Otter faces criticism for passing up debate

BOISE – U.S. Rep. Butch Otter, who is running for governor, is taking heat from both his Republican primary opponent and a Democratic opponent for passing up a public debate to host a “high-dollar fundraiser” with big donors Monday night.

According to Otter’s campaign Web site, “For this event, contributions of $1,000 or greater are appreciated.” Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were to be served and attire was “business casual.” The event was sponsored by 21 top donors who are giving the maximum contributions allowed by law, including Idaho Power Co., Sempra Energy and Avista Corp.

Otter originally had agreed to debate GOP primary challenger Dan Adamson last week as part of “Idaho Debates,” a series of debates sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the Idaho Press Club, and Idaho Public Television, and broadcast live across the state. But six days before the debate, he canceled, citing scheduled votes in Congress. Three other dates were proposed, but he rejected those as well.

Otter was busy with family activities on two of those dates, while on the third he was hosting a major fundraiser at the Top of the Hoff in Boise. “We’ve had it scheduled for, like, weeks,” said Debbie Field, Otter’s campaign manager. “We had RSVPs already in for the event, and we didn’t feel like we could cancel that.”

Adamson put out a news release saying Otter was “putting big business above debating issues before the people.”

Democratic candidate Jerry Brady noted that the fundraiser location was “no more than three miles from the proposed site of the debate.”

“Butch Otter has his priorities mixed up,” Brady said in a news release. “Why else would he choose to host a cocktail party for his special interest friends instead of debating the important issues facing Idaho?”