Musgrave cancels PBS interview, citing panelist bias

UPDATED 3:55 P.M. 10/17/2008 

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's (R-Fort Morgan) campaign canceled an interview with KBDI-TV's Colorado Decides after objecting to one of the show's questioners.

Musgrave's campaign withdrew from the interview, scheduled to be taped next Tuesday, when the show refused to replace Denver-area political analyst Eric Sondermann as one of the three panelists slated to interview her.

The Musgrave campaign pointed to an April 2008 National Journal article that refers to Sondermann as "a Democratic consultant."

"Needless to say, the Musgrave campaign felt it would be a more fair interview and discussion if the we the replaced him with someone who did not have a vested interest in the outcome of our race," Thielman said in an email. "Unfortunately they insisted on keeping a paid democratic consultant as a moderator rather than using an objective moderator." 

But Marcia Simmons, director of marketing and communications for KBDI-TV, responded that "just because somebody wrote in an article and called him a Democratic consultant doesn't make him one.

"It befuddled us as to why they had a problem with him," Simmons said. "He works on issues he hasn't even worked on an election campaign in this decade for anybody, so it's hard to understand what their problem was or why they have this idea."

Phone calls to the Musgrave campaign and Sondermann seeking comment were not immediately returned Friday afternoon.

Both Musgrave and Democratic opponent Betsy Markey had initially agreed to appear on "Colorado Decides" in separate interviews after both declined to debate each other on the show.

Markey has already filmed her interview, Simmons said; it will air Tuesday.

In addition to Sondermann, she was questioned by KCNC-TV's Karen Lee and Daniel Chacon of the Rocky Mountain News.