merkleywehby

Republican Monica Wehby and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., continue to debate about which debates they will hold before the Nov. 4 election.

Republican Monica Wehby, insisting that she's not trying to avoid debating Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, on Monday challenged her rival to hold at least four debates before the Nov. 4 election.

Wehby proposed that the two agree to debates proposed by KOIN TV, Oregon Public Broadcasting and the City Club of Portland. Wehby and Merkley have already agreed to debate Oct. 14 in Medford on KOBI TV.

Wehby, a pediatric neurosurgeon making her first run for public office, made news in recent days when she refused to participate in two proposed joint forums with Merkley.

The Merkley campaign reacted to the latest challenge by casting doubt on the seriousness of Wehby's proposal.

Lindsey O'Brien, the campaign's press secretary, in a statement called the proposal "a bizarre move" after she skipped an editorial board meeting this weekend that "had been rescheduled to meet her availability."

"Frankly at this point we wonder if Wehby will even show up to the one debate we've already set," said O'Brien. "We'll look at our campaign schedule, but right now we're focused on what's already on the books."

Wehby said in a statement that it was "imperative" that "Jeff Merkley answers for his ineffectiveness and incompetence in these forums."

On Friday, KGW and The Oregonian canceled a proposed Oct. 23 debate accepted by Merkley after Wehby declined to agree to the event. On Saturday, she didn't show at a Willamette Week interview that included Merkley and two minor party candidates, James Leuenberger of the Constitution Party and Christina Lugo of the Pacific Green Party.

Dean Petrone, Wehby's spokesman, said that Wehby wanted to keep the KGW debate as a possible option but has always sought additional debates. He also said that Wehby never firmly committed to the Willamette Week forum, which the paper typically videotapes and posts on the internet.

Brent Walth, Willamette Week's managing editor for news, was quoted in his newspaper as saying that back in July, the paper scheduled the forum to meet Wehby's scheduling needs. "They then ignored all calls and reminders about the appointment, and stood everyone up," Walth said.

UPDATE: Officials at KOIN and Oregon Public Broadcasting said they had not talked with anyone from the Wehby campaign since issuing debate offers more than a month ago.

KOIN news director Kate Glover said the station could quickly organize a debate if it can get agreement from the two candidates. Sarah Rothenfluch, executive director of news at OPB, said the station can put on a radio debate but would find it harder to organize a TV debate before the election.

Mary Nolan, who is on the City Club committee in charge of debates, said the organization's deadline passed last week. But she said the group would still try to see if it can put a debate together.

--Jeff Mapes