Nutter: Urban-issues forum a no-go

Mayor Nutter said yesterday that his proposed urban-issues forum with the Democratic presidential candidates was unlikely to happen.

Nutter pitched the event to U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama two weeks ago, saying that the session would provide a chance for the candidates to talk about rarely discussed city issues like housing, transportation and crime.

But with the primary election looming close on April 22, Nutter said he doubts it will come together.

"It's looking like it's logistically very difficult," Nutter said. "They are tremendously busy folks."

Nutter did not blame either candidate for the the scheduling difficulty. And he said that just proposing the forum has drawn attention to the lack of urban debate in the race.

"The candidates themselves, to some extent, have started talking about these issues," he said. "And we're trying to get the folks who are running the debate next week to raise some of the issues."

ABC News is hosting a debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on April 16.

CNN yesterday announced that it will broadcast a presidential-candidates forum on faith issues Sunday night.

Clinton and Obama will appear separately on stage to talk about topics like poverty, AIDS, climate change and human rights, according to a news release. *