[Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate

[JSullivan]

Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debateI am curious, is there a bi-partisan moderator? Or does MCA have to have a bi-partisan one?

Thanks,
Janesta Carcich Sullivan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nancy Chaney 
  To: 'Mark Solomon' ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 10:38 AM
  Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to debate


  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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