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Democrat forum is a no, not a go

By TIMES STAFF WRITERS
Published August 16, 2006

Ed Helm, the new chair of Pinellas' Democratic Party, had hoped to stage a candidate forum on Aug. 29, just days before the Sept. 5 primary.

Featured guests were to be local Democrats squaring off in the primary, Norm Roche and Calvin Harris in County Commission District 2, Charlie Gerdes and Rick Kriseman in state House District 53 and Liz McCallum and Bill Heller in House District 52.

Helm, before becoming chairman, expressed enthusiastic support for Roche, Gerdes and McCallum. But their opponents, Harris, Kriseman and Heller say that played no role in their decision not to attend Helm's forum.

Scheduling conflicts and the importance of being out persuading undecided voters rather than appearing before a room full of largely decided party activists prompted the move, the three said.

Steve Schale, political director of the state party's House Democratic Caucus, said it was a bit unreasonable for Helm to think he could get the six candidates in the same room so close to the primary.

"The chair just set a date and said it's going to be here," Schale said. "It's awfully hard to look at six candidates and tell them you have to be at one place one week before the election."

HOMEOWNERS GO AFTER KRISEMAN: St. Petersburg City Council member Rick Kriseman is getting blasted by constituents whose support he could use in his bid to become the new state representative for House District 53.

Last month, Kriseman voted along with the rest of the City Council to send plans for a proposed development at Ninth Avenue N and 66th Street to state regulators for review.

The location is in District 53, which includes Gulfport, parts of Pinellas Park, Lealman and Kenneth City.

Now the Eagle Crest Homeowners Association, strong project opponents, has endorsed Kriseman's opponent in the Democratic primary, Charlie Gerdes. Gerdes, a lawyer, has given the association legal help in its fight against the project.

Association member Jim Landay said residents had hoped Kriseman would at least publicly acknowledge all the work they had done to prepare their case, but at the City Council meeting he remained mute.

Now, Landay said association members are canvassing hard for Gerdes, going door to door and coordinating with other neighborhood groups.

"We are going to do whatever it takes to get the message out," Landay said.

Kriseman said with another hearing likely on the project, he felt it was inappropriate to offer his views on its viability at the meeting. To do so would have violated his sense of appropriate behavior for a council member, Kriseman said, which he is not willing to do just to further his political ambitions.

"If I cared about the politics of it I would have said whatever they wanted me to say," Kriseman said.

OUCH: Pinellas' Republican Party snubbed candidate Susan Bedinghaus Monday night when they refused to endorse her for county judge. Bedinghaus is the wife of Paul Bedinghaus, a former longtime chairman of the local party.

JUDGE HOPEFULS GATHER: There are 12 candidates running for five judgeships in the 6th Judicial Circuit, which includes Pinellas and Pasco counties. Tonight, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the candidates will be at American Stage, 211 Third St. S in downtown St. Petersburg.

The event, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation and the League of Women Voters, is free. Candidates will make brief statements and audience members will be allowed to ask questions.

Staff writers Chris Tisch and Will Van Sant contributed to this week's Junkie. For more political buzz, go to www.sptimes.com/blogs/buzz. The staff can be contacted at political junkie@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 15, 2006, 21:48:55]