Democratic U.S. Senate hopefuls debate campaign tactics . . . and Bono?

Front-runners Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick, who agree on big issues, argue over attacks and acerbic comments
Saturday, April 05, 2008
HARRY ESTEVE, The Oregonian

Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick mostly agree on Iraq, health care and other big policy issues, so in their first head-to-head debate, held Friday in Portland, style became the flash point.

Merkley suggested Novick lacks the diplomatic skills to be a successful senator. Novick complained of Merkley's new attack mode of campaigning.

"Steve often makes his points by attacking and insulting," Merkley said after reading a host of acerbic comments Novick has published in letters and on the Internet about Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and others.

"I keep trying to picture you going to Sen. Obama or President Obama and saying, 'I've called you a special interest fraud, but please help me with those timber payments for Oregon,' " Merkley said, drawing chuckles from the audience at the City Club of Portland.

Novick countered that when he criticizes others -- even those in his own party -- it's because he disagrees with them on policy issues, whereas Merkley's attacks on him have been more personal. But he acknowledged that some of his comments may have gone too far and pledged to tone it down.

"Sometimes, I've used rather over-the-top language," Novick said.

In an interview after the debate, he was more apologetic. "I'm going to be more careful about what I say about people in public life," he said, "because they're real people and they have feelings, too."

The two leading candidates vying to run against Republican Sen. Gordon Smith have grown more hostile as the May 20 primary nears. There has been no recent definitive polling, but many observers believe the race is close.

Although six candidates have filed to run in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat, the City Club only invited the two leading candidates. The action caused one candidate, Eugene real estate broker Candy Neville, to protest the event.

Tensions between the two front-runners became obvious in the second half of Friday's debate, when they were given a chance to pose questions to each other. While Merkley grilled Novick on his negative statements about Obama, Clinton and even rock singer Bono, Novick questioned Merkley on his campaign tactics, pointing out a recent poll in which the Merkley campaign referred to Novick as "pro tax" and "not serious."

"I'm just curious," Novick said, "what did your consultants tell you about which of those attacks worked the best?"

Recently, Merkley has been striving to portray himself as the experienced politician and activist in the race, while highlighting Novick's career as a political consultant. He pressed that strategy Friday.

"When people are thinking about who they want to be as senator, they don't want a person who has simply been an adviser to political campaigns," Merkley said. "They want someone who has jumped into the fray."

Novick criticized Merkley for accepting campaign cash while serving as House speaker during the special legislative session in February, even though Merkley had pushed for a rule the year before that prohibited House members from taking donations while in session.

"Maybe that was a silly rule, but if you adopted the rule, you should either repeal the rule or abide by it rather than looking for an exemption for yourself," Novick said.

The most curious exchange came late in the debate and centered on Bono, lead singer for the rock band U2 and an activist on world poverty issues.

Merkley read a statement by Novick in which he called Bono "the most hypocritical human on the face of the Earth."

"Do you stand by that statement?" Merkley asked.

"Bono is a tax evader," Novick replied. "His band stashes their money in tax shelters in the Netherlands" while supporting tax-subsidized debt relief for Third World nations. "I think that's hypocritical."

"The most hypocritical human on the face of the Earth?" Merkley asked, incredulously.

"Yes!" Novick exclaimed.

Posted April 8, 2008
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