The debate over the debate is, well, still being debated.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case refused to show up yesterday afternoon to a meeting with AARP Hawai'i and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's campaign over the format for their Aug. 31 debate on PBS Hawai'i because the meeting was not open to the public and the media.

Case asked earlier this week, after Akaka agreed to a single debate after weeks of prodding, that all debate negotiations be made public. But Akaka's campaign never responded, so Case decided not to attend the meeting and negotiate instead in writing.

"I will not provide Senator Akaka with an excuse to cancel the only debate he has agreed to," Case said in a statement. "Until Senator Akaka agrees to open up the negotiations to the public, we will negotiate in writing so everybody will know what Senator Akaka's terms and conditions are."

Akaka's campaign has already stipulated that there be no candidate-to-candidate questions.

Barbara Kim Stanton, the state director for AARP Hawai'i, said the media should not be at the negotiations. "This is just a meeting for the relevant parties, so it's just not conducive," she said.

The Akaka campaign chided Case for demanding debates and then not showing up at the talks.

"Our negotiator went, sat, waited, sat, waited, and there was no representative sent from the Case organization," Elisa Yadao, an Akaka campaign spokeswoman, said.

Case is challenging Akaka in the Democratic primary for Senate in September.