthusiasm you have expressed together with The Nation’s Katrina vanden Heuvel for the idea of debate as a means whereby arguments can be ‘tested and honed.’ Rarely has it been more necessary than now, in the run-up to a potentially pivotal national election, to have a rigorous evaluation of the sorts of ideas you espouse and promote with respect to our national security and their suitability for American conservatives and Republicans.

“Accordingly, I formally challenge you to a public debate about those arguments in a mutually agreeable forum. I believe this should take place at the earliest possible moment, given the importance of sorting out whether your policy recommendations should be adopted or rejected by the Republican Party and/or the conservative movement. Knowing of your commitment to public debate, I hope you will promptly accept this invitation.”