Mitt Romney Skipping March 1st CNN Debate Because Of ‘Scheduling Issues’ (UPDATE: CNN Cancels Debate)

UPDATE: Following Romney’s decision to skip the debate, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum expressed they would not attend as well, which forced CNN to cancel the debate. “Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate,” CNN told The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake.

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Mitt Romney is skipping CNN’s debate pre-Super Tuesday in Atlanta on March 1, his campaign has confirmed.

RELATED: Report: Mitt Romney Hasn’t Answered A Question From A Voter In Three Weeks

“With eight other states voting on March 6, we will be campaigning in other parts of the country and unable to schedule the CNN Georgia debate,” Andrea Saul, Romney’s campaign press secretary told The Hill’s Alicia Kahn.

“Governor Romney will be spending a lot of time campaigning in Georgia and Ohio ahead of Super Tuesday,” she said.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Jim Galloway speculated that this could be an indication that the Romney Campaign is in trouble:

One interpretation: This may be an indication of what he thinks his current chances are in both Georgia and Ohio, whose GOP organizations are co-hosting the event.

Another interpretation: Romney is the candidate with the cash, and this could be his way of denying free media to his financially strapped rivals on the eve of the biggest election day of the primary so far. Georgia and Ohio have the two largest caches of delegates in play on March 6, 76 and 66, respectively.

(h/t The Hill)

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