Republican candidates preparing for Sunday's bilingual 'panderfest'

Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Governor Mike Huckabee, Congressman Duncan Hunter, Senator John McCain, Congressman Ron Paul, Governor Mitt Romney and Senator Fred Thompson, along with John McCain, Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter, are preparing for a bilingual foru being hosted by Spanish language television network Univision on Sunday, December 9. The only candidate who is not confirmed for the Dec. 9 debate is Tom Tancredo. Tancredo has centered his campaign the issue of illegal immigration, and said he would never participate in a Spanish-language forum.

In September, the Democratic candidates held a similar event, referred to by many as a 'panderfest.' The network had tried to schedule a GOP bilingual debate in September, but only McCain and Hunter accepted the invitation from Univision at that time.

Many see the bilingual debates as 'panderfests,' symptomatic of the nation's immigration problems. Univision, however, sees them as a coup. The network claims that its audience surpasses that of cable networks such as CNN and MSNBC.

The GOP contenders are expected to face pointed questions about immigration. They can be expected to tread carefully, trying to protect their standing with conservative voters without alienating the predominantly Hispanic television audience. As in the Democratic debate, the questions will be asked in Spanish and translated into English for the candidates, who will wear earphones. Their responses will be translated into Spanish for viewers.