Posted on 09/30/2004 11:24:42 AM PDT by Michael Goldsberry
Democratic candidate John Kerry's campaign demanded Thursday that the lights signaling when a speaker's time has expired during debates with President Bush be removed from the lecterns because they are distracting, but the commission hosting the debates refused.
An angry exchange between representatives of the Kerry campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates took place just hours before the candidates were to meet at the University of Miami for the first of three debates, The Associated Press learned. Kerry's team threatened to remove the lights when they visit the debate site with Kerry later in the day.
"We'll bring a screwdriver," said a Kerry aide familiar with what several people called an angry exchange. The commission did not return a call seeking comment.
The commission placed the lights on the lecterns in clear view of the television audience and those in the auditorium. An agreement between the Kerry and Bush campaigns specified that timing lights "shall be placed such that they are visible to the debate audiences and television viewers."
However, Kerry's team contended that the agreement doesn't specifically say where the lights should be placed, and it said putting them on the lecterns creates a distraction. The Bush team pushed for the lights in negotiations with Kerry advisers.
The commission is a nonprofit and nonpartisan corporation that has sponsored all the presidential debates since 1988.
The Kerry team also requested that the lights have an amber/orange hue about them but no explanation was given for the request.
Put some ice on it...
He was for them before he was against them. How predictable!
Why did the Bush campaign even bother with negotiating over a set of debate rules in the first place? Kerry was just going to ignore them all along.
This is the stupidest thing they could do...
If they take down their own lights and leave the President's, what will viewers think?
If they forcibly remove the President's lights, what will viewers think?
Democrats have no ethics when it comes to agreements. This proves it.
The 'Rats are used to screwing the American People, so screwing the debate lights is nothing new for them.
I say put heat lamps overhead on Kerry with orange lava lights on the podium
I hope they do. They'll probably bring a standard screwdriver, but the screws will be 3mm Torx.
It would show how unprepared Kerry is, and how he brings a catcher's mitt to a football game.
This won't be the only rule he will break!! What a moron! Sounds like an elite,leftist,LIBERAL to me.
Kerry negotiates just like his idols in North Korea, so what?
Well, orange lights would definitely match his new spray-on tan!
Poor blow-hard John. Won't be able to fuliminate and demagogue beyond his alloted time. If they bring screwdrivers as they threaten, Kerry should be disqualified from the debate. What a loser. Do these Dems. ALWAYS think they're above the rules and the law?
Looks like the "Screwdriver" will be the beverage of choice for the drinking game tonight.
My husband had Vietnam as his word.
I have "I have a plan" as my phrase.
Off to get some Absolut.
This time to the pimple-face AV guy.
Rush has already hypothesized that Kerry's only game plan is to cheat, and probably ask "Are you safer now than you were four years ago?" to which Bush could easily say, "That's not the right question. The question is, 'Are you safer now than you were on Sept. 12?'"
Better buy the gallon size!
They're bringing Ted Kennedy?
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