Politics

Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Agree To Four More Debates

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Casey Harper Contributor
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have agreed to four additional primary debates, finally resolving a recent squabble between them.

Clinton and Sen. Sanders agreed to four additional primary debates that have not yet been sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee, sources from both campaigns told Buzzfeed News.

Clinton’s campaign had indicated earlier this week they were open to more debates, but the Sanders campaign released a statement Wednesday blasting Clinton for trying to change the rules as he gains momentum.

“From the beginning of this campaign Sen. Sanders has called for more debates,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in the release Wednesday. “Secretary Clinton has not. Now she is asking to change the rules to schedule a debate next week that is not sanctioned by the DNC. Why is that? The answer is obvious. The dynamics of the race have changed and Sen. Sanders has significant momentum.”

Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, also running on the Democratic ticket, have called for more debates for months, and said the DNC has intentionally kept debates quiet in an effort to help Clinton smoothly secure the nomination.

“Well, look, you know, when the Republicans do primetime debates they get 20 million, 25 million people watching it,” Sanders told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow last week. “When we have debates, the one here in Iowa was literally on the night of a huge football game. It was Iowa State versus the University of Iowa. Probably the worst time that you could possibly schedule a debate.”

Sanders said Wednesday he would only do more debates on his own conditions. The release said there must be one debate in March, April, and May and that none of the debates can be on a holiday weekend or a Friday or Saturday.

“Sanders is happy to have more debates but we are not going to schedule them on an ad hoc basis at the whim of the Clinton campaign,” Weaver said in the statement.

source in Clinton’s campaign told Buzzfeed they had “agreed to everything” Sanders proposed and are working out the remaining details.

The candidates have a Feb. 4 debate in New Hampshire, only days before the primary in the state, which will reportedly be followed by three more. The time and place of the other debates has not been determined.

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