Plans to televise a debate at St. Bonaventure University between candidates in the 29th Congressional District appear to have fallen through.

R-News of Rochester had a verbal commitment from the campaigns of U.S. Rep. John R. "Randy" Kuhl Jr., and Democrat Eric Massa to debate at the Rigas Family Theater in the Regina Quick Center at the university early next month.

However, R-News anchor James Maroney told the Olean Times Herald Friday technical problems would prevent the debate from being televised and broadcast live over a Time-Warner station out of Buffalo and Rochester. A satellite truck that would have been used for the debate has broken down.

That lessens the possibility of a debate in the western part of the eight-county congressional district. The campaigns have been invited to debate at Alfred University in Allegany County, but no dates have been mentioned. The Olean Times Herald has also offered to host a debate of the candidates locally.

Rep. Kuhl, R-Hammondsport, and Mr. Massa, D-Corning, have met twice in SCOPE sportsmens' forums in Yates and Ontario counties.

Massa campaign manager Justin Schall said Friday Mr. Massa would attend the St. Bonaventure University debate whether or not it is televised. He offered to split the cost of renting a satellite truck with the Kuhl campaign if Rep. Kuhl were really interested in televising a debate from St. Bonaventure.

Justin Stokes, campain manager for the Kuhl re-election campaign, said the campaign expects to announce within the next week dates for which Rep. Kuhl will attend forums or debates with Mr. Massa. "We'll be making a decision on that soon," he added.

Mr. Stokes said the campaign would consider participating in the St. Bonaventure debate offered by Lee Coppola, dean of the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

His Democratic counterpart, Mr. Schall, said Mr. Massa's offer to debate at any time, anywhere stands. "We're probably still considering that," he said of the St. Bonaventure invitation, depending on whether Rep. Kuhl will agree to attend.

Meanwhile, both campaigns opted out of a forum at St. John's Meadows Political Forum in Brighton (a Rochester suburb) on Oct. 6. The Kuhl campaign jumped on a statement by Mr. Massa earlier this week that he would put off a campaign fundraiser if there were an opportunity to debate Rep. Kuhl.

Mr. Stokes indicated Mr. Massa had no plans to attend a debate at WXXI-TV in Rochester this coming Monday night because he was attending a fundraiser in New York City that night.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Massa told reporters Rep. Kuhl had backed out of that debate because he had "huge" fundraisers scheduled in Washington, D.C. that night and the next morning.

Mr. Kuhl said he would be unable to attend the WXXI debate because Speaker Nancy Pelosi had scheduled a session of Congress to begin at 6 p.m. Monday.

"It's not about Randy Kuhl's schedule," Mr. Schall said. "It's a 60-minute flight from Washington. It's about him not wanting to debate us."

Mr. Schall said Mr. Massa has a fundraiser in New York City on Oct. 6, but would postpone it if Rep. Kuhl found he had time to attend the forum both candidates attended last year. "If Randy is going to commit to this, we'll move our fundraiser," he added.

R-News still has a commitment from the candidates to debate Oct. 29 in their Rochester studio which will be made available to cable access stations across the district, Mr. Maroney said. That debate will not be before an audience.

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