Clarkson's NY-23 debate is kaput

A 23rd Congressional District candidate debate scheduled for Oct. 27 at Clarkson University has been canceled due to lack of participation, one of its organizers said Tuesday. A Thursday debate that WWNY-TV 7 was organizing is also dead, as is a Sunday panel at SUNY Oswego.

Donna E. Seymour, communications chair for the St. Lawrence County branch of AAUW, said Republican Dede Scozzafava was the only candidate to agree to the Clarkson forum. She said Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party's candidate, declined the offer to attend a party fundraiser in Liverpool with Mike Huckabee. Mrs. Seymour said Bill Owens, the Democratic and Working Families parties candidate, declined to attend after his campaign learned that Mr. Hoffman was not coming.

"My very clear impression from talking with the Owens and Hoffman campaigns were they were far more interested in their out-of-district fundraisers than they were in meeting their constituents," she said Tuesday. "It was real frustrating. The voters need to know these candidates have not made getting in front of a mixed group of people a priority."

Mrs. Seymour said she's "never seen a campaign that's gone this way" in her 15 years organizing candidate forums and debates. The group tried multiple dates, but to no avail. Instead, the organizer said she heard "thousands of excuses" from the campaigns about why they couldn't attend the event.

"If the candidates will not meet with voters before the election, I think that tells us quite a bit about their constituent service side of their offices after they're elected," she said.

Mrs. Seymour said the event was to be held in conjunction with her group, the college, North Country Public Radio, SUNY Potsdam, the north country region of the New York State PTA, the St. Lawrence chapter of the New York State Women (formerly Business and Professional Women), and the new St. Lawrence unit of the League of Women Voters.

Mrs. Seymour, I should mention, is not related to me.

WWNY-TV 7 had tried to arrange a 3:30 p.m. debate at its studios among the three candidates. Ms. Scozzafava said yes, Mr. Hoffman said no - and Mr. Owens never made a committment. The Watertown Daily Times and North Country Public Radio were scheduled to participate.

The Watertown television station is now considering doing 20-minute sessions with each candidate, although that plan is in its infancy stages.

SUNY Oswego's Student Association Senate had tried to bring the candidates together Sunday. Ms. Scozzafava's team said they "wanted to see it happen," but Mr. Owens declined the invitation. It's unknown what Mr. Hoffman said.

The candidates only have one scheduled debate together so far: Oct. 29 at WSYR's Newschannel 9 studios in Syracuse.

UPDATE: Matt Burns, Ms. Scozzafava's spokesman, has offered this statement: "Another day, more ducking and dodging from Bill Owens and Doug Hoffman. Why is Bill Owens afraid to explain to people how he made $750,000 a year defending tax cheats? Or why he'll be a rubber-stamp for Nancy Pelosi's plan to cut Medicare to our seniors? Why is Doug Hoffman afraid to explain to voters why he broke his word to support Dede Scozzafava — and later lied about it? And why does he intend to short-change Fort Drum and numerous area hospitals by pledging to cut a significant portion of their funding? Voters of the 23rd Congressional District deserve better from Owens and Hoffman than their continued hiding behind 30-second television commercials."