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Crist holding back on debates

Posted Aug 31, 2010 by William March

Updated Aug 31, 2010 at 04:03 PM

Gov. Charlie Crist is holding back on agreeing to major televised debates against Marco Rubio and Rep. Kendrick Meek in the U.S. Senate race.

Meek and Rubio, but not Crist, have both agreed to participate Sunday in a debate on Meet the Press moderated by Candy Crowley.

Rubio and Meek also have both agreed to a series of debates, six and a likely seventh. Crist, meanwhile, has agreed only to two, neither of which will be on a statewide broadcast.

A Crist campaign spokesman, however, said Crist is considering other debate invitations and will agree to more debates, but wouldn’t say which ones.

This Sunday, Labor Day weekend, Crist has committed to Labor Day events, said spokesman Danny Kanner.

“He’s going to be with working families talking about how to rebuild the economy” at churches and Labor Day picnics and barbecues, Kanner said.

In any debate, it’s likely that Rubio and Meek would both attack toward Crist in the middle. But Kanner said that’s not part of Crist’s hesitation to debate.

“It’s not surprising that two candidates beholden to party bosses are taking shots at an independent candidate, which is what the people want,” Kanner said.

Not surprisingly, Rubio and Meek see it differently.

“He’s a lifelong conservative Republican—he doesn’t want to talk about that in a debate,” said Adam Sharon, spokesman for Meek, who is trying to portray Crist as a conservative to prevent him from picking up Democratic votes.