8TH DISTRICT DEBATES SCHEDULED

The leading candidates in the 8th District congressional race have ended their debate over debates.

Democratic candidate Emily Firebaugh and independent-Republican candidate Jo Ann Emerson have agreed to three debates.

The other three candidates also have been invited to attend. They are Republican Richard Kline, Libertarian Greg Tlapek and Natural Law candidate David Zimmer.

Kline said he would participate in one debate at most. He said he might attend the one in West Plains.

Kline, who won the Republican primary, is unhappy about Emerson's entry into the race.

He charged that the debates have been structured by the Emerson campaign.

He said he would prefer a forum to a debate.

"It is going to be a little hard to stand up there with two women on either side of me and expect to win," Kline said. "You can't win a shouting match with women."

It was Emerson who first suggested a series of debates among all five candidates. Both Tlapek and Zimmer welcomed the idea.

But Emerson and Firebaugh initially couldn't agree on how to set up the debates. They finally reached agreement late last week.

The debates will be Wednesday in West Plains, Oct. 13 in Cape Girardeau and Oct. 16 in Rolla.

The West Plains and Rolla debates will be sponsored by those cities' chambers of commerce.

The Cape Girardeau debate will be run by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.

All three debates will follow the League of Women Voters' debate format, said Marc Powers, press secretary for Democratic candidate Emily Firebaugh.

Keith Kirk, Emerson's campaign manager, said the sponsoring groups will set the rules.

The Emerson campaign had argued for local control for weeks.

But the Firebaugh camp wanted all the debates to follow the League of Women Voters' format.

"All we asked is that a fair and impartial set of rules be followed," Powers said.

Both sides had accused the other of holding up the debates.

Powers said 8th District candidates actually held the first debate Monday on a Farmington radio station.

Both Emerson and Tlapek appeared in person, and Firebaugh participated by telephone.

Kline and Zimmer didn't participate.

Emerson campaign officials said it was more of a forum than a debate.