by Mark Silva and updated at 4:55 pm EST
Suffice it to say that an entertainment company was in charge of this show:
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in debate.
Until Clnton's office said today: No show. Too much hype.
The two former presidents agreed to meet at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 25, according to MSG Entertainment, billing it as "The Hottest Ticket in Political History."
The debate, including a question-and-answer segment, was to be part of a MSG speaker's series, "Minds That Move the World." The two would "debate topics ranging from the economy, to foreign policy, to the current administration," MSG promised.
The New York Daily Newsreports that Melissa Ormond, MSG's COO, called the event "an informative and empowering experience" that would also " encourage people to engage in continued dialog surrounding the most significant current events of our day.''
The two former presidents (pictured in AP photo here) have shared a stage before, in Toronto in May, but the Radio City Music Hall would be their highest profile venue, tckets ranging from $60 to $1,250 -- the pricier seats with a cocktail reception beforehand.
A representative for Clinton said today that the debate is off. The New York Post reported the dealbreaker: The promoter had "overhyped" the joint appearance.
In an e-mail to CNN, Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna confirmed the New York Post's report. Earlier, McKenna had stressed that the New York event would not be a heated debate. "Just a moderated conversation...no fireworks," he said.
Now, nothng at all.









Comments
Oh, dear. What a mismatch. Clinton will knock him out in the first round.
Posted by: Hjames | November 4, 2009 10:40 AM
Just what I want to see, the two idiots that got us into this economic mess in the first place. Too bad I cannot afford a ticket as I have to save my money for important things like food.
Posted by: Jack Stephens | November 4, 2009 10:50 AM
Feb 25?That's the day I always organize my sock drawer. Guess I will miss it .
Posted by: ejhickey | November 4, 2009 11:15 AM
Cocktails? Before hand? So I guess they want the people in front liquored up.
That makes sense considering these two goofballs.
Posted by: Joe Schmo | November 4, 2009 11:15 AM
"Minds That Move the World."? Looks like Clinton will be debating by himself.
Posted by: Roy | November 4, 2009 11:17 AM
Will someone tutor "W" before so he will sound semi-coherent?
Posted by: Amy | November 4, 2009 11:29 AM
"Minds That Move the World?" Bush can barely make his mind move a lawnmower.
Posted by: Adam | November 4, 2009 11:57 AM
Clinton is going to eat poor Georgie Poo alive!
Posted by: Melvin | November 4, 2009 12:08 PM
Whoa!
The "Rumble In the Jungle" will have nothing on this if it plays out like it should.
Clinton will lose because the expectations for him will be WAY too high.
Posted by: Tell the Truth | November 4, 2009 12:12 PM
Who cares what these guys do?
Posted by: Cheryl | November 4, 2009 12:37 PM
Why? Oh wait, for INCOME and CELEBRITY.
Posted by: Huh | November 4, 2009 12:42 PM
Maybe things have changed over the years but when I was a newspaper reporter the proper way to report the name of MSG would be MSG (Madison Square Garden). Just so people know who's behind the event.
Posted by: monty keeling | November 4, 2009 12:48 PM
"Minds that move the world"? In the case of George Bush, that should be "A mind that moves the world to tears."
Posted by: Bruce | November 4, 2009 1:12 PM
Will shoes be available for purchase at the concession stand?
Posted by: inquiring minds want to know | November 4, 2009 1:16 PM
Someone better pat down shrub beforehand to make sure he isn't wired like a robot again.
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushwired.htm
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | November 4, 2009 1:18 PM
Wow! It's like the slow, unpopular kid debating the smartest best looking kid in the class....but it couldn't happent to a more deserving person. I think Bush and Cheney should both be in prison right now...not free to debate anyone. Clinton got impeached for not confessing to getting a BJ....Bush and Cheney, lied about WMD to get us involved in a unwinnalbe war that is costing us countless $$$$ and lives. He the scum of the earth as far as I am concerned!
Posted by: Ali8 | November 4, 2009 1:30 PM
One can't complete a sentence and the other won't end a sentence.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | November 4, 2009 1:33 PM
Ali8 said it all. Bush is scum and should be in jail along with his friend Dick.
