By SCOTT HARRISON
s.harrison@krdo.com
COLORADO SPRINGS - 5th District GOP Congressman Doug Lamborn has been accused of avoiding debates with his opponents this election year. That criticism may return, after the cancellation of a debate between him and his Democratic challenger, Hal Bidlack.
The debate was scheduled for October 1 at Armstrong Hall on the Colorado College campus. However, organizers say Lamborn waited too long decide whether to participate. Bidlack's staff recently issued a release announcing the debate, but say they did that only to show they had accepted the invitation and were ready to debate with Lamborn.
Christy Le Lait, a Bidlack spokesperson, says the campaign staff did not get ahead of themselves issuing the release because they assumed Lamborn would honor earlier promises to debate with the challenger. "We would like to see Lamborn live up to the agreements he's made with us. He has told Hal twice now, that he looked forward to debating with him."
The debate was to be sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council. League member Charles Merritt says it's unusual for an incumbent candidate to refuse to accept a debate invitation. "We thought that as far as the average voter was concerned, we might be doing more good if we could have the Congressional candidates debate. So I'm a little disappointed, yes."
Merritt says organizers now will try to schedule another debate at the same place and time with Congressman Mark Udall and Bob Schaeffer, who are running for the U.S Senate. He believes the chance for success is better because the two already have debated.
Bidlack has asked for seven debates with Lamborn, but the Congressman has yet to agree to one with less than three months before the election. Lamborn spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen says Lamborn did not receive the debate invitation until the day after the primary, when he and his wife left on a trip. She says Lamborn simply has been too busy to decide whether to attend the debate.
