The U.

Friday, October 06, 2000

The U.S. Senate candidates debate that was coming to Austin Oct. 15 now is coming Oct. 22.

Same time, same place – just a week later.

The date has been changed to accommodate incumbent Sen. Rod Grams, who couldn’t make the debate on Oct. 15 because of a commitment with Minnesota Public Radio.

Things then looked shaky for Oct. 22, because DFL challenger Mark Dayton had a previous commitment, but Dayton has now agreed to come to Austin instead.

Donna Dahl is working on the League of Women Voters debate from the Austin end. She said the last week has been wild.

"On Friday, Liz (Nordling, LWV debate organizer) called and said she was trying to salvage the Austin debate," Dahl said. "On Monday, she said Grams’ campaign was checking on the 22nd. On Wednesday she called and left a message, ‘They called – they’re coming.’"

The Minnesota League of Women Voters and KMSP-TV in the Twin Cities and is one of three LWV-sponsored Senate debates in the state; the other two are in Duluth and the Twin Cities. The Duluth debate was on equally shaky ground for a while because Grams was going to be in Washington, D.C., but now he will participate with the assistance of a live satellite hookup, Dahl said.

"What we’re stressing is that the Austin debate should focus more on rural issues, rather than metropolitan," Dahl said, explaining that its size and outstate location was one of the reasons Austin was chosen.

Dahl said she has enough local volunteers to work the debate; her biggest worry is getting enough audience members to fill the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the Riverland Community College campus.

Anyone who would like to ask a question during the debate is advised to come early. Volunteers will be collecting the questions and the best – to avoid duplication – will be selected and written out on a card for the questioner.

"It keeps people from forgetting everything the minute the TV cameras focus on them," Alan Beck of KMSP Channel 9 said.

In Austin, the debate also will be televised on KSMQ-TV Channel 15.