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Capitol View®
Mark Zdechlik

Bills wants more debates with Klobuchar

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills says he wants DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar to debate 20 times between now and Election Day.

So far Klobuchar has agreed to take part in two candidate forums with Bills: one this week at Farmfest in southwestern Minnesota, the other on MPR News at the State Fair. The Klobuchar campaign says it's considering additional debates in the fall.

Bills says he wants 20, but that he would settle for five or 10. He says if Klobuchar does not agree to what he thinks is a sufficient number of debates, he'll hold forums by himself around the state.

"I'll put two chairs up on the stage, put the date out there, inform her campaign and people can show up. And if she doesn't want to come, it will be an empty chair discussion." Bills said. "I'll sit up there, [and] discuss and then I'll take questions from the audience."

The Klobuchar campaign released a short statement questioning Bills' demand under the circumstances.

"Candidates that call for debates usually do it when there aren't any debates." said spokesman Linden Zakula.

There were five debates in Minnesota's last U.S. Senate race between Republican Norm Coleman, Democrat Al Franken and Dean Barkley from the Independence Party.