Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's campaign has reportedly contacted Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders about trying to put together more debates beyond the six organized by the Democratic National Committee.
Time magazine is reporting that O'Malley's campaign manager, Dave Hamrick, called Jeff Weaver, Sanders' campaign manager, and had a conversation about whether or not the DNC has the authority to make decisions on the number of debates.
When the DNC announced that it was scheduling
six debates between the Democratic contenders, O'Malley and Sanders both complained about having so few.
"Over here on our side there's no debate," the Maryland Democrat said Tuesday
on New Hampshire radio.
"Right now, the DNC in a very strange way, unprecedented, never before, is telling the people of New Hampshire that the Democratic Party can only afford one debate that's going to happen at the height of Christmas shopping season, which adds insult to the injury," he added.
The Democrats held more than a dozen debates in 2008 before the Iowa caucuses.
The first debate is scheduled for Oct. 13, more than two months after the Republicans held their first primary debate.
Sanders even created an online petition in an effort to increase the number of debates and to have them begin earlier than planned.
However, Sanders says that he won't participate in any debates that don't include all of the candidates.
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