McMorris, Goldmark restrained during debate

This year’s first debate in the 5th Congressional District was a civil affair Thursday, with incumbent and challenger being generally respectful and polite.

That had some Democrats, who apparently were hoping for red meat, a little underwhelmed. Longtime environmental activist Julian Powers was heard to grouse on the way out of the Spokane Club that challenger Peter Goldmark missed an opportunity to go after freshman Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris.

There was no mention of Fairchild Air Force Base cuts or veterans programs, the subjects of Goldmark’s current commercial, and only a veiled reference to the Rep. Mark Foley page scandal.

Another Democrat with more experience in congressional races, but who declined to be named because of current employment, said however that Goldmark may have played it just about right for the crowd drawn by debate host Downtown Spokane Rotary Club. Respectful plays better than combative in that venue, the source said.

There may be something to that. Much of the crowd might have viewed an aggressive stance by Goldmark as some guy picking on their granddaughter.

Within a few hours, the McMorris campaign was claiming victory, saying Goldmark “provided no real answers or solutions” and “danced around the questions and showed a lack of knowledge.”

That may be overly harsh, considering McMorris two-stepped herself around the most direct question of the afternoon. Asked to name one program she’d cut and one that she’d give more money, she launched into a dissertation of her support for the Balanced Budget Amendment and a reminder that in the state Legislature they always balanced the budget. (As if they had a choice.) Before she ever got to a specific program to cut or fatten up, her two minutes were up.

The Goldmark campaign put out no post-debate spin, which was a clear abrogation of Rule No. 1 of political debates: No matter what happens, declare victory and put your guy’s best lines against the opponent’s weakest responses.

Lots of money, no invite

Format disputes have been settled and Sen. Maria Cantwell and Republican challenger Mike McGavick will debate in front of the Downtown Spokane Rotary Club this Thursday, in a session that will be taped and broadcast that evening on KXLY-TV.

But Bruce Guthrie, the Libertarian candidate who last week announced he’d spend nearly $1.2 million of his own money on his bid to get elected, won’t be there. A member of the Libertarian Party contacted the organizer to offer Guthrie’s services and was told no thanks.

He got a similar answer from The Spokesman-Review’s editorial board, which will be grilling McGavick and Cantwell after the Rotary debate in a session that will be shown live from a link on www.spokesmanreview.com.

That interview is to help the board decide which candidate it will endorse, Opinion Page Editor Doug Floyd said. Having reviewed the field, the board has already narrowed it down to those two.

Guthrie’s money could get him into the other debate, in Seattle on Oct. 17, which will be televised across the state, including locally on KREM-TV. For that debate, there’s a threshold for campaign contributions to help determine viability.

Speaking of that $1.2 mil

Guthrie’s contribution to his campaign is better news for McGavick than Cantwell.

That’s because the Federal Election Commission has a formula to decide when a big donation from a candidate allows an opponent to take more money from donors. The formula for the millionaire’s provision is way too complicated to explain in the space available but relies heavily on the size of the donation and the amount an opponent has raised in the last reporting period.

Bottom line: the less an opponent has raised in the previous period, the smaller the contribution from the millionaire candidate required to trigger the higher limit.

McGavick, who raised less money in the last reporting period, does get new limits; Cantwell, who raised more, does not. Guthrie’s contribution was about $2,000 shy of the amount that would trigger the limits for her, a Cantwell spokeswoman said.

Catch the candidates

Monday: County Prosecutor Steve Tucker and Democratic challenger Bob Caruso debate at the North Spokane Rotary. Noon, Red Lion River Inn, 700 N. Division.

Discussion of state Initiative 933, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Pullman, 7 p.m., Neill Public Library, Pullman.

Wednesday: Debates featuring 6th District state Senate candidates and Spokane County commissioner candidates, sponsored by KPBX. 6:30 p.m., The Met, 901 W. Sprague.

Forum for local legislative candidates and local and state ballot issues, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 5:30 p.m., Spokane City Hall council chambers.

Thursday: U.S. Senate candidates debate, sponsored by the Spokane Rotary. Noon, Spokane Club, open to Rotary members and guests, taped for broadcast at 7 p.m. on KXLY. Candidates will also be at a joint appearance before The Spokesman-Review editorial board at 1:30, webcast live on www.spokesmanreview.com.

Forum for Spokane County executive and judicial candidates, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Spokane. 5:30 p.m., Spokane City Hall council chambers.

Friday: Televised debate with 6th District state Senate candidates. 7 p.m., KSPS-TV, channel 7.

Forum for Stevens County candidates sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Stevens County. 7 p.m., Stevens County Courthouse, Colville.

Saturday: Rally for Middle East peace, sponsored by Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, 1 p.m., Franklin Park, 5008 N. Division.