No Santorum, No GOP Presidential Debate in Portland

Portland Mercury:

We knew Willard Romney wasn't going to make the GOP presidential debate planned for Portland this coming Monday. And we also knew Newt Gingrich, who can't refuse a debate any more than I can refuse a questionable buffet, was going to show up no matter what. But now comes word that the candidate nipping at Romney's heels in the delegate race, Rick Santorum, has also decided not to come visit. And so the debate—a would-be joint production of Oregon Public Broadcasting, the state Republican Party, and the Washington Times—has been called off. According to OPB: Oregon Republican Party chair Allen Alley said everything possible had been done to get the candidates to Portland, but that the campaign has entered a phase where the candidates do not want to debate each other. The debate would have taken place at OPB’s television studio in Portland. It was scheduled to be broadcast nationwide on public television and radio stations. One happy camper? Mayor Sam Adams, fretful over security costs, who tried hard to get the organizers to move the debate out by the airport, if they had to have it at all. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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