[Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate

[Art Deco aka W. Fox]

Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debateAll,

"The greatest, most despicable cowards are those who are afraid of 
deas."  --Colonel Alberti

Wayne

Art Deco  (Wayne Fox)
deco at moscow.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mark Solomon
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com
  Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 9:12 AM
  Subject: [Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate


  Lewiston Morning Tribune, 10/7/04


  Latah County GOP to sit out local debates

  Dean A. Ferguson

  Latah County Republicans are shunning the Moscow Civic Association debates 
scheduled for later this month.

   "They are a group that has a political mission," said Barrett Schroeder, 
chairman of the Latah County Republicans.

   The county's Republican candidates have all agreed not to go to the debates, 
said Schroeder, who has been chairman for four years and is the son of state 
Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow.

   Barrett Schroeder charged the civic association with being dishonest about 
the format of the debate. He also said he feared an ambush because the civic 
association has strong ties to Mark Solomon, the Democratic candidate running 
against incumbent state Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow.

   The series of one-hour debates scheduled Oct. 25 and 27 were supposed to 
feature questions from citizens, Barrett Schroeder explained. However, 
candidates were told to write questions and have someone in the crowd ask them.

   Barrett Schroeder called the message "deceptive" because it hadn't been 
publicized.

   In a mass e-mail to Republican, independent and Democratic candidates, debate 
organizer Bruce Livingston said candidates could introduce questions through the 
audience.

   "I see nothing wrong in a candidate having someone submit a question because 
the candidate thinks it is an important issue that needs to be addressed," wrote 
Livingston.

   Livingston said the suggestion was solely to get as many important ideas into 
the debates as possible.

   In a letter to Lois Blackburn, president of the civic association, Barrett 
Schroeder accused the civic association of being a political action committee 
that endorses and supports candidates.

   "I've never heard of a PAC organizing a debate," wrote Schroeder.

   Livingston called the comment "completely wrong."

   "The Moscow Civic Association is not a political action committee," he said. 
"It's a 501c4 organization, and we haven't endorsed and don't intend to endorse 
any candidates that are involved in any of these debates."

   But Barrett Schroeder said the Republican candidates plan to attend more than 
a dozen other debates and forums. They're just not going to give the civic 
association and "Mark Solomon's friends and family" a shot at them so close to 
Election Day.

   ------

   Ferguson may be contacted at dferguson at lmtribune.com


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