Reichert pulls out of two appearances with opponent

By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

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Republican congressional candidate Dave Reichert has backed out of two face-to-face encounters with Democratic opponent Dave Ross in recent days, drawing complaints from the Ross campaign that Reichert is trying to avoid debates.

But a Reichert campaign spokesman says the King County sheriff has appeared in numerous forums with Ross and would attend another debate next Tuesday. They have appeared in three televised debates since the primary.

After agreeing to attend a Wednesday event before students at Bellevue's Newport High School, campaign officials for Reichert raised doubts about whether they would come after learning he would be appearing alongside Ross.

The Reichert campaign later agreed to the appearance when offered the chance to appear one at a time, said Edie Henderson, the high-school teacher who arranged the forum for a couple hundred students in her U.S. government classes.

On Wednesday, Reichert also didn't show up for what was supposed to be a joint appearance before the editorial board of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, according to both campaigns.

Reichert campaign spokesman Josh Mathis said they originally were told the high-school event's format would not have the candidates appearing at the same time. Henderson said she had made it clear that it would be a candidates forum. Mathis said they had a scheduling conflict with the editorial-board meeting.

"It's a nonissue," Mathis said. "Dave Ross is a talk-show host. We know he loves to talk. But the voters in the 8th District have had plenty of opportunities to hear from both candidates."

Campaigning for Reichert Several Republican celebrities will be coming to Puget Sound to help King County Sheriff Dave Reichert in his race for Congress in the suburban 8th District, according to Reichert spokesman Josh Mathis. • House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will be at a closed-door fund-raiser tomorrow at a private Bellevue home. • Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is coming for a fund-raiser and media event, though Mathis wouldn't say when. • Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and former U.S. Rep. Steve Largent appears at a $100-per-person fund-raiser near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday. • U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans will be at a Tuesday fund-raiser luncheon. Source: Reichert campaign

Ross spokeswoman Dana Robinson Slote said Reichert was trying to avoid face-to-face appearances.

"I think it speaks volumes that Reichert is breaking his promises or commitments to appear where people can hear where he stands," she said.

The two candidates have agreed to at least one more debate, this one at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center on Tuesday.

Reichert's campaign has left several other debate organizers uncertain whether he will appear.

On Mercer Island, his campaign hasn't committed to a planned debate next Wednesday, though the campaign was first notified of the event in July, said Myra Lupton, a member of the Mercer Island branch of the League of Women Voters of Seattle, which is sponsoring the event with the Mercer Island Reporter newspaper.

"All I know is we're up in the air and we're uncomfortable," Lupton said.

Reichert made headlines at a forum earlier this year when he walked out, vowing not to appear in future debates with two primary opponents because of attack ads they ran against him. He quickly resumed going to more informal forums, however.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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