Can you PLEASE call/email your candidate and ask them to attend??

[jillan]

This is Iraq we are talking about!

Next week on June 6th, the Financial Times and the Center on Politics and Foreign Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) are sponsoring a debate focused exclusively on Iraq. All leading Democratic candidates for President have been invited to participate.

As of today, Senator Joe Biden is the only candidate to have accepted their invitation to discuss his plan for Iraq.

I KNOW Biden's plan for Iraq.
I would really like to hear from the other candidates on this - the most important topic of the election.

[Cameron27]

1. I think Wes Clark is going to be there,

I know they invited him. I'm really looking forward to it since it should present in-depth discussions and not just talking points.

K&R

[jillan]

2. I am baffled!

I support Biden first, but I am being realistic here as well.

I really want to hear what the other candidates have to say because if Biden stays where he is in the polls, I'm still shopping for a candidate.

I'm so glad Wes will be there. He is another voice of reason on this mess in the Mideast!

[CarolNYC]

5. At the SAIS thing that Clark spoke at,

when Bob Guttman was introducing Wes, he said that he’d taken Biden up on the challenge to have a one issue debate and Biden had agreed to participate. He said he’d written to all of the other canddiates and had “heard back postitively” from Dodd and Richardson (which I took to mean that they’d agreed to participate as well but maybe he only meant they expressed interest.) He said Obama’s office said they’d let him know in two months, which would, of course, be too late. He said nothing about responses from Hillary or Edwards which, I suppose, means he’d heard nothing from them at the time.

When Bob spoke of the debate, Wes chimed in “Maybe I’ll be able to do that, Bob,” to which Bob replied “General Clark is more than invited”. If Wes doesn’t announce in the next few days he won’t be an official candidate so I don’t know what that would mean for his participation but I’m sure he’d love to debate the issue thoroughly, as I think would Biden.

Doesn't say much for the others and their plans for Iraq if they can't even be bothered to show up.

[Adelante]

6. I don't see it on his WesPac calendar

It may not be happening. Too bad.

[jillan]

10. Any news from Wes if he is deciding to throw his hat in the ring?

I could really support him if he did.

[jillan]

9. Well Carol - if it is just between Biden and Wes

It sounds extremely interesting to me.

These are 2 men that have studied the situation immensely, and are coming at it from different angles. Coming to debate with different credentials.

I'm looking forward to it.

But still baffled as to why the others wouldn't want to get involved.

[jillan]

3. kick

[Sparkly]

4. "a debate focused exclusively on Iraq" -- I'd love to hear that.

Hopefully it could get beyond the superficial soundbytes and into a real discussion.

[justinrr1]

7. We all would like to see this

but the fact is that at this point Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Dodd and the others are flat out ducking the debate. Lets put some pressure on them.

[justinrr1]

8. Lets kick this up again

Im interested to hear the thoughts from those who support candidates(as their #1 choice) who are not attending.

[jillan]

11. I was trying to copy the picture Biden has on his website

But it didn't have a link.

That pic says it all.