There is a huge controversy brewing. By Monday the Bush campaign has to agree to the debate schedule, but as of right now they still haven't done so.
The Kerry campaign needs to raise hell if Bush tries to skip out on one of them. They must not show weakness on this. The fact that they haven't said anything makes me think that the negotiations are moving along, but it's still up in the air.
Frank Fahrenkopf, a co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which recommended three presidential debates and one vice presidential one, said on Thursday he was hopeful of an agreement soon.
The Kerry campaign wants the recommended three debates but the Bush campaign would like to limit them to two.
"Two is enough for the American people to make a judgment, but at the same time it doesn't overwhelm the entire fall campaign," said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist.
The Bush campaign has been quiet about the commission's recommendations.
"We haven't taken a position, official or unofficial, on the recommendations. The debate commission has put forth recommendations, and they are just that," said a Bush campaign spokesman, Reed Dickens.
The Kerry campaign wants all three debates. "Americans deserve three debates. They rely on these debates to help inform their choice, and this year that choice could not be more stark," said a Kerry campaign spokeswoman, Christine Anderson.
This is a huge issue, but I've barely noticed any attention on DailyKos or the other blogs. Let's be honest here, folks. Kerry needs the debates more than Bush does. But the media is expecting three debates and we can make it look really bad for Bush if he tries to avoid one. Monday is three days away.
Do we wait until the debate schedule is revealed or should we already be raising hell? And once we do raise hell, how should we do it?