MIAMI, Fla- Florida GOP senatorial opponents Gov.Charlie Crist, and former state Speaker Marco Rubio, have agreed to participate in a debate on “Fox News Sunday” with anchor Chris Wallace, next month. The show will air live on March 28th, and is currently scheduled to take place in Washington D.C.
The Crist campaign also agreed yesterday to appear in a new debate on NBC’s Sunday show, “Meet the Press” with David Gregory on March 7th. The Rubio campaign said they would participate in NBC’s event but only after the Fox News debate, which was offered to the candidates weeks ago, according to insiders from both campaigns.
“FOX …has shown serious interest in this primary campaign since day one and was the first national news organization to extend an invitation for a debate. Marco Rubio gladly accepted immediately and will be happy to debate Charlie Crist on Meet the Press or anywhere else after he has kept his commitment to have the first debate on FOX,” Rubio spokesman, Alex Burgos said in a statement.” It’s unfortunate that Charlie Crist doesn’t understand this.”
“We’re ready to go March 28. I’m really looking forward to it,” Rubio said today to the Orlando Sentinel. “It will be the beginning of a high-minded public policy conversation about what the Republican Party should be about in U.S. Senate.
“We can do “Meet the Press” the next day if they wanted,” Rubio added.
“That’s fine. I don’t care, but I hope we can do “Meet the Press” too,” Crist said Saturday morning,when asked by the St. Petersburg Time about Rubio’s debate position. “Why not do both?”
Either the Fox News or NBC forum would be the first debate for the primary opponents since the two Republicans launched their respective candidacies to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate. Democrat congressman Kendrick Meek will be the probable general election opponent for the eventual GOP senatorial nominee in November. The Republican primary will be held on August 24th.
***Update from Campaign flacks on Debate-Gate***
“After almost a year of ducking Marco Rubio’s debate challenge and less than 24 hours after insisting the first debate not be held on FOX Network, Charlie Crist has once again changed his mind by agreeing to debate first on FOX News Sunday on March 28.
“Marco Rubio looks forward to finally debating Charlie Crist on FOX News Sunday and hopes it will be the first of many high-minded debates about Florida’s and our nation’s future. If there is interest by Meet the Press in doing a debate after FOX, we happily accept that invitation as well.
“Charlie Crist is a practiced and skilled debater, but Marco Rubio looks forward to focusing this race away from the process and politics and onto what really matters: the policies and ideas that will best steer this country back to the limited government ideals on which it was founded.”
and from Crist Press Secretary Amanda Henneberg :
“In his continuing effort to dodge a March 7th debate on Meet The Press, Speaker Rubio stated today:’We can do Meet the Press the next day if they wanted.’
Just a friendly reminder to the Speaker – Sunday shows air on Sundays…not Mondays. So obviously a Meet The Press debate on a Monday would not be possible.
Not sure where the confusion is about that one, but we wanted to clear it up for the Speaker in case he forgot.”