{news} Hartford Courant on Deshefy's exclusion

[David Bedell]

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ctdebates0924.artsep24,0,1586933.story

Minor Party Candidates Excluded From Congressional Debates

By MARK PAZNIOKAS
Courant Staff Writer

September 24, 2008

The only thing harder than getting on the ballot for G. Scott Deshefy of the
Green Party is getting on the stage of the Garde Arts Center.

On Oct. 7, Deshefy will be the only ballot-certified 2nd Congressional
District candidate absent from a televised debate at the Garde in New
London.

The League of Women Voters notified all minor-party candidates this week
that they are unwelcome at the league's debates in the 2nd, 4th and 5th
congressional districts. The league has no debates scheduled for the 1st or
3rd districts.

In the league's view, none of the minor-party candidates met its criteria of
broad voter and financial support and a sufficient effort at reaching out to
voters.

"I would like to stress that we value the effort these candidates are making
to put themselves forth," said Jara Burnett, the league's president. "It is
not a repudiation of the their efforts by any stretch of the imagination."

Tell that to Deshefy.

As the only debate scheduled for commercial broadcast, the league's New
London forum was Deshefy's best opportunity for matching his views with the
Democratic incumbent, Joe Courtney, or Republican Sean Sullivan.

Nearly every day from May 1 to Aug. 5, Deshefy said, he worked four to six
hours a day collecting the 2,450 signatures needed to qualify for the
ballot.

"I met, easily, face to face with well over 10,000 people," Deshefy said.
"None of the two major party candidates has done that. That is the ultimate
in voter outreach."

The league's decision also affects Richard Z. Duffee of the Green Party and
Libertarian Michael Anthony Carrano in the 4th and Harold H. Burbank II, of
the Green Party, and Thomas L. Winn, an Independent, in the 5th.

Deshefy is invited to participate in four other debates, but said none will
get the exposure of the league's debate.

Burnett said the league believes that voters are best-served by a debate the
focuses attention on the major players.

In the judgment of a four-member committee, none of the minor-party
candidates made the cut this year, as has typically been the case in past
elections.

"That doesn't mean we aren't interested in having their views broadcast,"
Burnett said. "All of the candidates have been invited to submit an entry"
for the league's online voters' guide.

Contact Mark Pazniokas at mpazniokas@ courant.com

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