What a Hoot. GOPs Pombo and McCloskey in a knock down drag out

Forum turns heated when three GOP candidates square off in Tracy's circus atmosphere

Richard Pombo came out to play, but only once.

The 11th District incumbent Congressman finally agreed to face his opponents, Republican challengers Pete McCloskey and Tom Benigno, for his first and only political primary forum held Monday night in Tracy, Pombo's hometown and political stronghold.

And being that it was the only chance voters had to see the candidates square off, supporters and campaign handlers on all sides seized the national media moment, turning the event into a massive circus-like soapbox.

At least 500 people packed the forum held in a gymnasium at Williams Middle School, but the show started long before the panel from the Tracy Press, sponsors of the event, asked the first question of the candidates.

Pombo campaigners arrived early, plastering the school grounds with signs - many removed later by school administrators. A McCloskey supporter dressed as Abe Lincoln, replete with 1860s' attire and stovepipe hat, was a focal point of a bank of network cameras; he got into a shoving match with sign-waving Pombo supporters. Pombo's guys circled the block in an ice cream truck tricked out as a moving Pombo billboard that blared patriotic music; the driver reportedly yelled insults at McCloskey supporters, and when the McCloskey camp complained to a cop, the driver was issued a citation.

"He should have stuck to ice cream," said McCloskey supporter Laura Wuest, who campaigns for the former congressman in the Morgan Hill/Gilroy area. Wuest toted a sign that read, "Mr. Pombo: Why do you have a zero rating on support for veterans?"

When the candidates were asked to introduce themselves, McCloskey accused Pombo of voting to de-fund a prosthetics program for amputee Iraq veterans. He also rhetorically asked why Pombo funneled $10 million to Senator Tom Delay and voted to change the House ethics rules to protect the indicted politician. But since it wasn't a debate, Pombo wasn't obligated to respond.

"He's given more money to the Mariana Islands than to this district," McCloskey said, gleaning a hefty applause.

Pombo blamed much of the sluggish economy on Clinton's North America Federal Trade Agreement, as did Benigno. McCloskey used his answer to say that since many of the jobs for people living in the Central Valley were in San Jose and Stockton, the San Joaquin Valley has been destroyed by urban sprawl and air pollution from long commutes - and he cast a wary eye at Pombo.

"As for global warming, Mr. Pombo doesn't believe in it. He thinks it's a myth!" McCloskey declared.