Posted by: Thomas N. Haile | November 4, 2009 1:56 PM
One night long ago my husband and I went out to a beautiful dinner at a beautiful restaurant. We had good wine and good food among sparkling lights and sweet strains of live jazz. The waiter brought the dessert menu which all of us declined, so excited were we to cut this beautiful evening short and race back home to see The Tyson-Spinks fight. We made it just in time and huddled excitedly around the TV. 91 seconds later...
Mis-matches are never fun to watch. We think we're going to see something monumental, but all we see is one guy reduced to the beaten and one reduced to the bully.
Spinks was lucky to get out of that match without brain damage. At least, W doesn't have to worry about that. No brain, no damage.
Posted by: DGS | November 4, 2009 2:03 PM
Clinton will absolutletly make Dubya look like the uninformed sophomoric bafoon that he really is.
Posted by: bob newman | November 4, 2009 2:07 PM
This will be like all the other debates that bush has been in. The bar will be set so low that only a snake would be able to get under it. Hmmm. how appropo.....
Posted by: Fed Up with Righties | November 4, 2009 2:09 PM
Just toss out stuff like this to continue the smoke screen. Nobody cares about these two guys and a debate?
Once again, the here and now is tossed into the broom closet to make way for "unsensational" garbage from the press.
Sure, Mark prefers to limit the damage perpetrated by the CURRENT guy in charge and fan the flames of idiocy over the Bush haters.
Gee, just what type of sleeves are on Michelle's blouse today? That's another interesting and meaningful story to tell us!
The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go .................. Have fun children with your "look over there" tricks.
Posted by: springfield | November 4, 2009 2:09 PM
For all the Hysterical, Ignorant Loons who are lambasting Bush, here are some facts:
1. Bush defeated Gore in their presidential debates. Who remembers Al "Sigh" Bore in the one debate?
2. Bush also defeated Kerry in their presidential debates.
Between Clinton and Bush: One talks a good game but the other actually knows the game.
Bush wins.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | November 4, 2009 4:03 PM
Oh, dear. What a mismatch. Bush will knock him out in the first round.
Posted by: T.K. | November 4, 2009 4:25 PM
Donut,
Most polls showed Bush v Gore as a tie. Except a Newsweek poll that showed Gore winning 33%-25%.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-66252107.html
Kerry made shrub look like an idiot in all three debates and was overall considered the winner of them.
http://books.google.com/books?id=uqqp-sDCjo4C&pg=PA409&lpg=PA409&dq=kerry+bush+debate+winner&source=bl&ots=CPCA_8cnmq&sig=X_c8xO56EioPZEzvpcv1tqIcyEA&hl=en&ei=S_jxSrLSIIyOtAPH1t34AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CBsQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=kerry%20bush%20debate%20winner&f=false
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x940375
Don't let the FACTS get in the way of your deluded, partisan thinking.
And you're definitely deluded if you think Dumbya stands a chance against Clinton.
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | November 4, 2009 5:00 PM
John D. You have the weapons of mass distruction dont you? Sir you are the one and only person who honestly believes in Satin errr Bush. To bad this wont happen, would really like to see if your man could win a debate without a wire attached to his ear.
Posted by: Jeff | November 4, 2009 5:32 PM
!. This has been canceled. It wasn't supposed to be a debate, it was supposed to be a panel discussion.
2. Bush is still an idiot and a war criminal. He never would have 'won' those debates if he wasn't wearing an earpiece.
Posted by: Cheryl | November 4, 2009 5:45 PM
Bush won already. He didn't give up.
Posted by: Gene | November 4, 2009 6:31 PM
Just ask Bill why did he sign Gramm-Leach-Billey Act that pushed mortgages on those who couldn't afford them?
Ask Bill why he passed up eight attempts at capturing or killing bin Laden. Even the MSM was able to interview bin Laden in 1998, but somehow Clinton couldn't capture or kill him.
Posted by: Terry | November 4, 2009 8:14 PM
That picture make me feel like ear-ping up.
