{news} Norwalk Hour on Duffee's exclusion

[David Bedell]

http://www.thehour.com/story/421548
http://www.wiltonvillager.com/story/421548

Green candidate not allowed at Wilton debate

By ROBERT KOCH
rkoch@ wiltonvillager.com

WILTON -- Richard Z. Duffee, who is running against U.S. Rep. Christopher R.
Shays in the 4th Congressional District, and two other Green Party
candidates are crying foul this week after not being allowed to participate
in debates sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Connecticut.

"The Constitution and state laws have no monetary requirement for
Congressional candidacy. Besides, nowhere has the League published the level
of funding they consider a threshold to legitimacy," said Duffee in a press
statement that included quotes from two other Green Party candidates
excluded from the debates.

The League of Women Voters has scheduled a 4th Congressional District debate
for Sunday, Oct. 19, at Wilton High School, according to Diane Lauricella,
president of the League of Women Voters of Norwalk.

In an e-mail to Duffee earlier this week, Pat Donovan, vice president of
voter service for the state League, wrote that a committee of the
organization's board of directors met to review materials submitted by
Congressional candidates "to assess their eligibility for participation in
League-sponsored candidate debates."

"Using criteria reaffirmed by the League of Women Voters in April 2007, and
re-affirmed in April 2008, the committee made a determination that your
candidacy does not meet all of our criteria," Donovan wrote. "Therefore,
unfortunately, we must deny your eligibility to participate in
League-sponsored debates during the 2008 election season."

In the e-mail, Donovan wrote that the review committee was unconvinced that
Duffee's campaign is "funded adequately to undertake an election for a
competitive Congressional seat," and that committee members did not find
"sufficient documentation -- position papers, writings, or other
publications" from him.

In addition, committee members didn't believe that materials submitted by
Duffee "showed sufficient evidence of voter outreach activities," according
to the e-mail.

Donovan could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

To be invited to participate in a League-sponsored debate, a candidate must
have ballot access, a formal campaign, broad voters support and financial
support, according to the state League's Web site.

"Those are rubrics," Duffee said. "Those are categories, those are no
standards."

Duffee rejects that his campaign is inadequately funded to run a competitive
campaign. He said he has raised $9,735 against $8,000 raised by raised by
Phil Myman, the Libertarian candidate who was permitted to participate in a
League-sponsored 4th District debate 2006.

Harold Burbank, Green Party candidate in the 5th District, and G. Scott
Deshefy, Green Party candidate in the 2nd District, are also protesting not
being allowed in this year's League-sponsored debates.

Deshefy labeled the decision "a sad day for democracy in Connecticut."

Locally, Lauricella said she has spoken with Duffee and Donovan, and is now
attempting to mediate between him and the state League. She expressed hope
the matter can be resolved, although it may involve an appeal.

"I can understand why (Duffee, Burbank and Deshefy) might be unhappy with
the initial decision, but again, there is an appeal process," Lauricella
said. "I am currently reviewing the criteria. I'm reviewing the materials
submitted (by Duffee). Members of my board that I could reach, we're all
feeling that, if at all possible, we would like to continue an open process
for viable, third-party candidates."

"So I think we'll be able to resolve this," Lauricella said.

Duffee said he will appeal the League decision. At the same time, Duffee
indicated that he doesn't believe it should come to an appeal to be
permitted to participate in the debates.

Said Duffee: "My belief is that they did not examine the information they
already have (from me)."