CNN and the Tea Party Express will co-host a primary debate among the 2012 Republican presidential candidates during Labor Day week of 2011, the network announced Friday.
The debate will be held in Tampa, Fla., the site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, and will focus on many topics, but especially those important to the Tea Party Express — namely the economy and government spending. The pairing is the first between the network and the group.
"Over the past two years, the American people have engaged in the political process like no other time in history. The Tea Party movement continues to grow and will play an even greater role in the 2012 elections,” said Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express. “The debate will give presidential candidates an opportunity to focus on the issues near and dear to the Tea Party and our supporters across the country.”
Sam Feist, CNN political director, called the Tea Party Express "a fascinating, diverse, grassroots force that already has drastically changed the country’s political landscape.”
“Undecided voters turn to CNN to educate themselves during election cycles, so it is a natural fit for CNN to provide a platform for the diverse perspectives within the Republican Party, including those of the Tea Party movement,” Feist said.
