[Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate

[Nancy Chaney]

Oct. 7, 2004
Open letter to Candidates:
 
This morning on Vision 2020, I read Dean Ferguson's article from the
Lewiston Tribune indicating that, "Latah County Republicans are shunning
the Moscow Civic Association debates scheduled for later this month."
 
As a local elected official, member of MCA, and resident of Moscow, I
urge them to reconsider. MCA exists in large part to "broaden public
discourse" and to organize and inspire "civic participation." We have
relatively few opportunities to engage in open dialogue about such
things, not because of legal constraints, but because people often seek
out and interact with others of like minds and because so many of us
lead such busy lives. How often do we hear about citizens who aren't
even interested in voting, who are disengaged because they are turned
off by rhetoric, imbued with a sense of political impotence, or
inadequately informed about issues that will directly affect their
lives?
 
I can appreciate that candidates' forums and debates can be
time-consuming and nerve-wracking, particularly when the sponsoring body
is unfamiliar to panelists. It is my strong hope that those candidates
who are considering boycotting MCA's debates recognize that attendees
are also their constituents, that tough questions are and should be part
of the territory, that they may certainly decline to respond to
questions that seem inappropriate, and finally, that membership in MCA
is open to them too!
 
The GOP candidates who are suspicious, fearful, or resentful of MCA
members might be surprised to find a number of their Republican
constituents among them. I hope that they will reconsider participating
in as many of the upcoming debates and forums as they can, to reach as
many of our citizens as possible. We all don't have to agree, but it
doesn't make sense to pretend that conflicting viewpoints-perhaps
insightful ones--don't exist. Who knows? Maybe we'll all learn
something.
 
Sincerely,
Nancy Chaney 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Mark Solomon
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 9:12 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
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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