For Immediate Release: June 11, 2007
Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org
 

Boston, MA – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that Caroline Kennedy has invited the leading Democratic Presidential candidates to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts for a nationally televised presidential debate on Monday, December 17, 2007.

Joining the Kennedy Presidential Library for this historic event will be CNN as the television partner and Politico.com as the internet partner.

The Politico (www.POLITICO.com) will provide an exclusive opportunity for viewers to question the candidates via the internet. The debate will air nationally on CNN, with full coverage on www.CNN.com.

“My father’s presidential library is an ideal venue for those who seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for President,” said Caroline Kennedy, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. “President Kennedy championed public service and viewed politics as a noble and honorable profession. His legacy is one of decisive leadership, strong national defense, effective government, public responsibility and service, and equal opportunity for all Americans. It is therefore fitting that his library host a debate for the American people among the candidates who seek to lead our nation.”

The December 17 debate at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library will be the first debate of Democratic Presidential Candidates to be held at a Presidential Library, and will be a unique opportunity for web cast viewers across the country to ask questions of the candidates. In 1960, presidential candidates Senator John F. Kennedy (D) and Vice-President Richard M. Nixon (R) held the first nationally televised presidential debate in the nation's history. In 2000, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum joined with the University of Massachusetts Boston in hosting the first presidential debate between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is a presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization. The Kennedy Presidential Library and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.   Click here for more information about the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; four Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Pipeline, CNN.com’s premium live video news service; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and partnerships for four television networks and two Web sites.

The Politico is a Washington, D.C.-based political journalism organization that distributes its content via television, the internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage includes Congress, Washington lobbying, and the 2008 presidential election. The Politico and Politico.com launched in January, 2007 with the mission of covering with enterprise, style, and impact. The Politico is a publication of Capitol News Company, LLC. The Politico and Politico.com were a sponsor of the Republican Presidential Candidates debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on May 3, 2007.