Politics | John McCain Candidates Spar Over Debate Schedule Obama wants five, McCain wants 13 By Jonas Oransky Posted Jun 13, 2008 5:20 PM CDT Copied Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks during a town hall meeting in Pemberton, N.J., Friday, June 13, 2008. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Camp Obama and Camp McCain are jousting over debates, with both candidates, New York Times blogger Michael Falcone jokes, appearing to feel “a little rejected.” Obama has suggested five forums: three traditional debates and two town halls, one on the economy and another on foreign policy. A rep said he was “disappointed” that McCain hasn’t agreed and would rather “contrive a political issue.” McCain continues to press his opponent on holding weekly appearances together, saying an event last night—the first he’d invited Obama to attend—“would have been a little more interesting” if Obama had shown. A McCain aide said Obama had turned the scheduling into “a debate about process,” exactly what McCain had sought to avoid. Read These Next Hundreds of South Koreans were detained at a Georgia factory site. The story of a failed secret SEAL mission in North Korea. Viking Cruises likes to say no. It's paid off. How you make it up the mountain can earn you cheers, or jeers. Report an error