Republican political consultant and Deseret Morning News columnist LaVarr Webb said the incident hurts Workman.

"I can understand where she's coming from, and sympathize with her, but this is politics, after all, and elected officials have to face tough questions," he said. "Lots of political figures feel they are unfairly treated by reporters and have wanted to walk out, but you just don't do that."

Democrat Frank Piganelli, another Deseret Morning News columnist, said, "The political process is a meat grinder."

Webb said Workman has faced tougher questions in the past and done fine with them. "She's obviously not herself."

She might not be, but Workman has no plans to withdraw from the campaign. The mayor told the editorial board she plans to continue and expects to win re-election. Her attorney, Greg Skordas, said he is still hopeful that she can get a trial date before Nov. 2, hinting that he may have a yet-to-be-revealed strategy to get one.

"There's a lot happening in this case, a lot happening in the next 10 days and the next two weeks," he said.

Skordas said allegations by special deputy district attorney Mike Martinez that Workman is trying to get special treatment by putting herself above others who are trying to get a trial date are "completely untrue."

"Cases are accommodated all the time," he said, citing missionaries or soldiers who are about to leave, as well as cases arising during the Olympics. "We've just been thwarted for no good reason."

Current law requires that Workman have a physician certify her as mentally or physically incapable to withdraw from the race, which Workman is not interested in doing.

"I would have looked at it back when it first started," she said, "but right now I'm staying the course."

---

E-mail: aedwards@desnews.com