No ducking out

Chicken Cuo & foe set debate

Time to hang up the chicken suit.

After weeks of ducking and excuses, Gov. Cuomo (left on Monday) has finally agreed to a televised debate with Marc Molinaro — and his Republican rival quickly grabbed the chance for a head-to-head face-off.

The long-awaited debate is set for Tuesday.

“We’ll be there tomorrow,” Molinaro said in a conference call with reporters Monday morning. “We have what we asked for.”

The one-hour showdown will be recorded in the afternoon and broadcast on CBS and its radio affiliates statewide at 7 p.m.

Molinaro praised The Post for pressing the debate issue, including by portraying the twoterm governor in a chicken suit on four consecutive front pages over the past week.

“The media, particularly the New York Post and others, showed the power to get politicians to do what’s right . . . including with some colorful front pages,” he said. “It’s important for the voters.”

The GOP contender also agreed to attend another debate on Nov. 1 in Albany, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. It includes three minorparty candidates: Howie Hawkins of the Green Party; Larry Sharpe of the Libertarian Party; and independent candidate Stephanie Miner.

Cuomo still hasn’t signed on to the Albany debate.

Molinaro called for two more debates in financially struggling areas upstate and in the Southern Tier, which includes Binghamton.

“As usual, the forgotten upstate New Yorker is getting screwed by Andrew Cuomo,” he said.

Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Dani Lever claimed it was Molinaro — not the governor — who’s been playing debate games.

“After days of ducking the debate, we’re glad Marc Molinaro has finally agreed. See you tomorrow,” Lever said in a statement.

But it was Cuomo who refused to debate until Friday, when he suddenly blurted out an offer on radio to meet Molinaro the very next day, Saturday, at 8 a.m. without TV cameras.

Molinaro said thanks, but no thanks, and demanded that his first debate with the governor be televised.

If the public polls are right, the challenger needs all the exposure he can get.

An Oct. 18 Quinnipiac University poll had Cuomo ahead 58 percent to 35 percent. But 48 percent of voters said they didn’t know enough about Molinaro to form an opinion when asked if they viewed him favorably or unfavorably.