by Mark Silva
The sponsors of a "Compassion Forum'' at Messiah College in Pennsylvania on Sunday are quick to say that this is not a debate -- despite the fact that both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have accepted invitations to attend.
But we'll see how CNN handles the encounter, with the cable network announcing today that it will provide live coverage of the 90-minute forum at 8 pm EDT. CNN Election Center anchor Campbell Brown and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will moderate "what is being billed as The Compassion Forum, which will take place nine days before the Pennsylvania primary.'' the network says.
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The event at the small Christian college outside of Harrisburg was sponsored by Faith in Public Life, and is billed as a setting for "wide-ranging and probing discussions of policies related to pressing moral issues that are bridging ideological divides now more than ever.
The sponsors have repeatedly insisted that this is not a debate. But CNN notes that it will "feature Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on the same stage to talk about these topics.'' The forum also has invited Republican Sen. John McCain. But McCain has declined, Faith in Public Life spokeswoman Katie Barge reports.
And the network will follow with "analysis from commentators across the faith and ideological spectrum.'' with CNN's John King seated at CNN’s Pennsylvania “mini-bureau,” the CNN Election Express bus. The network's "Ballot Bowl'' program will originate from Pennsylvania throughout the week leading to the April 22 primary. The forum also will be broadcast on the Church Communication Network the Sunday before the primary.
A primary in which Clinton has placed great faith.
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Comments
McCain is going to miss this event?
Who did he pay and how much?
Posted by: whatnow | April 7, 2008 7:10 PM
Messiah College how close is that to the Messiah as Obama pretends to be. His whole campaign is more of a religious or cult experience. But since Jeremiah Wright he's losing his Obamarama. He is just plain Chicago machine candidate B. Hussein Obama. Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | April 8, 2008 8:58 AM
Oh here, I've got a great idea. Let's judge people by something incredibly superficial like, say, their names! Now THAT'S mature (sarc).
Faith in Public Life, it should be mentioned, is not a Christian organization; it promotes expression of all religions in government; there will be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders at this event, as well as elected officials and students at Messiah College. I'll be there, and I'm looking forward to it.
Posted by: Matthew Southard | April 8, 2008 7:11 PM