They Coulda Been Some Contenders

Both Clinton and Obama have issued statements that they won't cross the picket line to participate in CBS's debate.

Clinton: "The workers at CBS News have been without a contract for close to two and a half years. It is my hope that both sides will reach an agreement that results in a secure contract for the workers at CBS News but let me be clear: I will honor the picket line if the workers at CBS News decide to strike."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton: “If CBS News is unable to reach an agreement with its workers and they decide to strike, Barack Obama will not cross the picket to line to attend the debate.”

John Edwards recently joined the picket line of striking writers in Burbank, CA. His campaign confirmed that he would not participate in the CBS debate unless the contract issue is resolved, either.

(Though CBS News writers are also represented by the Writers' Guild of America, this strike is not directly related to the drama and comedy writers' strike that's been going on for the past three weeks.)

UPDATE: Edwards has released this statement, which goes a little farther than Obama's, in noting that Elizabeth Edwards will also respect the strike -- or rather, the separate, WGA strike -- by canceling a scheduled appearance on "The View." Will Michelle Obama do the same? (She's scheduled to co-host.) It's a race to the press release!

“Elizabeth and I will honor the members of the Writers Guild of America who are on strike at ‘The View' by canceling our appearance on the show next week. I call on all of my fellow candidates and their campaigns to do the same.

“In addition, we will also honor any picket lines at CBS News, up to and including the CBS presidential debate on December 10th. As I said when I walked the WGA picket line in California last Friday, these workers are making a simple request for their fair share of the huge profits being made by multinational media corporations.

“I am a strong believer in collective bargaining, and I hope that in each of these disputes, management and the union are able to agree on a just settlement. But until those settlements are reached, I will stand firmly with these workers in their fight for a better life.”

UPDATE UPDATE: I defer to Karen on what the political jijitsu of these moves are. I suspect it's NOT about chasing after the coveted profession television writer vote.