Debate on debates: How many is enough?

When you're the underdog -- read that Democrat in a Republican state -- you want to take advantage of public exposure. When you're underfunded, you want all the media coverage possible. One way to get both is by debating your opponent as many times in as many places as possible.

It comes as no surprise that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chuck Hassebrook wants more than the two agreed upon debates with Republican Pete Ricketts in the first contested race for the governor's office in nearly two decades. Hassebrook is the former director of the Center for Rural Affairs and a former University of Nebraska Regent. Ricketts is an official at TD Ameritrade headquartered in Omaha.

Hassebrook, who grew up on a family farm, wants an opportunity to let voters statewide know of his rural roots and his experience on the governing board of the statewide university system. Unopposed in the gubernatorial primary, he does have political name recognition as the Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate who lost out to popular former U.S. Senator and one-term Governor Bob Kerrey who jumped into the fray late in the game and lost the election to Republican Deb Fischer.

Ricketts, well funded and ahead in the polls, doesn't have to worry about his public exposure. His political name recognition came as the person who finished second to incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Nelson in one of the most expensive races in Nebraska history as both candidates spent millions in advertising. Ricketts also emerged from an expensive six-way Republican primary race in May for the seat he is now seeking.

That primary, labeled by many as the bloodiest in Nebraska history, will long be known for the over-abundance of attack ads. Attorney General Jon Bruning, who finished second to Ricketts, blamed the Ricketts campaign for the negative ads. Ricketts vehemently denied it.

It's understandable that the Hassebrook campaign is probably steeling itself for more of that as the November 4 election inches closer. Hassebrook has been walking parade routes, seeking donations -- his biggest score being $100,000 from billionaire Warren Buffett -- and trying to get Ricketts to agree to more than two debates, one of which he has characterized as more of a joint appearance than a debate.

The Ricketts camp says their candidate has a full campaign calendar including what they call the third debate, an appearance at the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Senate forum at the Strategic Air and Space Museum near Ashland. Each candidate will be given five minutes to speak and then allowed to take questions from the audience for about 25 minutes.

Hassebrook spokeswoman Meg Mandy says that's NOT a debate. Ricketts spokeswoman Jessica Moenning says both men will be on the stage at the same time, thus it's a debate. She said, she said.

What the candidates have agreed on is a Labor Day (September 1) debate at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island and a Nebraska Educational Television debate set for October 2 in Lincoln.

Hassebrook said he sent Ricketts a letter proposing six to eight televised debates and eight to 10 town hall events throughout the state and five jointly released newspaper op-eds on issues. Ricketts said attempts by his campaign earlier this summer to plan debates in locations across the state were rebuffed by the Hassebrook campaign. He said, he said.

The Ricketts campaign had asked Nebraska Republican Party Chair J.L. Spray to help organize debates. He said he asked state Democratic Party Chair Vince Powers about debates but didn't hear back from him for a long time. Powers said Hassebrook's staff said they preferred to deal directly with Rickett's campaign. Spray characterized that as a lack of interest in debates. Powers said Spray was wrong in thinking that. He said, he said.

If you think all of this is interesting, wait until the advertising starts.