Carnahan calls for three debates in Senate race

Posted to Politics Watch by Wes Duplantier at 5:04 p.m., July 22, 2010

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan called for her opponents in the race for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat to take part in three debates before the Nov. 2 general election, according to a press release put out by her campaign this afternoon.

Carnahan is the presumed Democratic nominee in the race to fill the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Kit Bond. In Thursday's statement, she called for the winners of the Republican, Libertarian and Constitution Party primaries to participate in debates with her before the general election, but said the format would have to be agreed upon by all of the nominees. In the release, Carnahan said the debates were an important part of helping voters choose a candidate.

"The opportunity for voters to hear candidates debate the major issues affecting their lives is the hallmark of our democracy," Carnahan said in the statement. "I hope the other candidates agree and will accept the challenge to a series of three general election debates, should they be their party's nominee."

Carnahan's presumed Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has a counter on his campaign website titled the "Carnahan Counter," tracking how long the Senate campaign has been going on until Carnahan agreed to participate in a debate. At this writing, the counter stood at 535 days.

Reached shortly after Carnahan sent our her press release, Blunt campaign spokesman Tim O'Toole said he didn't know if the campaign would take its counter off the website. Later this afternoon, the Blunt campaign issued a statement responding to Carnahan's release, saying it wants more than three debates she called for.

“We have been calling for debates and forums for over a year so we are pleased she has finally accepted Roy Blunt's offer to debate," the statement said. "It's about time Robin Carnahan comes out of the shadows and explains to Missourians why she is rubberstamping the Pelosi, Reid, Obama liberal agenda of higher job-killing taxes, government takeovers and a failing "stimulus" bill that grows government, not jobs. Three debates is a good start, but it's not enough. Robin Carnahan clearly wants Missourians to have the fewest number of opportunities to see her rubberstamping the Washington liberals agenda.”