Where's Garrett?

Looks like accountability to their constituents is an alien notion for more than one Republican. NJ Rep. Scott Garrett (Chickenshit - 5th) is just too busy to answer to his constituents in a debate with his opposition. Perhaps he, like his President, regards himself as God's Own Anointed, and accountable to no one.



Voters in the fifth should answer him by giving him his walking papers on November 2nd. Garrett is a freshman Congressman who hasn't earned that kind of arrogance.



Jeffrey Page, who is emerging as one of the best columnists at the Record, does the smackdown today, reminding this little weasel who his employers are:

There are nearly 108,000 registered Republicans in the 5th Congressional District, plus 62,000 registered Democrats, 214,000 undeclared voters, and 1,400 registered independents.



There are no registered idiots.



Someone forgot to mention this to Rep. Scott Garrett, whose excuse for not committing to debate Democrat Anne Wolfe in Bergen County or Passaic County - which account for only a measly 69 percent of the district's population - would be accepted only by an idiot. Chief among Garrett's excuses is that, darn it, he just hasn't been able to find the time.



He has, however, found time for partisan visits. But debate the issues? No.



Garrett is the freshman Republican from Wantage who is after his second term in the House. It would be a mark of delectable political candor if he simply were to imitate the outlaw in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and say through a sneer: "Debate? With those registration numbers? I don't need no stinkin' debate."



But he doesn't say that.



Instead, in seeming to chicken out of a scheduled Oct. 21 meet-



ing at Ramapo College in Mahwah, Garrett had his campaign manager, Matthew Barnes, tell The Record: "Given Congressman Garrett's congressional responsibilities and often-changing congressional schedule, we cannot commit to the debate at this time."



It sounds high-minded. But when you read it again, you find it's not Garrett's fault that he probably won't meet Wolfe or the minor party candidates to discuss such piddling matters as war and peace, homeland security, terrorism, gay marriage, the environment, abortion, health care, Social Security or education.



It's the fault of Congress itself, Barnes complained, noting that the leadership is holding the House in session. He made it sound as though House members would be free to leave Washington sometime in the next ice age.



In fact, the House is scheduled to adjourn on Friday, maybe Saturday.



So does Garrett actually want to debate? "Congressman Garrett is eager to share his record of accomplishment with the voters of the 5th District," Barnes said.



Yes, but does he want to debate? "He can't commit at this time," Barnes said.



On Garrett's Oct. 29 schedule, Barnes said, is a joint radio appearance with Wolfe on Oldies 1510 in Hackettstown in Warren County, four days before the election. Wolfe says she'll be there. But unless you live within a 20-mile radius of Hackettstown, don't bother tuning in. You're not likely to pick up Oldies 1510's signal, which is too weak to reach Ringwood, let alone Allendale or Norwood, said Norman Worth, the general manager.



It should be noted that Warren County, the home base of Oldies 1510, contains a grand total of 15 percent of the 5th District's population, about the same proportion as West Milford, Bergenfield, Mahwah and Paramus alone.



Bearing in mind that it was as long ago as August when Wolfe challenged Garrett to debate, precisely what is it about Garrett's congressional schedule that prevents him from doing what Dick Cheney and John Edwards did last night and what George W. Bush and John Kerry have done once and will do twice more?



Garrett is a member of the House Budget Committee, which has a hearing scheduled for 10 this morning. He's also on the Financial Services Committee, which has no business this week. There could be general House business this week, such as some roll call votes.



Bush, meanwhile, is reported to hate debating. His responsibilities outweigh Garrett's by about a billion to one. Now, he may have thought about it, but at no time did he shove his press secretary, Scott McClellan, out to a bunch of reporters to utter something like: "Given President Bush's presidential responsibilities and often-changing presidential schedule, we cannot commit to the debate at this time."



With an adjournment set for Saturday at the latest, you'd expect Garrett and all other House members standing for reelection to head home to their districts to make their cases to the voters. Even after just one term in office, Garrett should know that there's more to the 5th District than the cow-mooing countryside of Warren County.



On Saturday, even though he was weighed down by the tonnage of his congressional responsibilities and his often-changing congressional schedule, Scott Garrett managed to travel to Ramsey to smile and shake hands with Rudolph Giuliani, who was stumping for Bush in Bergen County.



Tonight Garrett is the scheduled guest speaker at the Glen Rock Republican Club's dinner meeting.



Hey Garrett, it's time to talk to the voters, not just the party.