<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>Latah GOP candidates renege on agreement to
debate</title></head><body>
<div><font color="#000000">Lewiston Morning Tribune,
10/7/04</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Latah County GOP to sit out local
debates<br>
<br>
</b><i>Dean A. Ferguson<br>
<br>
</i>Latah County Republicans are shunning the Moscow Civic Association
debates scheduled for later this month.<br>
<br>
"They are a group that has a political mission," said
Barrett Schroeder, chairman of the Latah County Republicans.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Barrett Schroeder called the message "deceptive"
because it hadn't been publicized.<br>
<br>
In a mass e-mail to Republican, independent and Democratic
candidates, debate organizer Bruce Livingston said candidates could
introduce questions through the audience.<br>
<br>
"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.<br>
<br>
Livingston said the suggestion was solely to get as many
important ideas into the debates as possible.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"I've never heard of a PAC organizing a debate," wrote
Schroeder.<br>
<br>
Livingston called the comment "completely wrong."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
------</font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"> <i>Ferguson may be contacted at</i>
dferguson@lmtribune.com</font></div>
</body>
</html>