fter stalling for months, US Senator Edward M. Kennedy yesterday said he will not debate during his reelection bid, a first in the 38 years he has held the seat.
Kennedy blamed the decision on his tight schedule in Washington, where the Senate is still meeting, later than usual. He also said that if the Senate breaks at the end of this month, as expected, he would rather campaign on his own in the final days before the Nov. 7 election.
However, the move would also sidestep any potentially embarrassing televised moments on a stage with Republican candidate Jack E. Robinson and Libertarian Carla Howell, longshot candidates who have been aggressively attacking Kennedy. Robinson has also raised the issue of Kennedy's 1969 car accident at Chappaquiddick, in which a young woman was killed.
''The senator's time is going to be better spent crisscrossing the state and talking directly to the people of Massachusetts, as opposed to spending time preparing for debate,'' said Kennedy spokesman Will Keyser.
Kennedy's opponents immediately denounced the decision as undemocratic and urged the senator to relent.
''I will personally donate $2,500 to any charity that he designates if he changes his mind and agrees to the debate,'' Robinson said. ''And if he rejects that offer, then the citizens of Massachusetts should reject him.''
Robinson's pitch was similar to one made by Ray Shamie, another Republican, who in 1982 offered to donate $10,000 to any charity or nonpartisan organization that could set up a prime-time debate with Kennedy. Cardinal Cushing School and Training Center, a facility for special needs students, won the money when Kennedy ultimately agreed to a appear with Shamie at a forum at Boston College.
This year, a media consortium including the Globe, WBZ-TV (Channel 4), WCVB-TV (Channel 5), WHDH-TV (Channel 7), WGBH-TV (Channel 2), and New England Cable News wrote to Kennedy to request that he appear at a debate. No date had been picked, because Kennedy had not committed.
Although the consortium had not decided whether it would include Howell, she still blasted Kennedy yesterday, as she has done regularly in recent months.
''Ted Kennedy is not debating in Massachusetts because the big Boston media has failed the voters,'' Howell said. ''The big Boston media has refused to require Senator Kennedy to face voters on his record and on the consequence of his big-government policies. It is a sad day ... for democracy.''
Despite her third-party status, Howell had gained some attention by raising more money than Robinson and launching an advertising campaign on radio.
However, Mark White, executive director of the state Democratic Party, said neither Howell nor Robinson are credible opponents.
''These candidates don't pass the laugh test to be taken seriously,'' White said.
Robinson has been disavowed by his own party after a series of revelations about his personal behavior, including a report that a woman had taken out a restraining order against him.
Howell has called for the decriminalization of all drugs, abolition of any laws against gun ownership, and elimination of federal taxes and federal involvement in education.
Keyser said that Oct. 28 is the latest that any Senate session has dragged on during an election year. ''There are a number of really important issues at stake ... as the Senate winds down,'' he said.
''Congress will most likely not finish its business until late in the week at the earliest, and it may spill over to the following week,'' Keyser said. ''The time constraints ... make a debate impossible at this point.''
However, US Senator John F. Kerry broke away from his Senate duties in 1996 to debate Governor William F. Weld in a series of seven forums. Kerry's strong performance in the debates was instrumental in his hard-fought victory over Weld.
Nonetheless, Keyser said Kennedy's views are ''well known, and certainly he can achieve, reinforce, and clearly articulate to the people of Massachusetts his vision through campaign events.''
Asked whether Kennedy was avoiding mudslinging by his opponents, Keyser said no.
''I think it's fair to say that both candidates have not refrained from throwing any mud at this point thus far, so I don't know how that really restricts their campaigns,'' he said.
However, Keyser acknowledged that skipping the debate is a safer option. ''That's an obvious statement,'' he said.
Kennedy, who is not considered a skilled debater, struggled on camera during debates against Shamie in 1982 and Joseph D. Malone in 1988. But his 1994 performance against Republican Mitt Romney, Kennedy's most difficult reelection effort ever, was credited with stopping the GOP candidate's surge.
Also on the Nov. 7 ballot are Philip F. Lawler of the Constitution Party, Philip Hyde III of the Timesizing Not Downsizing Party, and unenrolled candidate Dale E. Friedgen.
