Lungren, Smith to Debate; Reiner Won’t Take Part

State attorney general candidates Arlo Smith and Dan Lungren announced plans Monday to engage in an unusual series of five inter-party debates before next month’s primary election.

The confrontations between Democrat Smith and Republican Lungren are tentatively scheduled to begin Monday in Sacramento and conclude in San Francisco on June 4.

Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, who will face Smith in the June 5 primary, has indicated he will not participate. Reiner has led in public opinion polls and his campaign manager, Sam Singer, has derided the forums as “a publicity stunt dreamed up by Arlo Smith’s sagging campaign.”

“I imagine a debate between Mr. Potato Head and Dan Quayle Lungren would not be the most stimulating debate imaginable,” Singer said. “So I don’t know if there is much chance we will help either of these two unknowns in their quest for publicity and name recognition.”

Reacting to the rejection, Smith said that Reiner “is afraid to debate me.” Former Congressman Lungren, who will face either Reiner or Smith in the fall general election, chided Reiner for what he termed an unwillingness “to go out there and talk about (his) record.”

Not only is the inter-party nature of the forums unusual, so is the format. Smith and Lungren have agreed to 70 minute exchanges with no moderators, no panels and no prearranged list of debate topics. They bill them as “Lincoln-Douglas style” debates, referring to the famous 1858 senatorial debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas.

The tentative Smith-Lungren debate schedule is Monday in Sacramento, May 18 in Fresno, May 24 in San Diego, May 29 in Los Angeles and June 4 in San Francisco. Final details are being worked out on debate venues and sponsors.

Reiner has participated in three joint appearances with San Francisco Dist. Atty. Smith and none with Lungren.