If you are watching KSMQ-TV tonight and it sounds like the politicians are repeating themselves, do not adjust your set.

They could be repeating themselves.

That's what happened Tuesday night, when the League of Women Voters-Austin Area hosted the first of two televised forums on the local public broadcasting station, KSMQ-TV.

Julie Tufte, moderator, welcomed viewers and introduced the Austin city office-seekers and then invited them to "tell us a little about yourselves." Then, the audio failed and one-by-one viewers saw a candidate and his or her mouth move, but no understandable sound.

The debacle continued through nine candidates. When all finished and Tufte announced the audio problems, the moderator instructed the candidates to do it all over again.

However, all nine gamely plodded through the "tell us a little about yourselves" portion of the show again.

Austin Mayor Bonnie Rietz and Gary Hanson, mayoral challenger, were featured with 1st Ward incumbent Mickey Jorgenson and Vaughn Bothun, challenger; Jeff Kritzer and Dick Pacholl, 2nd Ward hopefuls; Gloria Nordin, unopposed 3rd Ward incumbent; and Dick Chaffee, At Large incumbent, and Wayne Goodnature, challenger.

Among the highlights was Bothun making his debut in elective office politics, who has been accused of being "anti-Hispanic" at a previous forum. Bothun continued to hammer away at being a "law and order" candidate, saying, "I take homeland and hometown security seriously." Later, he added, "I have many friends of different colors."

His opponent, Jorgenson, poked fun at media reports that she and Bothun were, in her words, "going to duke it out" at a debate. Instead, the incumbent, said she and her opponent "agree on many

things."

Meanwhile, At Large candidates Chaffee, the incumbent, and Goodnature, the 1st Ward council member, who is seeking Chaffee's position, were questioned by viewers on the strange set of circumstances. For the first time in Austin's history, a standing council member (Goodnature) is seeking another's position (Chaffee's) while both are office-holders.

However, Goodnature said he has a history of doing the unusual in politics. According to Goodnature, he was the first deputy sheriff in Minnesota history to run against his "boss," an incumbent Mower County Sheriff two decades ago.

Viewers and LWV questions covered the expected topics of fund balances, economic development, diversity and public safety.

Legislative candiates

After a 30-minute delay, during which time KSMQ-TV technicians attempted to fix audio problems, viewers saw a rerun of a British comedy.

Then, state legislative candidates were interviewed.

State Sen. Grace Schwab, R-Albert Lea, squared off with Dan Sparks, DFL-endorsed candidate from Austin, and Terry Kelley, the Independence Party candidate, in the senate district 27 debate.

House District 27B hopefuls Jeff Anderson, Republican-endorsed candidate, and Jeanne Poppe, DFL-endorsed candidates, rounded out the legislative candidates.

Pat MacLean, moderator, for the second half of the candidates forum apologized for the audio problems that plagued the LWV. She also said the LWV and candidates were bound to hold the forum as a service to voters despite Tuesday night's memorial service to the late Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife and daughter, two campaign aides and two airplane pilots who died last Friday in a plane crash.

Tonight, the LWV will host a forum for Mower County office-seekers, beginning 7 p.m. on KSMQ-TV channel 12 (cable) or channel 15.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at

lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com