Bloomberg, ABC, offer to host campaign town hall

Bloomberg spokesman Jim Anderson said the mayor is making the offer because he is "excited about a campaign where voters interact directly with the candidates in a town hall format, and thinks New York City is the ideal setting for a first meeting."

clipped from news.aol.com Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News made a formal offer to host the first proposed presidential town hall meeting between John McCain and Barack Obama, according to a letter being sent to both candidates Sunday. Bloomberg and ABC envision a 90-minute, prime-time broadcast but said the date and other details, such as how much interaction the candidates would have with voters or a moderator, should be worked out by the campaigns. "We look forward to beginning a conversation on how best to create an event that will honor our nation's founding spirit and respect the voters' desire to engage in a thoughtful discussion of the critical issues facing America and the world," Bloomberg and Westin wrote.