Scott Brown really doesn't want to have to debate Elizabeth Warren

Scott Brown still not willing to debate. Bwwwaaaackkkk, bwwwaaackk, bwwaaack.

WORCESTER '  U.S. Sen. Scott Brown will not debate in Worcester, his campaign said yesterday.

The campaign re-issued a press release from Friday that announced that a Boston Herald/UMass-Lowell debate would be the last he adds to his schedule, and a spokesman confirmed that the answer for Worcester was no.

Last week, Brown refused a statewide debate because he couldn't dictate Vicki Kennedy's political speech. She was extending the debate invitation for the Kennedy Institute, which honors her late husband, and Brown said he'd only go if Mrs. Kennedy stayed neutral in his Senate race for the whole duration of the campaign. There's a realistic demand. Now he's saying he'll only do one that isn't sponsored by media of his choice.

He didn't offer any demands or any reason for refusing this debate. Worcester is the state's second-largest city, so you'd think he'd feel sort of compelled to step up on this one. ProgressMass reports that this proposed debate would have been sponsored by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette (which endorsed Brown in the special election), the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. Tough crowd. They might have asked him about stuff other than sports teams.

Brown has accepted a couple of debate requests; one hosted by Dan Rea who "espouses conservative views and openly describes himself as Brown's friend," and one sponsored by the Boston Herald, the conservative rag that has spilt tons of ink on attacking Elizabeth Warren's heritage.

So it seems that Brown is too chicken to debate Warren on anything but the friendliest of turfs. Maybe the Warren team needs to see if Buckingham Palace is free.