Bernie Sanders spokesman slams Saturday night debate slot: 'I guess Christmas Eve was booked'

Ahead of yet another inconveniently timed Democratic debate Saturday night, Hillary Clinton's competitors are grumbling.
"They've scheduled it during shopping season, December 19th," former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said. "I don't know why that is. I think it's out of a false sense that they have to circle the wagons around the inevitable frontrunner."
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders seems to have taken the bad timing more in stride, but his spokesman's statement indicates he's also not thrilled that people will more likely be watching football or sipping on eggnog at a holiday party than tuning in to a debate. "We're playing the hand we were dealt," Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said. "I guess Christmas Eve was booked."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is the second Democratic debates that has been scheduled for a Saturday night. Scheduling the Democratic debates at inconvenient times, some say, puts lesser known candidates at a disadvantage. The last two Democratic debates drew a combined total of nearly 25 million viewers, which is about even with the record-setting first GOP debate alone. The last two Republican debates combined totaled 31.5 million viewers.
The Democratic National Committee, however, is confident that the combination of the debates and forums with other events will allow candidates plenty of time to get their messages out to voters.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling