News-Record.com

Cross-posted from Decision 2008:

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Doug points to the Libertarian candidate for governor, Mike Munger, sounding off about being excluded from a series of upcoming gubernatorial debates. Dome also has coverage. (Also: BlueNC.)

Munger writes in his post:

It’s not the media; you can’t blame them. Having me in the debate is MUCH more interesting, and would improve ratings. You can count on the media actually preferring that I be included.

But I’m not. Because the Dems and Repubs don’t want even a whiff of competition to affect their cozy cartel.

Well, I'm not going to say "blame the media," but Munger might not be able to blame the Republican and Democratic competitors in the race. I asked both campaigns via e-mail if they had an opinion on Munger entering the debates.

Amy Auth, the newly minted spokesperson for Republican Pat McCrory, said: "Pat doesn't host debates -- he attends them. It is up to the folks planning the debates to decide who to invite."

David Kochman, spokesman for Democrat Bev Perdue, wrote, "We'll leave that decision up to the hosts. We're committed to the debates and will let them decide how to handle that."

So, both campaigns are on the record as saying it's up to the hosts to decide who to invite.

The first forum coming up is the N.C. Bar Association, a week from Saturday.

Russell Rawlings, a spokesman for the association, said that his group had not invited the Libertarian candidate nor did it plan to. The Bar Association has always focused its election-year forums on the Republican and Democratic candidates, he said.