Bush offers three debates to begin Sept. 12

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) -- Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush on Sunday proposed three debates with his Democratic rival Al Gore and challenged the vice president to begin them next week.

The Texas governor proposed a debate on Sept. 12 in Washington, D.C., on NBC's "Meet the Press"; a second on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles on CNN's "Larry King Live"; and a third on Oct. 17 in St. Louis, sponsored by a nonpartisan presidential debate commission.

"This will give the American people an opportunity to see the candidates in a wide range of locations and formats," Bush said in a news conference at the governor's mansion.

"My opponent has said he will debate any time, any place and he has already accepted the debates that I am accepting today," Bush said.

"I take Al Gore at his word that he will be there," he said.

In a statement by the chairman of the Gore-Lieberman campaign, chairman William M. Daley said: "We reject George Bush's plan to shortchange Americans by cutting tens of millions of people out of the presidential debate audience. ... Al Gore has already accepted all three of the Presidential Commision's debate invitations. It's time for George Bush to act in the public's interest and do the same."

Noting that Labor Day weekend was a traditional kickoff for the general election campaign, Bush offered this challenge to his Democratic opponent: "Let the debate begin."

Bush said all the debates will be seen in prime time, would be available on all networks and news outlets and also would be carried live on the Internet "The debates ... begin early next week because we are eager to compare the specifics of our plans for more individual freedom, choice and responsibility, with our opponent's plans for a bigger, more intrusive Washington bureaucracy," Bush said.

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