Charges ‘Absurd,’ Says Congressman’s Aide : Sumner Accuses Badham of ‘Hiding’ From Hi

Democratic congressional candidate Bruce Sumner Monday accused his opponent, Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach), of “hiding” by refusing to debate him at a forum that a Sumner aide had arranged.

The charge was termed “absurd, absolutely absurd” by Badham aide William Schreiber. “We have accepted already three to four invitations to public, open forums to present our views. . . .Obviously Mr. Paine (Sumner aide David Paine) and Judge Sumner are scrambling for whatever issue they can find--even if they have to create it out of thin air.”

Their verbal sparring came after Badham, a five-term congressman who is widely expected to be reelected in November, had declined to participate in an Oct. 21 debate. Paine told reporters about the refusal Monday.

Paine said he had spent the last three weeks scheduling the debate at UC Irvine, arranging to book a hall for $1,500 and getting the League of Women Voters of Orange County to agree to sponsor it. Then on Friday, when he spoke with Schreiber, the Badham aide told him no. Sumner and Paine conceded that Badham has agreed to several joint appearances--a KOCE-TV interview show, a Newport-Harbor Realtors meeting and a senior citizens function in Laguna Hills. But Sumner claimed that none of these meetings would offer an open-debate format in which Badham would be forced to take “a vigorous position on issues.”

Added Paine, “The only time Bob Badham is willing to show up is if he is carefully orchestrated from anyone challenging his point of view. . . .”

Schreiber responded that he wanted Badham to meet in a “neutral” setting where questioners were seeking information, rather than in a debate where “the two candidates are banging back and forth with a bunch of negative comments.”