Kerry challenges Bush to a series of debates

[Brandon]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...ain/index.html

Kerry camp challenges Bush to debates

Friday, April 2, 2004 Posted: 10:29 AM EST (1529 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Saying it's time to "raise the level of dialogue," Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign called on President Bush's re-election campaign Thursday to agree to six debates in key battleground states.

"Democrats in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Washington, Ohio, Missouri and Florida plan to hold press conferences over the next several days to highlight the importance of a substantive discussion on issues affecting all Americans -- national security, homeland security and veterans' issues; education; environment and energy policies; the economy; health care; and equal opportunity for all," said campaign chair Jeanne Shaheen in a written statement.

Last month, Kerry called for issue-oriented debates, but the Bush campaign "has not responded," the Kerry campaign statement said.

Bush campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin told CNN Thursday, "The Bush-Cheney campaign looks for a vigorous debate at the appropriate time. But John Kerry should finish the debate with himself first -- being on both sides of each issue."

Kerry has repeatedly rejected charges of changing his mind on issues.

Griffin added, "It's interesting to note that John Kerry refused to debate John Edwards one-on-one during the Democratic primaries and now he's the big proponent of debates."

When Edwards challenged Kerry to one-on-one debates, there were other Democratic contenders for the presidential nomination -- though none likely to win. Kerry agreed to take part in debates but said the other contenders should be welcome as well.

Edwards is now a strong backer of Kerry's campaign. Recent polls showed a slew of anti-Kerry attacks and ads by the Bush-Cheney campaign had succeeded at knocking down Kerry's popularity, and the senator from Massachusetts is trailing Bush.

Both Kerry and Bush have released negative ads slamming each other while at the same time saying they want to focus on the issues.

Kerry stayed off the campaign trail Thursday, recovering at his home in Boston, Massachusetts, from shoulder surgery. Bush rallied the party faithful at a fund-raising dinner in Washington on Thursday night.

CNN's Kelly Wallace and Justin Dial contributed to this report.
---------------------

Bush campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin told CNN Thursday, "The Bush-Cheney campaign looks for a vigorous debate at the appropriate time. But John Kerry should finish the debate with himself first -- being on both sides of each issue."

This administration has really perfected the art of making smug, douchebag cheap shots, hasn't it?

[mburbank]

I like where they say Kerry refused to debate Edwards, when all he refused was a one on one debate when other people were running.

If the argument was that Edwards should have been the only one becuase no one else was a credible challenger, then why debate at all since Kerry was far enough ahead that Edwards wasn't reallya credible challenger anyway?

[The One and Only...]

Well, there will certainly be a presidential debate in the near future.

[ranxer]

bush won't debate anyone.. scripted question and answer maybe, but live debate with open questions? forget it.

If Bush does join in some unscripted debate i'll be willing to bet that the whitehouse has figured out how to run bush like a puppet with surgical implants and a radio control feed to a carl rove control center. Bush couldnt defend himself from a 3rd grader without bionic help.