Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders sparring escalates over new debate
The Sanders campaign has conditions for the new debate: More debates.
Hillary Clinton is calling on Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to allow the party’s three candidates to participate in a newly announced New Hampshire debate.
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“I would like the chairman of the parties and the campaigns to agree we can debate in New Hampshire next week,’’ Clinton told MSNBC in an interview Wednesday.
Announced Tuesday afternoon, the new debate, currently not sanctioned by the DNC, is scheduled for February 4 and will be hosted by the New Hampshire Union Leader and MSNBC. The state’s first-in-the-nation primary is February 9.
“Look, I’m ready for the debate and I hope Senator Sanders will change his mind and join us,’’ Clinton said, per the Union Leader. “I think the DNC and the campaigns should be able to work this out. I’ve been for, you know, for a long time, that I’d be happy to have more debates and I hope we can get this done.’’
Both Clinton and Martin O’Malley have said they would participate in the debate, if all the campaigns agreed.
Bernie Sanders’ campaign, however, had some conditions.
Campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in a statement that Sanders would participate in the February 4 debate, only if the DNC scheduled three more debates, with one in March, April, and May.
“And none on a Friday, Saturday, or holiday weekend,’’ Weaver added.
Weaver suggested that the Clinton campaign was only now calling for more debates because the “dynamics of the race have changed and Sen. Sanders has significant momentum.’’
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The New York Times recently reported that, as Sanders surged in early state polls, several Clinton advisors expressed regret over not pushing for more debates.
Debates have continued to be a source of tension among the campaigns in the Democratic race. Both O’Malley and Sanders have blasted the DNC for limiting the number of the debates and scheduling them during inconvenient viewing times, such as Saturday nights.
Until now, Clinton’s campaign had been silent on the number of debates.
Weaver told the Times on Tuesday that Sanders would sit out the debate if it is not sanctioned by the DNC.
DNC rules instituted for this election cycle say that any candidate that participates in a debate not sanctioned by the party would be banned from future, sanctioned debate. The Clinton campaign has said that if all three campaigns agree to participate in the debate, the DNC would have to sanction it.
The last two sanctioned DNC debates are scheduled for February 11 in Milwaukee and March 9 in Miami.
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