USTIN, Texas - The Bush and Gore campaigns yesterday renewed their debate over their willingness to debate this fall.
The campaign for GOP presidential contender George W. Bush seized upon a statement made Friday by Gore spokesman Mark Fabiani on CNN's ''Larry King Live.'' Although Vice President Al Gore has already agreed to 42 debates proposed between him and Bush, Fabiani appeared to make Gore's participation conditional to Bush's agreeing to appear in the three debates proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The first would be Oct. 3 at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, but the Bush team has said it may participate in only two commission debates and pick a third from the other offers.
''There has to be agreement by Governor Bush that he will participate in those [commission] debates. And then once he agrees to that, we will talk about all kinds of other debates,'' Fabiani said.
Yesterday, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer responded: ''The Gore campaign's sudden decision to back away from the debates it has already committed to raises questions about Al Gore's credibility.''
Gore spokesman Douglas Hattaway denied the campaign was shifting positions, but insisted Bush must agree to the three commission debates before any other negotiations take place.
''Those are the major debates of the fall, and he has to agree to them,'' Hattaway said. ''They're just highlighting the fact that Bush hasn't agreed to debates.''
GLEN JOHNSON
