According to areport from Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr., Rep. Jim Matheson is concerned about potential opponent Doug Wright having a talk radio show.

Should Wright, a longtime talk show host at KSL Radio, decide to enter the 2006 race for Matheson's seat, or even engage in publicly "testing the waters," Matheson's lawyer has warned KSL management that Wright's mike could constitute an unfair advantage.

I couldn't agree more.

In all fairness, Matheson should have to host a radio show, too.

Make him talk into an open mike for three hours straight every weekday. Give him equal time. Let him air his opinions on every subject imaginable, off the cuff and without even the luxury of a seven-second delay, let alone a research staff and speechwriter.

Have the congressman field calls from the sort of people who call in to talk radio.

And still come off sounding sane.

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It isn't easy, being an expert on absolutely everything. Ask anyone who has sat behind a microphone, or a newspaper column for that matter. You can look like an idiot faster than Bill Bennett (I do not refer here to Doug Wright, but I am intimately close to one who goes there regularly).

It's the height of public exposure. You're never off the record. You can't air an entire show or write an entire column of "no comment." Spokesperson? You're your own spokesperson.

It's a risky deal, openly exposing yourself to the world on a daily basis. You're constantly one sound bite from doing a "Jimmy the Greek." Who knows what you might say next? If a talk show forum was such a huge advantage, Pat Buchanan would be president and Pat Robertson would be vice president.

And Merrill Cook would be Salt Lake County mayor.

In the 2004 Salt Lake County mayoral race, Cook parlayed his local radio talk show into a third-place finish in a three-person race. You can't help but wonder, where would he have finished if he'd just kept quiet?

It's true, Doug Wright has spent years honing a public persona as Salt Lake City's gentleman of the airwaves, exhibiting a passive-aggressive style that can be seen as either incredibly civil or Salt Lake City's answer to Mister Rogers.

Would the voters in Utah's 2nd Congressional District send Mister Rogers to Washington?

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To really level the playing field, Wright ought to have his lawyer write Matheson and warn him that if he runs again, the congressman's occupation could constitute an unfair advantage.

How fair is it that Matheson gets his name regularly in the newspaper? How fair is it that he's constantly on radio and television? How fair is it that he has a staff of advisers who conduct research for him and counsel him on the issues?