Clinton Undecided on April 19 Debate

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once so eager to debate she ran two ads questioning why her rival wouldn't, has yet to say whether she'll debate Sen. Barack Obama in North Carolina next month.

Both presidential candidates plan to participate in an ABC News debate on April 16 in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania holds it primary days later, on April 22. Obama also has agreed to a debate April 19 hosted by CBS in North Carolina. North Carolina holds its primary May 6.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said Monday that the campaign has not made a decision about the CBS debate and is still working through the details.

"I am quite confident that there will be additional debates and that we will work with networks and the Obama campaign to figure out the appropriate location and venue and media outlet," Wolfson told reporters on a conference call.

Clinton ran a statewide television ad in Wisconsin prior to its Feb. 19 primary challenging Obama to debate there as she struggled to regain momentum after his string of victories in February.

The Clinton ad said, "Barack Obama still won't agree to debate in Wisconsin. ... Why won't Barack Obama debate these differences? Wisconsin deserves better."

The contenders have debated 20 times during the presidential campaign. Their last meetings were in Texas on Feb. 21 and Ohio on Feb. 26 ahead of those states' primaries on March 4. Clinton won both contests.

Comments

[ddc]

She's not saying whether she will do the NC debate because she wants to see how she does in PA. If she doesn't blow him out of the water there or, god willing, HE beats HER there, she's going to drop out of the race.

[snowcat]

the NC debate is scheduled for before the PA primary therefore she won't know . It's the tax returns!

[MsLiz]

Why would the NC debate be scheduled on April 19 when the Pennsylvania primary is April 22, and the NC primary is in May? I imagine this is one reason that Clinton is hesistant to move from Penn to NC. She needs the time to campaign. Of course, it is free television coverage.

[bailey2006]

Ya think?

[Citizen69]

Maybe she's worried about sniper fire......­.

[BrooklynLager]

I think the Obama campaign should do this via ultimatum. No debate in North Carolina? No debate in PA.

[snowcat]

she is afraid to debate on the 19th in NC because she said today her tax retuns would be out by then but after the PA debate....­doesn't take much to smell her fear

[spideyAl]

Why does the article say Clinton won Texas (and Ohio)?

[Roose]

She doesn't want to commit because she knows she won't be around. She will not have the funds to continue her vitriolic campaign.

[MarkieBee001]

Damnit, HILLARY LOST TEXAS! Texas has a two-part primary with two-thirds weighted on the primary results and the remaining one-third based on caucus results. Both parts are added INTO the total. Hillary won the primary by four points and then got her arse kicked in the caucus - therefore Obama received more elected delegates and will receive even more whenever Hillary decides to step aside and let them all be counted. Saying Hillary won is like playing a hockey game and declaring victory after the second period as the Zamboni is still on the ice between periods. HILLARY LOST TEXAS!!! According to Bill Clinton, she should have quit the race. He said she had to win for her to continue.

[neocon43]

She won by 104,000 votes,.Get a job!

[boombox]

Get on your knees.

[kevenseven]

We don't need any reactionary trolls spewing garbage here, fly back to freeper.

[smzzzz]

You mean like Gore won the popular vote and then was declared President?

[toosheck]

she lost in total delegates, get a brain.

[Jamchinadian]

That's only half of the story. The other half is there were the same number (100,000+) Republican'ts who voted for her. Why? Because they are salivating at the thought of running against her! They don't want to run against Obama!!!

[kevenseven]

Breathe. It is going to be alright.

[slow2]

Markie,

[slow2]

Caucus trumps; your points are well taken, Markie.

[bjorn]

This argument is only for elites...s­he won the real vote, she won the state.

[StandingStill]

The REAL VOTE? The entire process, primary and caucus are REAL. And she lost...She also lost the state...oh my bad, the 119,000 Republicans who voted for her will definitely vote for her in November, right?

[snowcat]

because she has said today that she will release her tax returns just AFTER the PA debate and 3 days before the PA primary! She doesn't want another debate before the primary in case there are any questions about those returns!!!! SNEAKY and EVASIVE! Clintons are "entitled" to not answer hard questions!

[babybabybaby]

i was saying "sneaky" before i even got to your last sentence.

[DaisyMiller]

Of course she will end up agreeing to debate. You kidding me?

[BrooklynLager]

Why should she?

[snowcat]

debate on April 22. The a would meanafetr PA debate BUT before the N.Carolina debate. SHE IS AFRAIDF OF THE TAX RETURNS She knows her last chance at some momentum is PA and she's AFRAID of what people will think of her returns!

[hank63]

Yeah. Maybe she will.

[bailey2006]

We kid you not.

[snowcat]

because she is going to release her tax returns just AFTER the PA debate and doesn't want another debate before the primary in case there are any questions about those returns!!!! SNEAKY and EVASIVE! Clintons are "entitled" to not answer hard questions!

[4wehttam]

CBS= Clinton Broadcast Station, why wouldn't she want to debate?

[Chris7982]

Here goes The Clintons again...th­inking they are ALMIGHTY and will debate when she says so and the media and press let them get away with it!!!!

[Lisette]

Hillary is afraid of something.

[snowcat]

because she has said today that she will release her tax returns just AFTER the PA debate and 3 days before the PA primary! She doesn't want another debate before the primary in case there are any questions about those returns!!!! SNEAKY and EVASIVE! Clintons are "entitled" to not answer hard questions!

[BrooklynLager]

She wants a bounce out of Pennsylvania. In PA, the vote is more-or-less rigged. She'll get a double digit victory out of it - maybe even over 20%, and she doesn't want the momentum to be broken.

[slow2]

She's afraid she can't remember all the iterations of her 'stories'.­..

[SCG]

there's videotape to jog her memory .

[JeffinIllinois]

Here the press goes again. Hillary Clinton doesn't have a problem debating Obama. Never has. Never will. The press and the Obama supporters just don't it when things don't work by their time table. Too Bad. I look forward to the debate.

[BrooklynLager]

I live in New York, and Hillary Clinton has a long history here of ducking debates. In 2006, Howard Wolfson said the same thing he's saying now "of course we'll have a debate". Yet it never happened - he kept postponing it until election day.

[PKSSK]

The fact is, ABC, the sponsor of the 4/16 debate, is known to be a major advocate of Clinton and therefore the assumption is the debate will be biased towards CLinton. The 4/19 debate is to be sponsored by CBS, which has not been biased towards either candidate and will probably be more fair and honest towards both candidates, which will prove more beneficial to the public voters.

[slow2]

PKSSK, thought the same; something going on w/Billary.­..