Kendal Shaber, a Sunriver mom, has already voted in this year’s election. But Shaber, 43, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Morgan, and her 7-year-old son, Aaron, to a political forum held Sunday in Bend for Oregon’s five candidates for U.S. Senate.

Not only does Shaber want to expose her children to the political process as early as possible; she wants them to hear from every political party – big and small.

”The election is more about them than it is about us. They will have to live with the decisions,” Shaber said. ”It’s an essential part of being a U.S. citizen to be involved and informed.”

The Shabers were among roughly 50 people who attended the forum, which was sponsored by the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Deschutes County.

The five candidates included David Brownlow with the Constitution Party; Libertarian Dan Fitzgerald; Pacific Green candidate Teresa Keane; Republican Al King and Democrat Ron Wyden.

The candidates got equal playing time, with each getting two minutes for opening remarks, one minute to answer questions and one minute to give closing statements.

Wyden defended his record as a Senator, which included voting against going to war with Iraq; increasing Medicare reimbursements to rural communities and protecting Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.

Under President George Bush’s administration, he said that government was ”digging a hole” with the war and tax cuts, though he supported middle-class breaks.

Calling himself an ”independent voice” of Oregon, Walden cited his ability to appeal to both sides of the political aisle. He joked that – depending on the competitor – he was either too conservative or too liberal.

”I think it’s fair to say I frustrate both ends of the political spectrum,” Wyden said.

Republican candidate King, a Malin cattle rancher, argued for a strong defense that meant securing U.S. borders and helping Iraq establish sovereignty.

He also said Oregon needed to match its natural resource-based economy with ”human resources” in a sustainable way to create jobs. Tax cuts for the working class would help drive the economy forward, he said.

”Jobs and the economy have to do with how well you can take care of your family,” King said.

Like King, Pacific Green Party candidate Keane took every opportunity to challenge Wyden on his performance.

She also talked about how politicians kowtowed to corporations, and how ”corporate fatcats” needed to be kept in check.

Describing herself as honest, hardworking and compassionate, Keane, a Portland mental health nurse practitioner, discussed the need to scale back military spending. She said she favors using federal dollars to establish a universal healthcare system, create family-wage jobs and to shore up education.

”We need health care for all Americans and we need it now,” Keane said.

The Constitution Party candidate, Brownlow, a Clackamas engineer, argued that by ignoring the Constitution, the federal government was not following the letter of the law.

He said the U.S. was plunging headlong into fiscal disaster and that citizens had turned over too much power to Congress. The court system had been come the de facto arm of the Legislature, he added.

He also railed against abortion and the war in Iraq.

”We have to admit our mistake and pull every single American troop out of Iraq immediately,” Brownlow said.

Echoing Brownlow, Libertarian candidate Fitzgerald, a computer consultant, said the federal government had too much power and need to reduce spending.

He argued for a hands-off approach to governing, saying that the federal government shouldn’t tell citizens how to live, what religion to practice or who to marry.

”I don’t want government to impose particular moralities on us,” Fitzgerald said.

”I don’t want to run your life for you,” he said later.

Many in the audience had already made their choice.

Bob Lecklider, 81, a retired engineer and registered Republican, planned to vote for King. But, he said voters can’t be too informed.

”You can learn from the enemy,” Lecklider said.

Despite being only 19, Leyla Estes is already a die-hard Republican and is working for two different Republican campaigns. Nothing she heard at the forum Sunday changed her mind to support King’s bid for Senate.

”He’s the right candidate to represent Oregon, and especially Central and Eastern Oregon,” Estes said.

Even so, Estes, who lives in Prineville, was surprised to find herself agreeing with Fitzgerald’s calls to reduce federal spending, though she said she could never support his stance on social and national security issues.

”I know who I’m voting for, but I wanted to hear the other people’s perspective,” Estes said.

Mike Lovely, 66, a retired U.S. Forest Service employee, from Bend, also came to the forum to hear what the candidates had to say, even though he planned to vote for Wyden.

While he expressed optimism that candidate forums allow voters to see beyond ”the hood ornament,” Lovely knew that the third-party candidates faced an uphill battle in wooing voters.

”It’s sad to say that minority opinions and ideas don’t get very far off the ground,” Lovely said.

Ernestine Bousquet can be reached at 541-504-2336 or at ebousquet@bendbulletin.com.