Spring Break
CBC wants candidates to spar on national broadcast
Hazel Trice Edney/NNPA Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 7/29/07 Section: Politics
- Page 1 of 2 next >
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - The Democratic Presidential Campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are standing firm that they will not participate in a controversial FOX News Channel debate although former Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Elijah Cummings vows to win over one candidate in order to get the other.
"We're going to get them," said Cummings in an interview after the All-American Forum that focused on issues of importance to black voters. "I think what we're trying to do now is get one of the major candidates like Obama or Clinton and once one comes, the other comes."
Cummings was able to broker a similar FOX News Channel Democratic presidential debate in 2004 despite heavy criticism that the ultra-conservative station is not friendly to African Americans.
But, a key element is missing in the plans so far. That is the two top candidates, both of whom have declined the FOX debate. Both Obama and Clinton say they will participate in those debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee.
The first FOX News debate, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, will be Democratic candidates on Sept. 23 in Michigan. The second Democratic debate, scheduled for January 2008 on CNN will take place in South Carolina. The Republican debates are still being planned.
"We will only be participating in the upcoming six sanctioned DNC debates. Thank you," says Clinton spokeswoman Traci Otey Blunt.
Obama's campaign spokeswoman, Candice Tolliver, was slightly less firm, but still declining. "At this juncture, the campaign has committed to six sanctioned DNC debates. At this point, we are standing by our earlier statement that we are only committing to the CBC Institute's CNN debate in South Carolina in January," says Tolliver.
Ironically, Tolliver was also a spokeswoman for the Congressional Black Caucus Institute earlier this year, defending the Institute against attacks from activists critical of the debate being held on FOX.
"We're going to get them," said Cummings in an interview after the All-American Forum that focused on issues of importance to black voters. "I think what we're trying to do now is get one of the major candidates like Obama or Clinton and once one comes, the other comes."
Cummings was able to broker a similar FOX News Channel Democratic presidential debate in 2004 despite heavy criticism that the ultra-conservative station is not friendly to African Americans.
But, a key element is missing in the plans so far. That is the two top candidates, both of whom have declined the FOX debate. Both Obama and Clinton say they will participate in those debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee.
The first FOX News debate, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, will be Democratic candidates on Sept. 23 in Michigan. The second Democratic debate, scheduled for January 2008 on CNN will take place in South Carolina. The Republican debates are still being planned.
"We will only be participating in the upcoming six sanctioned DNC debates. Thank you," says Clinton spokeswoman Traci Otey Blunt.
Obama's campaign spokeswoman, Candice Tolliver, was slightly less firm, but still declining. "At this juncture, the campaign has committed to six sanctioned DNC debates. At this point, we are standing by our earlier statement that we are only committing to the CBC Institute's CNN debate in South Carolina in January," says Tolliver.
Ironically, Tolliver was also a spokeswoman for the Congressional Black Caucus Institute earlier this year, defending the Institute against attacks from activists critical of the debate being held on FOX.
Be the first to comment on this story