Daily News

With Hil in no hurry,
debate likely history

BY HELEN KENNEDY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
The only scheduled debate in the Democratic Senate primary will probably be scrapped this week because Sen. Hillary Clinton likely won't face her anti-war challenger.
Kris Hansen, executive director of New York's League of Women Voters, said a decision about the Sept. 6 matchup must be made by tomorrow because the lead time needed to set up a broadcast of the debate is running out.

"It's a shame that one group would get to control the information, whether it gets out," Hansen said. "Our goal is simply to provide information to the voting public."

With two weeks left until the primary, Clinton's campaign has stonewalled all questions about debating rival Jonathan Tasini with the mantra: "We'll see how the campaign develops."

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson repeated it yesterday when asked about the league's looming deadline.

Tasini, who wants troops withdrawn from Iraq immediately, appeared yesterday with two mothers of soldiers in Iraq who called on Clinton to debate. "Her refusal is disrespectful not only to New York voters but to the democratic process," Tasini said.

Wolfson said Clinton has been "a clear and consistent critic" of how the war was waged and believes "the Iraqis must step up so we can begin bringing our troops home."

A Marist poll last week found 68% of New York Democrats think the Iraq war should be a "major" campaign issue. But it also showed Tasini with only 15% support against Clinton.

Tasini blames the press for focusing on his lack of money and name recognition. He jokes ruefully that his new first name is "Little Known."

Clinton, who entered politics already a celebrity, has never had to beg for debates. But her husband famously sent a man in a chicken suit to President George H.W. Bush's 1992 events to shame him into debating, and Bill Clinton did six debates in six days before New York's 1992 presidential primary.

Originally published on August 29, 2006