Owens agrees to debate, schedule permitting

WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional candidate William L. Owens said Thursday that he is willing to debate his rivals for the 23rd Congressional District seat in Watertown, as long as schedulers can find a date agreeable to all three contenders.

"We're open to any debates," Mr. Owens said in an interview in Washington, where he was to attend a fundraiser hosted by the House Democratic leadership.

"It's hard to get everyone together at the same time," Mr. Owens said. "It's just a question of being able to arrange it."

For all the media blitz and advertising in the special election to replace former Rep. John M. McHugh in Congress, the candidates have spent little time trading views in public. Indeed, they have yet to appear together at a public debate.

Mr. Owens and Dierdre K. Scozzafava, his Republican opponent, have agreed to a televised debate Oct. 29 at WSYR Newschannel 9, Syracuse. The station, as well as its fellow Newport Television station, WWTI ABC 50, Watertown, will simulcast the debate from 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 1.

Douglas L. Hoffman, the Conservative Party's candidate, has been invited, but has not yet said whether he will participate.

Mr. Owens has taken the brunt of criticism — and gained a nickname of "Invisi-bill" from opponents — for skirting opportunities to debate, including skipping a health-care forum in Plattsburgh hosted by a conservative "Tea Party" organization that Ms. Scozzafava and Mr. Hoffman attended. Mr. Owens had a campaign event elsewhere in the district, his spokesman said.

The only other joint appearance was Mr. Owens and Ms. Scozzafava in Gouverneur, before union members, to ask for an endorsement.

The popular wisdom in politics is that front-runners, as Mr. Owens appears from the latest Siena College poll, do not gain from debates, which give their opponents publicity. Mr. Owens, a Plattsburgh lawyer, is relatively unknown in the Watertown area, though, which is Ms. Scozzafava's political base.

Mr. Owens and his campaign staff were noncommittal about dates put forward by the Watertown Daily Times and other Watertown media outlets, including Oct. 20, 21, 22 or 23. Mr. Owens has a conflict on Oct. 20, a fundraiser in New York City to be attended by President Barack Obama.

Times staff writer Jude Seymour contributed to this report.