And is that the ghost of Jack Kemp on the left?
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | November 4, 2009 9:07 PM
Better check W's jacket to make sure he doesn't have a device there telling him what to say.
Posted by: Maddie | November 4, 2009 9:24 PM
Too bad. This would have been an awesome event. Bush would have spoken from the heart, what he truly believes, while Clinton would have had polls decide what he should believe.
I still remember Bush vs Kerry and how the media and idiots (liberals) tried to make Kerry the smarter of the two, even referring to college grades. Fact is, Bush was a bit better.
Would have been interesting to ask Clinton if he believed, as he and many in his administration stated up to the final days that there were WMD's in Iraq and that Iraq harbored terrorists.
If any of you can pilot a multi-million dollar aircraft like President Bush, then I'll consider you smarter than him, until then, zip it!
Posted by: JD | November 4, 2009 9:29 PM
All you moronic partisan imbeciles...the reason they called it off is that they realized how much they are the SAME to have a quality debate.
Q: What is your opinion of NAFTA and the larger global world order?
GW: Love it!
Billy Bob: Hey no fair he stole my answer!
Posted by: Jer | November 4, 2009 9:56 PM
Are you left "wing nuts" still whining about Bush? Wow. Give it a rest already. Time to switch gears and start blaming Obama. He's doing a lot of the same things you had a hissy fit about when Bush did it...why aren't you whining? Oh, right, because you mind-numbed Obama-worshipping robots can't possibly think for yourselves.
Posted by: no name | November 4, 2009 11:35 PM
I love how everyone is so quick to jump on attacking Bush yet all failed to notice he wasn't the one who backed out of the debate it was Clinton. Hmmm wonder what he's got to hide? Or be scared of since he did such a great job in office. But that's ok well just contine to blame Bush since it's soo easy to do.
Posted by: Scott | November 5, 2009 12:47 AM
For Terry on 11-04-09 @8:14PM
There have been a lot of references to baffoons on this thread but none in regard to how the Gramm-Leach-Billey Acct forced mortgages on people. I have handled many foreclosures and every borrower I worked with insisted they were fully aware of the potential problems and consequences when they signed the documents
Posted by: Bill | November 5, 2009 2:14 AM
This reminds me of the time that GW Slick Willie and John Edwards competed in a spelling bee. GW won. He was the only one that knew that 'harass' was only one word.
Posted by: Guy Williams | November 5, 2009 8:37 AM
Souds like Bush was up for it but Clinton and his people pulled out because it was "overhyped." Coward.
Posted by: Jeff | November 5, 2009 8:45 AM
Clinton forfeits.
Clinton loses.
End of story.
Posted by: Kevin | November 5, 2009 10:18 AM
"Over-hyped"? What did they expect?It would have been a great opportunity to pull W out of his hole and give him a good slap down.
Posted by: DD | November 5, 2009 10:21 AM
That photo reminds me of Kang and Kodos. Shame on Clin-ton for backing out of a chance to whip Dubya's arse.
Posted by: Simpsonsfan | November 5, 2009 10:40 AM
You idiots that keep bringing up WMD's are totally showing you're ignorance to world events. What was Clinton's policy? What did he believe?
Posted by: Stu | November 5, 2009 11:03 AM
Funny how the looney lefties forget how Bush put both Gore and Kerry into the dumpsters in their debates, which Bush won handily. Gore blew his chance for the presidency in his debate with Bush. Up until that time, he had been leading. Kerry? The punch line of a joke. And Clinton, only the second president to be impeached? Strange whom the left has as its heroes!
Posted by: Darren | November 5, 2009 11:36 AM
It would have been nice to hear some grown ups talk about world leadership. The current Prez has twice the charisma, but half of the wit of either of these guys.
Posted by: Mark D | November 5, 2009 12:13 PM
If Bush is such a poor debater, why did he soundly beat both Kerry and Gore? Maybe you are underrating his ability because you don't like him?
