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<DIV><FONT face="Verdana Ref" size=4>All,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Verdana Ref" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Verdana Ref" size=4>"The greatest, most despicable cowards
are those who are afraid of ideas." --Colonel Alberti</FONT></DIV><FONT
face="Verdana Ref" size=4>
<DIV><BR>Wayne</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Art Deco (Wayne Fox)<BR><A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=msolomon@moscow.com href="mailto:msolomon@moscow.com">Mark
Solomon</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 07, 2004 9:12
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Latah GOP
candidates renege on agreement to debate</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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>
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