The debates just keep coming

Candidate debates are usually entertaining, and sometimes even informative.

Because some voters live for them, we’re including all the debates we know of for the next 10 days at the bottom of this column.

But there are signs the campaigns are starting to strain from too many debates. Or in one case, too few.

Take the Kerry-Edwards campaign, which is so sure it knows what Republicans will say in the presidential and vice presidential debates, that they’ve taken to sending out rebuttals some 24 hours before the matchups occur.

They call them Pre-Buttals.

The Bush-Cheney campaign obviously anticipates what Democrats will say, also, but they don’t send out their responses until the debate actually takes place.

Not made for walkin’

Rep. George Nethercutt, the congressman who would be senator, is so frustrated with having only two chances to debate Democratic incumbent Patty Murray that on Tuesday he fell back on an old campaign tactic of debating an empty chair. Only in this case, he debated empty tennis shoes.

He brought a pair of women’s sneakers to the GOP headquarters in Tacoma, Yakima and the Tri-Cities, in hopes of getting some publicity for his ongoing call for more than two debates. The footwear was a nod to Murray’s early billing as “a mom in tennis shoes.”

While accepting the proposition that this was a stunt – after all, each “debate” had a moderator but the shoes were not given a chance to respond to anything the congressman said – Nethercutt’s campaign insisted there was a serious purpose to it: “We think that folks should have an opportunity to see the candidates debate,” said Alex Conant, a campaign spokesman.

The Murray campaign, meanwhile, noted that while Nethercutt was schlepping shoes around the state his bill on diabetes research was being put to a vote in the House.

“He doesn’t show up to move his own bill through the House because he was talking to a pair of empty tennis shoes,” said Alex Glass, a Murray spokeswoman. “Sen. Murray is in D.C. doing her job. Nethercutt is skipping important votes and engaging in childish political stunts.”

Murray helped push a similar piece of legislation, which she co-sponsored, through a Senate committee last month, she added.

Nethercutt knew the bill would pass easily, Conant said. It went through the House on a voice vote, which is to say the opposition so minimal it wasn’t even recorded.

For those interested in a real debate – between Nethercutt and Murray, as opposed to Nethercutt and some shoes, or Glass and Conant – KXLY-TV will be broadcasting one at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Catch the candidates

Tonight: Spokane County commission, 3rd and 6th District legislative candidates, sponsored by the League of Women Voters; 6:30 p.m. Council Chambers, Spokane City Hall.

Friday: 6th District Senate debate, Sponsored by Chamber of Commerce; 7:30 a.m., Spokane Regional Business Center, Riverside and Wall.

Friday: Presidential debate, 6 p.m., carried on most broadcast and cable news channels.

Oct. 12: Youth issues forum for county commission, 3rd and 6th District legislative candidates; 6 p.m., Council Chambers, Spokane City Hall.

Oct. 13: Presidential debate; 6 p.m., carried on most broadcast and cable news channels.

Oct. 15: County commissioner candidates debate, sponsored by chamber; 7:30 a.m. Spokane Regional Business Center.

Oct. 15: U.S. Senate debate in Spokane; 7 p.m. on KXLY-TV.

Oct. 17: 5th District congressional debate; 4:30 p.m. on KREM-TV; 7 p.m. on KSPS-TV.