http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-debates4sep06,0,5650023.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

Farrell, Shays to hold 11 debates next month

By Mark Ginocchio
Staff Writer

September 6, 2006

There will be no shortage of debate in the 4th Congressional District race as U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays announced yesterday he will participate in 11 debates with his challengers next month.

Political observers called the high number of debates "unprecedented" for a congressional campaign but said Shays, R-Bridgeport, needs the extra exposure because of his tight race with Democratic candidate Diane Farrell.

"It underscores the vulnerability of Congressman Shays," said Gary Rose, chairman of the department of government and politics at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. "He knows he's in real jeopardy."

Typically, incumbents decline to do so many debates because it gives their opponents an opportunity to attack them, Rose said. But because of the rampant criticism Shays has received from Farrell on issues like the Iraq war, he'll have to use the public forums to go on the offensive.

Farrell's campaign team said it is looking forward to the debates.

"Diane has been asking Congressman Shays to debate her on a number of issues for months," said Jan Spiegel, a campaign spokeswoman. "We're glad he's finally doing that."

In 2004, Farrell, the former first selectwoman in Westport, captured 48 percent of the vote when she first ran against Shays.

Shays will likely use the debates to further separate himself from the Bush administration and the national Republican Party leadership, said Ken Dautrich, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut.

"You'll likely hear a lot of rhetoric like 'I'm not Bush,' in a close race like this," Dautrich said. "He has to differentiate himself, mainly on the issue of the war."

Shays has always been an avid debater during his campaigns, regardless of how close the race is projected to be, said his campaign manager, Michael Sohn.

In his match against Farrell two years ago, Shays participated in eight debates, Sohn said. In past elections against opponents who didn't raise any funds, Shays participated in at least three debates, he added.

Shays decided to participate in more debates this year "to help his constituents better understand where he stands on the issues," Sohn said.

The first debate will be Oct. 4 at the Stamford Marriott, sponsored by the Business Council of Fairfield County, formerly known as SACIA.

The debates will wrap up Oct. 19 at Continental Manor in Norwalk, sponsored by the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.

The Libertarian candidate, Phil Maymin, a Greenwich hedge-fund founder, also will take part.

Maymin, who is the only congressional candidate to propose a specific withdrawal date from Iraq, challenged Shays and Farrell to a debate last month, which was declined by both.

Maymin said he will likely participate in all the debates except the Oct. 16 event in Bridgeport sponsored by the AARP. The organization told Maymin they would not invite him because they do not expect him to get at least 5 percent of the vote, he said.

AARP representatives did not return calls seeking comment yesterday afternoon.

Maymin said the large number of debates is "good for the people of the 4th District." His participation is also beneficial because "it will let the people hear another option."

Democrats can take control of the House by gaining 15 seats on Election Day.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has the 4th, 2nd and 5th district races in Connecticut on its "targeted" list, meaning candidates are getting visits and fundraising help from big-name Democrats.

Well-known Republicans such former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona are planning visits as well to Connecticut to help GOP candidates.

Former President Bush was set to appear in Westbrook today to attend a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Stonington.

Simmons' campaign said yesterday he expected to participate in about six debates with his Democratic challenger, Joe Courtney. Only two debates have been scheduled so far, according to Courtney's campaign spokesman, Brian Farber.

"We're going to take just about any debate offered to us," Farber said.

In the 5th District, Democrat Chris Murphy called on U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-New Britain, yesterday to schedule nine debates that he said the two campaigns had agreed to in writing this summer.

"During her month off from work in Washington, I would have thought that Nancy Johnson would have been hearing the same cry for debate that I have been hearing as I go door-to-door and go to community events," Murphy said. "With only nine weeks until the election, I will continue to tell voters where I stand on issues important to them. Nancy Johnson appears unwilling to do so."

Johnson has agreed to six debates, "which is six more than Murphy held when he ran for re-election in 2004," said Brian Schubert, Johnson's campaign manager.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this story.