King County executive candidates clash in TV debate

In an hourlong, freewheeling forum, the candidates for King County executive engaged in their sharpest exchanges yet Thursday night in their first live televised debate.

Broadcast from the studios of KCTS, Channel 9 in Seattle, the debate was co-sponsored by The Seattle Times, KCTS and other local media.

Hutchison, a former anchor at KIRO television and a political newcomer, looked at home on the set, appearing eager for each question.

Constantine, chairman of the Metropolitan King County Council, was more aggressive in this debate than in the past, when he mostly let challenges from Hutchison stand without response.

Constantine took up the offensive early this time, saying he was the candidate with governing experience, and the one who shares the values of King County voters; because he embraces transit, voted for President Obama, supports abortion rights and environmental protection.

Hutchison accused Constantine of changing the subject to avoid talking about "this budget mess that we are in, ... He will tell you this election is about light rail. That was last year's election," she said.

Constantine took the posture of patient counselor, instructing a bright, but uninformed pupil new to a complicated topic. And he turned the tables on Hutchison in one exchange.

Asked how she would handle funding for public-health services, Hutchison said she would put a human-services levy to the voters. Constantine pounced, accusing her of raising taxes in a recession. "That is not leadership," he said.

Hutchison turned around a criticism from Constantine that she has no political experience or record for voters to scrutinize, and that she refuses to state her views on social issues, or party affiliation.

"This is a people movement," Hutchison countered. "I am not a politician. My opponent has sought to turn it into a partisan race, but it is not, and I am proud of my nonpartisan support."

Constantine shot back, "This is not a race about labels. It is a race about values. And I think it is important for people to have strongly held values and beliefs, and I think it is important when you hold yourself out there to voters to share those. I have made clear my strong values. My opponent is trying to hide hers, and that is not right."

That brought another smile from Hutchison who said, to the camera, addressing viewers directly, "I think I am like you; you don't tie yourself to a party. ... Divisive politics doesn't work, and everybody knows it."

Constantine dug in one more time, saying "My opponent's [financial] contributions to George Bush, the very conservative and anti-choice candidate Mike Huckabee and anti-environmental BIAW [Building Industry Association of Washington] PAC, say a lot about who she is and what she believes in."

Hutchison held her ground, accusing Constantine of being "a foreigner to the marketplace of ideas. He can't hear anything beyond his narrow area. I like to listen to all ideas. That's how you learn."

Hutchison also took Constantine to task for not taking early action on the council against possible flooding in the Green River Valley. She reiterated her idea to call out the Marines to protect flood-vulnerable properties if needed.

She repeated an attack, launched earlier in the day in a news release, accusing Constantine of being willing to scuttle a council vote on a countywide taxing district for flood protection in a political maneuver to save a pet project. Earlier in the day, she'd released a 2007 e-mail from Constantine to a staffer that she'd obtained through a public-records request. In it, Constantine said he was willing to vote against the flood district unless support for two other taxes, including one to fund a passenger-only ferry to Vashon, was delivered by his colleagues.

That e-mail appeared to contradict earlier statements Constantine has made that the votes were not linked.

"It has been documented that you bullied them to get political support for your ferry district. ... I'd like to hear your explanation of how you could have said one thing, when in fact the documentation shows the exact opposite," Hutchison said.

Constantine pushed back, saying he was proud to vote in favor of the flood-district tax, and added, "You took one line out of an e-mail between me and one of my staff members as we were having hard negotiations ... to reach a compromise that was fair and equitable. And I was proud to be one of the eight council members to vote to create the flood district."

Lynda V. Mapes: lmapes@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2736