L.A. Debate for Gore, Bradley Before Primary

WASHINGTON —  Vice President Al Gore and Bill Bradley have agreed to appear in a nationally televised debate jointly sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and CNN less than a week before the crucial California primary in early March.

The 90-minute debate is to be held at The Times’ office in downtown Los Angeles on March 1, 2000, and broadcast live on CNN. Six days later, Democratic voters will go to the polls in California, New York, Ohio and at least 13 other states in the single largest day on the primary calendar.

In a letter earlier this month to the Gore campaign, Bradley campaign chairman Douglas C. Berman listed the Times/CNN debate as one of three in which the candidate has agreed to participate. Gore’s campaign--which lately has pressed Bradley to hold debates weekly beginning this fall--then said he would participate as well.

“We will be there,” said a senior Gore aide.

The Times and CNN also are attempting to set up a comparable debate among the Republican presidential contenders for March 2. The GOP contest features eight candidates now.

California is looming as a pivotal--and potentially decisive--contest in the Democratic race. With Bradley now leading Gore in the first primary state of New Hampshire, the former New Jersey senator could be in position to run well in the Northeastern and Upper Midwest states (including New York) that dominate the votes on March 7. If that happens, Gore may need to win that day’s California contest to keep his candidacy afloat.

Aware of the stakes, both men have been campaigning heavily in the state.

In his letter to Gore, Bradley also agreed to debate Gore early next year before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

The two men are scheduled to appear at a “town meeting” sponsored by CNN and New Hampshire television station WMUR at Dartmouth University in Hanover, N.H., on Oct. 27. The event’s ground rules call for the two men to answer questions from audience members.

On Tuesday, Gore campaign chairman Tony Coelho challenged Bradley to appear at another New Hampshire forum scheduled for Nov. 4; Bradley’s campaign did not immediately respond.

Coelho also said the vice president would be willing to debate Bradley on national television programs such as “Meet the Press” and “Nightline,” another sign of Gore’s new strategy of confronting his rival after months of ignoring him.