CAPT OF A319 REFUSES ACFT FOR FLT DUE TO DEFERRED LOG ITEM WHICH HAD GENERATED ELECTRICAL ARCING. DELAY AND SOME PRESSURE BY MGMNT ENSUED.

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WHILE PLANNING FLT AT MCI; I DISCOVERED THAT THE DEFERRED ITEM LOG SHOWED #2 IDG INOP AND DEFERRED. THE LOG HISTORY SHOWED THE AIRPLANE LOSING ELECTRICAL PWR INFLT THE DAY BEFORE. I CALLED MAINT TO INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT MAINT FOUND WIRES ARCING IN THE #2 ENG PYLON. THE ACTION TAKEN WAS TO JUST SIMPLY DEFER IT. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN AS TO THIS ARCING AND ITS POSSIBLE EFFECT ON THE ELECTRICAL SYS -- THAT A SIMPLE DEFERRAL WAS NOT ADEQUATE. I ASKED; 'WHY WAS THE AIRPLANE FLOWN TO MCI LIKE THAT?' HE SAID IT WENT THROUGH IAD AND WAS NOT FIXED; BUT WASN'T SURE WHY. I INFORMED MAINT AND DISPATCH THAT I WAS REFUSING THE AIRPLANE FOR MECHANICAL REASONS (ABOVE). AFTER ARRIVING IN TPA; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ORD LCL DOMICILE MGR LOOKING FOR INFO AS TO WHAT HAPPENED. TOLD HIM I HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO THE A320 FLEET CAPT AND TO OUR FAA ASSISTANT POI ABOUT THIS FLT. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT TREND OF CRITICAL ACFT SYS DEFERRALS AND A SIMILAR REFUSAL BY MYSELF OF AN AIRPLANE WITH AN INOP IDG THAT HAD BEEN FLYING AROUND THE SYS FOR 4 DAYS. THE ASSISTANT POI AGREED WITH ME THAT THE INTENT OF THE MEL IS TO ALLOW THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER FLY THE AIRPLANE TO A MAINT STATION TO FIX IT AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY AND NOT STRETCH BY THE 10 DAY MEL TIME LIMIT AND FIX IT AT THE LAST MIN.