Relax Mike, you're were not alone! It was such a relief to seeMike Welch's March 3 column on the GAC (“GAC Again Setting for[Mostly] Highlights”) and related article on the Blaine/Fergesondebate. For a while I thought we were alone out there. I waswaiting for the edition of Credit Union Times to see if I trulywas. My directors and I who were in attendance at the GACdebate/disaster/spectacle were equally asembarrassed/appalled/disgusted (I could go on and on). The “debate”did our industry a serious disservice and showed that we haveindividuals capable of sinking to the lowest level without evenexplaining the credit union difference. Apparently, Jim Blainenever read Welch's previous column in the Feb. 25th issue CreditUnion Times of questions that should have been asked. The glibapproach just didn't cut it and made us look like the inexperiencedunsophisticated boobs the bankers think we are. I'm by no means aprude but the brothel comment was way over the top. Welch'scomments about Ensweiler were on track, but I wondered at the time,(and still do) why wasn't our representative at the debate? Sincehe is the chair of our trade association, it would have been moreappropriate. Peer to peer so to speak. That approach may haveworked better as Ensweiler and Fergeson could have debated issuesrather than the “competitive size” – big vs. small – discussionthat ensued. Fergeson is to be commended for getting through theordeal with his dignity. I wish our industry could say the same.Don't you find it interesting that CUNA hasn't officially weighedin on the debate? Maybe I missed something, but so far the onlyofficial coverage I've seen is a picture of the stage with thegroup at the time of the debate which ran in Newswatch in theofficial post GAC edition. I think that says it all! Leslie EllisPresident/CEO Credit Union One Anchorage, Alaska