Craig Can’t Hide From The Voters

So, what’s U.S. Sen. Larry Craig afraid of?

With two months to go, the Idaho Republican has a solid lead over Democrat Walt Minnick in the polls - in the most Republican state in the nation. Yet, Craig is ducking Minnick’s call for 10 debates as though the race is a squeaker.

The old Rose Garden strategy of staying away from an opponent may work for an occasional U.S. president with a comfortable lead. But Craig’s no president. He’s the senior U.S. senator in a rural state that expects its representatives to explain occasionally why they’re still the best for the job.

Craig needs to debate Minnick - more than the one time scheduled for Boise on Sept. 29 and less than the 10 requested by his opponent. One of those debates should be in North Idaho, too.

Despite all the rhetoric about a tight schedule, Craig’s goal in refusing to debate Minnick is simple: Keep away from him. Mohammed Ali called this tactic his “rope-a-dope” move. Ali frustrated and wore out opponents by bobbing and weaving against the ropes, giving the other fighter a hard target to hit. Indeed, Minnick needs a knockout punch if he hopes to unseat Craig.

Minnick has one issue that can hurt Craig, too: nuclear-waste shipments. Craig supports Gov. Phil Batt’s pact with the federal government, which allowed 1,133 more shipments of nuclear waste into the state in exchange for guarantees that all waste would be removed within 40 years. Minnick doesn’t. The nuclear issue, in fact, prompted Minnick’s race for the U.S. Senate.

The Spokesman-Review agrees with Craig that Batt made the best deal possible for his state. But an initiative that seeks to nullify the agreement made the November ballot, signed by more than 5,000 Kootenai County residents. It’s a volatile issue.

In attempting to “rope-a-dope” his way to a second Senate term, Craig is denying his constituents a proper debate on nuclear waste and other issues. He’s also ignoring Idaho’s tradition of political debates in major races. In 1992, U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne and Richard Stallings conducted 10; two years later, Batt and then attorney general Larry EchoHawk debated nine times.

For once, the partisan comments of the other side in a political squabble contain substance. Said Bill Broadhead, the Minnick campaign spokesman: “He’s (Craig) clearly in hiding. Larry Craig says he wants the job, but he doesn’t feel like he should have to go through the interview process.”

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board