Support For Huckabee-Thompson Debate Grows, With Everyone But Thompson (UPDATED)

On Friday, Mike Huckabee sent a letter to Fred Thompson accepting Thompson's offer for a series of "Lincoln-Douglas style" debates.

Huckabee's letter to Thompson may be found here.

James Pindell broke the initial story.

We picked it up.

So did USA Today and The Baltimore Sun.

On Saturday, we heard that the University of New Hampshire College Republicans had agreed to sponsor the debate (we lost their press release in the driving rain of the Chili Fest so please double-check our facts on this one. Noted: We can hear the eye-rolling and sighing in Concord).

On Sunday, Wolf Blitzer told Mike Huckabee on Late Edition that CNN would be happy to host the debate.

But Team Thompson still has not said anything about (much less agreed to do) a one-on-one debate with Huckabee.

You know, a one-on-one debate that Thompson initially suggested to cover the fact that he skipped the NH GOP debate for Leno.

Which has got to make Granite State voters (and the NH Gang of 15) wonder.

But then we read that Thompson said this in Nashua: "I'm going to be in New Hampshire a lot. I'm going to be talking to real people."

And then we read that Thompson supporter Dan Hughes told the Concord Monitor that Thompson will next be in New Hampshire "in early October".

"A lot" & "In early October".

Wait, what's today's date?

And we wonder no more.

Fred Thompson just doesn't get it (nor is he "playing" in New Hampshire, quote us).

But that still doesn't mean he should not be held accountable for something he said.

Right?

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UPDATED - Team Huckabee just sent out a press release claiming that they have over 1,500 signatures of support for Huck's call to debate Thompson and calling on Thompson to show that Thompson isn't afraid of "expressing his views and his vision for America in a comprehensive one-on-one Lincoln Douglas styled debate".

Nice.

But that's not the best (smartest) part of Huck's release. The best part of Huck's release is in the final graph:

“I’m pleased that citizens from all across America have enthusiastically endorsed this idea with their signature and have called on Senator Thompson to debate me at the location of his choice – preferably in a key state such as New Hampshire,” said Huckabee.

"called on Senator Thompson to debate me at the location of his choice - preferably in a key state such as New Hampshire".

Nice. And smart.