Four leading candidates in the California recall debate have just appeared to chicken out on facing Arnold in a free-for-all format scheduled for Sacramento on September 24th.

To the Editor:

Four of the leading gubernatorial wannabe candidates (Bustamante, Huffington, Camejo and McClintock) have decided that they will not play in the coming Sacramento debate sandbox unless they can make the rules on the format. You can hear the stamping of their little feet: no, no, no. In the coming Sacramento "Superbowl" of debates, sponsored by the California Broadcasters Association and set for September 24th, Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear in the free-for-all format. If the other leading candidates choose to caucus outside, the debate sponsors can either have the traditional empty chairs with place-names or they can invite in a half dozen substitutes from the large pool of the more than 125 remaining candidates. I'm sure that many of these relative unknowns would relish the opportunity to go on six-on-one with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Yours truly,

James K. Sayre

19 September 2003