Seven-term State Representative Ed Fallon is running in this June's primary election for the seat held for six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives by Leonard Boswell. Boswell is running for reelection.

We have received a number of communications from Fallon's campaign outlining his issue positions versus Boswell's, based on Boswell's record and media comments, and Fallon's numerous attempts to engage Boswell in a debate of those issues. Boswell refuses all such invitations, and does not send us press releases.

Boswell may (finally and thankfully) be starting to tick off members of his own party. Some top Jasper County Democrats endorsed Fallon over the weekend, one reason being Boswell's refusal to accept eleven invitations to debate - the eleventh issued by the Jasper County Democratic Party itself.

On Wed., May 28, at 7 p.m., there is going to be a Candidate Forum for the Third Congressional District Democratic Primary at the State Historical Society of Iowa, 600 East Locust Street in Des Moines. This will be a question and answer forum. The only difficulty is that there will be two podiums and only one candidate in attendance. Once again, Boswell has refused. How ludicrous is this.

Is it a show of strength on Boswell's part to refuse all occasions when he might have to defend his record? After all, he is a long-time incumbent with a lot of special interest money supporting him, and, historically, the incumbent has an overwhelming election advantage. To engage in an open forum with an experienced opponent might do him more harm than good. Fallon, incidentally, refuses special interest money.

While it might be the politically smart thing to do - to downplay the importance of an opponent by refusing to recognize his existence - smart politics isn't getting a good audience this year. I believe that any person elected to represent us is also accountable to us, and that persistent refusals to meet openly in a context that allows questioning of the official's positions and record is reason not only to vote for another candidate, but also a reason for dismissal from office. You don't own the office just because you are elected to it.

One of the reasons politicians run all over us is that we let them - we don't hold them accountable. We are a long ways from being the informed citizenry the founding fathers wanted us to be. While it's not entirely our own fault, we can still use a little common sense. You don't have to understand the greater implications and ramifications of various issue positions in order to smell the skunk in the road.

Marty Racheter 52708