Report calls for revised debates

Several groups say the Commission on Presidential Debates is partisan and undermines democracy.

Their report Monday criticized the commission for working with the major parties' candidates on how the debates should be run, including moderators and topics. It also objected to the exclusion of other candidates such as Ralph Nader from debate forums.

"The debates have been reduced to a series of glorified bipartisan news conferences, in which the Republican and Democratic candidates exchange memorized sound bites," the report said.

Issuing the report were 11 groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, Judicial Watch and the National Voting Rights Institute.

PLAQUEMINE, La. - A judge called Rep. Rodney Alexander's last-minute switch to the Republican Party an attempt to subvert the election process and ordered that the signup period be reopened for new candidates for Congress.

Alexander infuriated Democrats this month when he switched to the GOP just minutes before the deadline for getting on the ballot. The move made it virtually impossible for the Democrats to field a promising candidate to run against Alexander.

The judge did not throw Alexander off the ballot, as the Democrats had asked.

PRESIDENT BUSH: No campaign events.

VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: Campaigns in Overland Park, Kan., Davenport, Iowa, and Waterford, Mich.

JOHN KERRY: Campaigns in New York and Philadelphia; overnights in Philadelphia.

JOHN EDWARDS: Campaigns in Columbus, Ohio, and Cleveland; overnights in Cleveland.

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