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Debate co-chair: 'Mistake' to have Candy Crowley moderate presidential debate

Frank Fahrenkopf, a co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said tonight that the Commission made a "mistake" by selecting CNN anchor Candy Crowley to moderate one of the 2012 presidential debates.

Fahrenkopf, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, was speaking at the Las Vegas Country Club in Nevada. According to Jon Ralston, the Nevada-based political journalist, Fahrenkopf told the audience there that he was proud of the 2012 debate moderators, but added: “We made one mistake this time: Her name is Candy."

(PHOTOS: Scenes from the second presidential debate)

Crowley, who moderated the second, town-hall-style debate, drew heavy fire from conservatives for challenging Mitt Romney after he suggested that President Obama had not called the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, "acts of terror."

According to an agreement between the Obama and Romney campaigns, the moderator of the town hall debate was to refrain from asking questions or participating in the debate. Crowley had promised to defy that agreement even before the debate started.

Crowley later defended the interjection, saying she was just "trying to move the conversation along."

UPDATE (4:43 p.m., Jan. 20): Janet Brown, the executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates, declined to comment on Fahrenkopf's remarks Tuesday night. POLITICO also reached out to Mike McCurry, Fahrenkopf's fellow CPD co-chair and Democratic counterpart, who is travelling. Because McCurry was unable to comment, Brown provided the following on-the-record statement on Wednesday:

Moderating a general election debate requires substantial skill and experience; the CPD is most grateful to all the journalists who have filled this role.

(h/t Alex Burns)