News Strike Threatens to Derail Debate

Darn those CBS News writers! First they trick Katie Couric into saying "sputum" on the air, and now they're threatening to ruin her big moment in the spotlight.

One-woman strike news clearinghouse Nikki Finke reports that CBS-employed members of the Writers Guild of America are considering launching their strike on Dec. 10, the same day CBS is supposed to broadcast a debate of the Democratic presidential candidates, moderated by Couric.

The timing is clearly meant to cause maximum anxiety for the network, which has kept its unionized employees waiting two and a half years for a new contract.

Earlier today, Matt Drudge reported that CBS was preparing to cancel the debate outright, much to Couric's supposed dismay. But a CBS spokeswoman said the Drudge item (which has since disappeared from his site) was not accurate, and that, in fact, it's up to the Democratic National Committee to decide whether to scrub the debate.