Story highlights "I'm ready for the debate and I hope Sen. Sanders will change his mind and join us," Clinton told MSNBC

NBC and the Union Leader announced on Tuesday that they will host and partner on a Democratic debate on February 4

Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) Bernie Sanders' campaign responded to Hillary Clinton's request that he join her for a Democratic debate next week with a demand: Do three more debates, not on weekends, and Sanders will do next week's debate in New Hampshire.

Clinton pressed Sanders Wednesday to join her for an unsanctioned Democratic debate in New Hampshire being hosted by NBC. But Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said they would only do next week's debate if Clinton agreed to one debate more each in March, April and May -- and not on a Friday, Saturday or holiday weekend.

The Sanders campaign also said it would participate in next week's debate only if the Democratic National Committee coordinated it.

"I'm ready for the debate and I hope Sen. Sanders will change his mind and join us," Clinton told MSNBC's Chris Matthews in a phone interview. "And I think the (Democratic National Committee) and the campaigns should be able to work this out. I've said for, you know, for a long time that I'd be happy to have more debates."

But Weaver fired back, accusing her of only agreeing to the debate because the race has tightened in Iowa and beyond.

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