Cooper Bows Out of Waitsburg Forum

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Lions Club invited the candidates for Walla Walla County Sheriff to a forum that was to be held during the club's regular meeting here Tuesday. It was cancelled, however, after challenger Tom Cooper told the club he was unwilling to take part.

The forum would have allowed community members to meet both candidates and ask questions. "We decided not to proceed since we couldn't get both candidates," said club member Tom Baker, who was organizing the forum.

In an interview, Cooper said he wanted to avoid a repeat of his experience at an earlier forum in Walla Walla put on by the local AAUW. "That turned into an 'ambush,'" Cooper said. "I'm not going to put myself in a position where planted questions take the focus off the issues."

Cooper said that at the Walla Walla forum, supporters of incumbent sheriff John Turner repeatedly asked Cooper questions about his knee injury and he was unable to discuss other issues relating to the race.