Katie's Shot at Moderating a Debate Growing Slimmer

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By Felix Gillette

April 14, 2008 | 8:09 a.m.

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On Friday, before he got sidetracked, Senator Barack Obama suggested that he might bow out of a proposed April 27 debate in North Carolina to be hosted by CBS News and moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer, reports the Charlotte Observer.

"In a telephone interview with the Observer to discuss his economic plan, Obama doubted whether a proposed April 27 debate at Raleigh's RBC Center would fit with his schedule," reports the Charlotte Observer.

Some twenty debates into this primary season, Ms. Couric the highest paid anchor in evening news, has yet to get a shot at playing host on the big stage.

But on April 3, the Clinton campaign announced that they had agreed to participate in a 90 minute debate to take place in North Carolina and to air on CBS on the night of Sunday, April 27, immediately following "60 Minutes."

Over the past week and a half the debate has remained in limbo, however, with Ms. Couric and company waiting to hear back from Mr. Obama.

Said Mr. Obama to the Charlotte Observer on Friday:

I am always open to debates but I think that obviously we've got to structure our campaign so that we're reaching as many voters as possible, and it's not clear that the April 27 debate will work for our schedule.