Democratic challenger and Venice-based mega-blogger Mickey Kaus wants a debate with incumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer so bad that he literally set the stage for just such an event Tuesday.

His campaign has reserved a room at San Francisco's Golden Gateway Holiday Inn for a 2 p.m. showdown, and two lecterns and a pitcher of water will be at the ready, according to the Kaus campaign. “We know Senator Boxer will be in San Francisco then, because she's having a $35,000-a-couple fundraiser a few blocks away that evening,” Kaus said.

The underdog candidate, who has hitched his platform to an anti-illegal-immigration, anti-union stance, said he'll even stick to Boxer's favored topics, including the environment and abortion.

“With the BP spill in the papers,” Kaus said, “you'd think she would have the upper hand.”

“We'll also have video cameras,” said the low-budget challenger, ” — probably Flips.”

Kaus will be waiting at 2 p.m. in the California Room of the hotel, which is located at 1500 Van Ness Ave. We'll send the crickets.

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