You won’t meet our debate requests? We’ll find a way

So proclaimeth the Kerry team in advance of tonight’s debate:

Advisers for the Democratic presidential candidate demanded Thursday that the lights signaling when a speaker’s time has expired during debates with President Bush (news – web sites) be removed from the lecterns because they are distracting. The commission hosting the debates refused.

Bush’s campaign accused Kerry, known for favoring long sentences and statements, of trying to violate debate rules against windy answers.

An angry exchange between representatives of the Kerry campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates took place just hours before the candidates were to meet at the University of Miami for the first of three debates, according to several officials familiar with the meeting.

Kerry’s team threatened to remove the lights when they visit the debate site with the candidate later in the day. “We’ll do what we have to,” Kerry strategist Tad Devine said after his meeting with the commission. Later, after Kerry had toured the debate stage and departed the building, the lights were still in place.

Probably trying to tone down the harsh look of that tan.