SENATE DEBATE STILL UNDECIDED

Gov. Mel Carnahan and U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft still hadn't agreed on a Cape Girardeau debate in their Senate race late Wednesday.

KFVS-TV has agreed to sponsor a one-hour debate at Southeast Missouri State University and air it live. The debate as currently planned would be from 7 to 8 p.m. But Carnahan, a Democrat, and Ashcroft, a Republican, have yet to agree on a suitable date. Ashcroft's campaign wants the debate held on Oct. 16. The Carnahan campaign prefers Oct. 19.

Mike Beecher, news director at KFVS, said station officials were trying to work out an acceptable date with candidates' campaign staffs.

Sara Howard, deputy communications director for the Carnahan campaign, said she didn't know when an agreement would be reached on the debate.

Steve Hilton, deputy campaign manager for Ashcroft, said his boss wants to debate Carnahan in Cape Girardeau on Oct. 16. "Take it or leave it," Hilton said.

Carnahan, he said, needs to respond by Friday.