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Already excluded from today's Senate debate being moderated by Phoenix CBS affiliate KPHO, Libertarian Senate candidate Richard Mack was looking forward to squaring off with U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and Democratic challenger Jim Pederson at a debate this Wednesday in Tucson.

But the debate nearly fell through Friday when sponsor KUAT insisted on ensuring a place for Mack, who has about 2 percent support in polls.

Pederson and Kyl had struck an agreement to debate only each other, which was spelled out in a memo to KUAT along with other requirements.

Staffers from the two campaigns said the candidates had made the agreement so voters could focus on the two leading candidates and where they stand on issues.

It seems to be the only point the two sides have agreed on this election cycle.

KUAT didn't budge, arguing that a true public forum on public television should have all three candidates.

The PBS affiliate even briefly canceled the debate until Kyl and Pederson agreed to include Mack.

"We have a sterling record of what we have done in the community with our political forums," said Bill Buckmaster, host of "Arizona Illustrated." "We cannot exclude a candidate, even if he is polling 2 percent."

Drake's "ecstatic" protocol

In his race for Congress in District 7, Republican Ron Drake has made quite a bit of noise about Democratic incumbent Raúl Grijalva's lack of presence outside Pima County.

So, it's something of a surprise to see that when Drake was mayor of Avondale, a west Phoenix suburb in Maricopa County, he sent Grijalva a letter praising him for his help in receiving federal funding.

"Avondale was ecstatic to learn that both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the Interior Appropriations Bill that included $1.5 million in assistance for the city's wastewater treatment expansion project."

The letter goes on to thank the congressman for his "support" on the issue.

Grijalva has also held on to — and is now releasing — letters of support from various Avondale officials thanking him for a visit during the summer of 2005 and for also submitting a study about a relief route for a portion of Interstate 10.

These letters, Grijalva has said, show his commitment to the district, not just Pima County.

Drake, however, dismissed them as formalities.

"I know how to follow protocol," he said of the letters.

The $1.5 million in funding, he said, was actually done by U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl.

"We contacted Grijalva's office," he said. "But the bottom line is Jon Kyl is the one that got it done."

Whatever the case may be, "ecstatic" seems above and beyond a formality.

The folks over at Arizona Together — the group that is campaigning against the proposition that would outlaw gay marriage and civil unions with a state constitutional amendment — sent out an urgent letter last week that says they are short on the money they think they need to beat the measure.

"We are on the cusp of early voting activity and our window of opportunity to purchase time on the air for our television commercial is evaporating quickly," stated Steve May, treasurer of Arizona Together. "We need to raise more money and soon."

Arizona Together doesn't mind so much about the whole marriage issue, they say. That's already illegal here. They're more concerned that Proposition 107 will rob domestic partners of government employees of their health coverage, they say.

The campaign needs well over a million dollars more, according to the release, in order to meet its fundraising goal of $2.7 million and "fund a mass media effort."

Funny. You've got to wonder how much health coverage $2.7 million could buy.