Posted by: thewickedmessenger | November 5, 2009 2:14 PM
I want to congratulate you people on proving what morons Americans are. You make childish comments to describe two former president. You show a complete lack of interest, despite the fact that these two men held the most powerful position in the world, a part of history. No matter which one you agree with or dosagree politically, they should be of great interest. You show why typical American thinking is lightweight and unintelligent when it comes to what really matters.
Posted by: Disgusted | November 5, 2009 2:37 PM
I am sure the REAL reason this was cancelled is because the Bush people realized he would be made to look like more of an idiot than he is! Can you imagine a Rhodes Scholar (Clinton) debating the village idiot (Bush)?
Posted by: FL Animal Lover | November 5, 2009 2:38 PM
For all the Hysterical, Ignorant Loons who are lambasting Bush, here are some facts:
1. Bush defeated Gore in their presidential debates. Who remembers Al "Sigh" Bore in the one debate?
2. Bush also defeated Kerry in their presidential debates.
Between Clinton and Bush: One talks a good game but the other actually knows the game.
Bush wins.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | November 4, 2009 4:03 PM
This has some truthiness to it, so it is worth noting.
In Gore's case, he acted arrogant and got womped for it.
In Kerry's case, 9/11 + 9/11 + 9/11 was too much to overcome.
Fact is, though, the expectations for GW are soooo low that just showing up for him is a victory. Same goes for HOT LEGS (Palin).
And that's the TRUTH, Ruth.
Posted by: Tell the Truth | November 5, 2009 3:51 PM
All you libs are funny! The comments mostly seem divided between a) Bush is stoopid and Clinton would clean his clock, to b) Bush is stoopid and wouldn't win anyway.
Newsflash: Clinton was the one who backed out.
Maybe - just maybe - Bill is the stoopid one. And all of you that are still suffering from BDS are simply using this as another last gasp to project your insane ramblings.
Because if any of you had a brain, you'd realize that the one who backs out, forfeits... and, therefore, loses.
Posted by: john robinson | November 5, 2009 4:09 PM
Only stupid american sheeple would pay to see these two criminals argue like school girls. This country sucks.
Posted by: Mike | November 5, 2009 4:33 PM
Clinton backed out because there won't be any young interns working the event so he won't have any use for the cigars he bought for the occasion.
Posted by: Joe | November 5, 2009 5:11 PM
Obama Retrospective
Mmm, mmm, mmm,
campaign promises broken,
mmm, mmm, mmm,
SS Obama is sinking,
mmm, mmm, mmm,
Abandon ship!
Abandon ship!
Posted by: Obama Rama | November 5, 2009 5:19 PM
For the libs bashing Bush..you guys will NEVER get over the fact that he was SMART ENOUGH to beat Clinton's VP...and Kerry/Edwatrds in 2004..
Get over the hatred...all these perjoratives only strengthen the fact that your guys are dumb ones....Look at what Obama has done so far...with all that SYLE AND SO CALLED BRAINS he can't get to first base with a LOADED Congress in his favor.
Libs are the ones who think they are smarter than the average bear but all they do is stink the place up.
Posted by: Sandra | November 5, 2009 5:36 PM
"If Bush is such a poor debater, why did he soundly beat both Kerry and Gore? Maybe you are underrating his ability because you don't like him?
Posted by: thewickedmessenger | November 5, 2009 2:14 PM"
Actually, Gore received 550K more actual people votes than W., but due to the EC system W won by being awarded FLA by the SC.
And if W 'soundly' defeated Kerry, then BHO's victory over McBitter (6%) was a huge mandate of historic proportions.
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | November 5, 2009 6:22 PM
Bill,
So the mortgage companies didn't trick all people that couldn't afford those no-money down loans? Works for me. I guess that means the recession was caused by a bunch of financially illiterate folks that shouldn't have bought houses in the first place.
Posted by: Terry | November 5, 2009 7:04 PM
Clinton knew that he could not defend the DNC and Obama's assault on the constitution, so he quit. He knew that the rookie in the White House has made so many errors that can not be justified that he would lose and his ego would not except that. He could not justifiy all the wise democrats support for a president without experience, morals, and a very far left agenda even in that mans home town.
Posted by: John | November 6, 2009 9:07 AM