News Flash: 10/18/2000, Update On The Judicial Watch Presidential Debates

Dateline 10/18/2000

Update On The Judicial Watch Presidential Debates

We regret to inform you that Vice President Al Gore has decided not to participate in the Judicial Watch Presidential Debate in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Friday, October 20, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Following Gore's lead, Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan have also withdrawn from the debate.

Judicial Watch intends to go ahead with the debate, however, leaving all seven lecterns on the stage. Presidential candidates John Hagelin, Harry Browne, and Howard Phillips all plan to participate, and as of Wednesday night C-SPAN still intends to televise the event. (As always, please check your local listings for last-minute scheduling changes, or visit the C-SPAN website at http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dschedule .)

The debate will be moderated by renowned radio commentator Jim Bohannon, with panelists Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily.com, Paul Rodriguez of Insight Magazine, Ellen Ratner of FOX News Channel, Blanquita Cullum of Radio America, and Armstrong Williams, nationally syndicated columnist and radio host.

The panelists will ask the candidates questions about the issue of restoring ethics to our government, including topics such as the Clinton-Gore scandals and independent counsel law.

Such questions have now taken on a new significance, given the nonparticipation of Bush, Gore, Nader, and Buchanan in these debates.

"Both Nader and Buchanan complain and protest that they are not allowed in the presidential debates and that they are outraged by Bush and Gore for not debating the third party candidates," said a Nader volunteer, who planned to quit after hearing about Nader's decision. "Now they have shown their true colors."

Noting that the Gore-Bush debates almost entirely avoided any mention of ethics, Judicial Watch Chair and General Counsel Larry Klayman commented, "Ancient Rome and other great civilizations all ceased to exist when their ethics and moral fiber crumbled. Based on the refusal of Vice President Gore and Governor George W. Bush to discuss these issues, is America on a similar course of self destruction? Judicial Watch's debate will help answer this question."