From Deseret News archives:
Left, right may meet on May 4
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson said Wednesday night he will debate Sean Hannity on May 4.
Hannity confirmed May 4 and May 18 were the two dates he pitched to Anderson, adding the mayor's office had been reluctant to call him back on either of them.
Hannity went so far as to ask media outlets to establish a date for the debate with the mayor.
"You're the only person, besides KSL Radio, my affiliate, who has bothered to call me. The only one," Hannity told the paper, saying Anderson has been avoiding the issue.
Patrick Thronson, the mayor's spokesman, said it was Hannity's representatives who had dropped the ball.
"We've heard nothing from them," he said.
Thronson said several e-mails to Hannity went unanswered and that any real communication between the two parties has been non-existent.
"We want this to happen," he said.
But for nearly a week, nothing had happened.
"Rocky has been coming up with one lame excuse after another," Hannity said, calling the back-and-forth banter "a huge propaganda leak by Rocky Anderson and company.
"He doesn't really want to debate, he wants a joint press conference."
Earlier this week, Thronson said the delay was due to proposed restrictions on media coverage of the event. He said because the mayor is a public official, he would not participate in anything open only to select media outlets. An e-mail from Fox News, Hannity's producer, stated that only Fox News camera crews and local KSL radio would be allowed to record the debate.
Anderson was invited to discuss political issues, such as his desire to impeach the president, by Hannity on March 9. The two have been blaming each other for the lack of commitment to the debate ever since.
Following the mayor's appearance at an anti-war rally, during which he called for the impeachment of the president and vice president, Anderson had been scheduled to debate Hannity on Fox's "Hannity & Colmes" show on March 8, but producers canceled the segment.
Hannity said he would fly to Salt Lake City for the discussion and the proceeds collected from admission to the event would be donated to the winner's favorite charity. Wednesday, he laid out further details of the proposition, saying each would have 30 minutes to make their presentation, Anderson first. A question-and-answer format would follow for another 15 minutes each, followed by 10 minutes of questions from the audience and two-minute good-byes from each participant.
"He can have the last word. The money goes to charity," Hannity said.
Anderson said he's ready for the match.
Details of when and where the debate will be held have yet to be negotiated.
Contributing: Jared Page
E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com
