Debate News: Brown Agrees To Kennedy Institute Debate; Kerry To Play Romney

Two political races, two debate-related bits of news just out:

Senate Race

-- Sen. Scott Brown's campaign has accepted an invitation from Victoria Kennedy to debate Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate — with a few conditions.

In a letter, Brown campaign manager Jim Barnett says Brown will attend the Sept. 27 debate if Victoria Kennedy "will not endorse or otherwise get involved in this race."

Additionally, Barnett says, "while we accept Tom Brokaw as a moderator, we prefer debates with local media sponsors, not out-of-state cable networks with a reputation for political advocacy." Kennedy had discussed the possibility of a MSNBC sponsorship.

Warren has already accepted the Kennedy debate invitation.

Presidential Race

-- Multiple reports say the President Obama re-election campaign has tapped Sen. John Kerry to play Mitt Romney in mock debate rehearsals.

The Washington Post reports:

... As the senior senator from Massachusetts, Kerry has studied Romney’s career and campaign style for nearly two decades and has first-hand knowledge of his record as governor.

"He’s an expert debater who has a fundamental mastery of a wide range of issues, including Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts. He’s the obvious choice," Obama adviser David Axelrod told the Boston Globe in a statement.

The Post adds:

Kerry helped found a debating society at St. Paul’s School and was a star debater at Yale University. In his 1996 reelection race against Bill Weld, then the popular Republican governor, the two held seven, hour-long televised debates in the Lincoln-Douglas tradition. Kerry’s performance in them helped propel him to victory, 53 percent to Weld’s 45 percent.