Joint Statement On The Presidential Debates

Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy debate in 1960. Credit: National Park Service

ARLINGTON, VA -- 08/21/08, the McCain and Obama campaigns released the following statement on the Presidential debates: "The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns have agreed to hold three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in September and October sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

The campaigns have come to the earliest agreement on presidential debates reached in any general election in recent history. This announcement reflects the presidential campaigns' agreement on dates, locations, and the formats for the fall debates. Campaign-appointed debate negotiators House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said they were pleased to have reached an early agreement to provide the American people with the opportunity to see and hear the candidates debate the critical issues facing the country. The two campaigns have accepted sponsorship of the debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates, subject to the debates being conducted under the terms of their agreement."

Summary Of McCain-Obama Debate Agreement:

The two campaigns agreed today on a framework for four General Election debates, to be sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Key elements of the agreement are:

1. First Presidential Debate:

- Date: September 26
- Site: University of Mississippi
- Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security
- Moderator: Jim Lehrer
- Staging: Podium debate
- Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment

2. Vice Presidential Debate

- Date: October 2nd
- Site: Washington University (St. Louis)
- Moderator: Gwen Ifill
- Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties' Vice Presidential nominees are selected.

3. Second Presidential Debate

- Date: October 7
- Site: Belmont University
- Moderator: Tom Brokaw
- Staging: Town Hall debate
- Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.

4. Third Presidential Debate

- Date: October 15
- Site: Hofstra University
- Topic: Domestic and Economic policy
- Moderator: Bob Schieffer
- Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table
- Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate
- Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.

All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD's participation rules for third-party candidate participation.

Tags: Presidential Debates or John McCain

Missile Defense Agreement W/Poland VIDEO PODCAST

Remarks at the Prime Ministry of Poland Secretary Condoleezza Rice FULL STREAMING VIDEO Warsaw, Poland August 20, 2008 PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE

Secretary Rice and Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski signed in Warsaw the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Poland Concerning the Deployment of Ground-Based Ballistic Missile Defense Interceptors in the Territory of the Republic of Poland.

In addition to deepening the bilateral strategic relationship between our two countries, U.S.-Poland cooperation in this area will make a substantial contribution to NATO's collective security and will be an integral part of any future NATO-wide missile defense architecture.

SECRETARY RICE: Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, dear colleagues, other ministers, especially my good friend Radek Sikorski, my counterpart, I want to thank all of you very much for welcoming us here in Warsaw, this extraordinary city, this extraordinary city that stands in so many ways as a monument to the fact that freedom can be denied for a while, but it cannot be denied forever.

Poland has always been a strong defender of freedom, even in dark days when it was not able to fully express its desire for freedom. And now, as we stand here in the halls of a free and democratic Poland, fully integrated into the transatlantic structures of the European Union and NATO, it is really not just an historic occasion, but an extraordinary occasion that we celebrate the signing of this important missile defense agreement.

It is an agreement, of course, which will help us to respond to the threats of the 21st century. It is an agreement that evens the defense cooperation between Poland and the United States. It does so, of course, in the context of our great alliance with NATO and our Article 5 commitments to one another in that alliance. It will help both the alliance and Poland and the United States respond to the coming threats. Missile defense, of course, is aimed at no one. It is in our defense that we do this.

But I am very pleased that we have been able to achieve this accomplishment. As you said, the negotiations have sometimes been tough, but they have never been unfriendly. They have sometimes been difficult, but they have always been purposeful. And because they have been friendly and purposeful, we (inaudible).

I want very much to thank our negotiators. If I may, I would like to pay special tribute to Under Secretary John Rood, who I think logged more miles to Poland in recent months than he might have expected to. It has been great work on the part of our (inaudible). But I also recognize that we have – you have before you the process of ratification, and I want to acknowledge the important goal of (inaudible) this agreement and it’s important.

This is a very special day and I, again, just want to acknowledge that for Poland and the United States, this is, of course, an important defense cooperation. It’s an important shield against future threats. But it is just one more example of the deepening of our relationship over the last 20 years. And in troubled times, the most important thing is to have friends. But it is more important to have friends with shared values, and your aspirations and your dreams. And Poland and the United States are those kinds of friends. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

2008/T24-7 Released on August 20, 2008

Tags: Condoleezza Rice or Poland Missile Defense Agreement