Russell Simmons Calls Obama A “Mouse” And Lauds Edwards’ Yoga Skills

In a recent interview, Russell Simmons talks about Barack Obama and John Edwards. Read more

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On TV Tonight: Tancredo, others

Hardball (MSNBC): Chris Matthews previews the Republican debate with John Harris of politico.com (which is cosponsoring the debate and will stream it online), Howard Fineman, and Lois Romano.

Larry King Live (CNN): George Tenet.

Lou Dobbs Tonight (CNN): Tom Tancredo talks middle class issues.

Hannity and Colmes (Fox News): James Dobson.

Colbert Report (Comedy Central): Bill Bradley

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Gravel Is Ramping Up His Campaign - He’s Even Got A “Scandal” Too

After his performance at the Democratic debate, Sen. Gravel has reinvigorated his campaign, which has been relatively inactive for the past few months.  Among the flurry of activity are issues worth noting.

The sponors of the next Democratic debate (CNN, WMUR TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader) have excluded Sen. Gravel from the event.  Despite the statement being issued on March 16, the Gravel campaign is only recently fighting back.  On April 28, the Gravel campaign initiated a petition campaign with the hopes of compelling the sponsors to reconsider Gravel for the debate; to date, they’ve acquired 5,418 “signatures.”

Although, as I’m sure Sen. Gravel is aware - with increased publicity comes increased scrutiny.  Accordingly, Lynn Davidson at Newsbusters takes issue with a recent post on Sen. Gravel’s blog.  Gravel’s blog republished a post from the the site “Wake Up From Your Slumber” (WUFYS) entitled, “Meet the Next President of the United States.”  However, the same author who wrote the Gravel story, also published some seemingly anti-Semitic posts (just a few examples: 1, 2, 3).  I’m sure there could be a debateas to whether the posts on WUFYS are anti-Semitic, anti-zionist, neither or both (I’m not getting involved in that debate), but frankly, from a political perspective, it doesn’t matter much.  The content of WUFYS is clearly controversial and many in the Jewish community would take offense to it.  As a presidential candidate, it is not a wise move to associate yourself with such contentious organizations, especially when you’re a fringe candidate.  Vetting the content WUFYS is fairly easy and someone from the Gravel campaign should have done that before re-publishing any of their content on Sen. Gravel’s blog.  This is the problem with not having a strong organization - mistakes like this can happen frequently and make it nearly impossible for a fringe candidate to rise to the top.

My advice to Sen. Gravel… Read more

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Candidates Pick Alternative Dream Jobs: Kucinich Wants To Leave the Earth Behind

The Associated Press had candidates pick out alternative jobs they would like to do if they were not involved in politics. It’s an interesting question, but I think it shows a lot about the political thought process of the candidates when answering. Some answers were highly political; others more than a little funny.

Democrats
Joe Biden: Architect
Hillary Rodham Clinton: “Continue to work for causes and issues I care about, in a setting like a university or foundation.”
Chris Dodd: Teacher
John Edwards: Mill supervisor
Dennis Kucinich: Astronaut
Barack Obama: Architect
Bill Richardson: Center field, New York Yankees

Interesting choices and loaded answers there. Biden and Obama both being architects, which is a subtle way of conveying the idea that they like putting things together. Dodd gives a simple answer about being a teacher, but subtly conveys that he thinks he’s able to teach and lead. Clinton gives an overtly political answer, with subtle undertones: the election is not just about her grasping after power, it’s something more genuine. Edwards manages to tie being a leader with his humble background. Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich though… those I can’t explain. Although with how bad the Washington Nationals are, Richardson may have a shot there.

Republicans
Sam Brownback: Farmer
Rudy Giuliani: Sports announcer
Mike Huckabee: Bass guitar player for a touring rock band
Duncan Hunter: Outdoor writer
John McCain: Foreign service
Mitt Romney: Auto company executive
Tom Tancredo: President

I’ve gently criticized Mike Huckabee for how much I think he can overemphsize how much he runs, compared to underemphasizing his policy stances. I would point as an example to how he’s handled his bass guitar playing in this election, which has been perfectly done. He’s played it at the Iowa Lincoln Day Dinner and elsewhere on the trail, as a bit of dessert following the main course of his speech. And citing it here further humanizes him in the eyes of potential supporters, particularly if he keeps campaigning hard. Hunter and Brownback are both using this to harken back to part of their identity. They seem odd choices at first glance, but cut to the core of them more than you would think. McCain is emphasizing his service: obvious choice for him, and Romney emphasizing that he likes to be an executive, as well as nodding to his father. Giuliani is showing the Brooklyn in him, which is fine. I have nothing for contempt, though, for Tancredo’s complete cop-out answer. That’s why that picture is running above, it’s the worst I could find.

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Bloomberg Snubs Republican Party; New York’s Republican Party Snubs Giuliani

New York State’s Republican Party isn’t just in financial trouble, they’re in a bit of political trouble too.

The state party has scheduled a significant fundraising dinner for May 17, 2007.  The dinner is an opportunity for prospective candidates to present themselves, while racking in big bucks for the cash strapped party.  Shockingly, John McCain will deliver the Keynote Speech at this New York Republican Party event, while Rudy Giuliani has been relegated to a “Featured Speaker.”  Needless to say, this assignment has cost the party money, while drawing the ire of Rudy…

Making matters worse is Giuliani’s anger at being relegated to second fiddle to McCain at his hometown party’s annual dinner - the result of his staff’s failure to quickly respond to Mondello’s early and repeated offers that he serve as the keynote speaker.

Giuliani and his political allies are expected to account for about $500,000 of the money raised at the affair, far less than he would have helped the party generate if he had been the featured speaker, GOP insiders agreed.

As for McCain, “He’s bringing in hardly anything,” largely because he sees no percentage in raising money for the New York GOP, which is certain to line up strongly for favorite son Giuliani, GOP sources said.

Additionally, Mayor Bloomberg, who is considering running for president as an independent, curiously withdrew from the dinner citing “scheduling conflicts.”  I imagine that his decision not to attend the event has more to do with a potential run and less to do with his schedule, but only time will tell…

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2008 Central’s Presidential Election Podcast (4/29/07)

This week’s podcast covers…

• Democratic Primary Debate
• John McCain’s announcement
• Rudy Giuliani’s tough talk
• Mitt Romney goes on the offensive against McCain and Giuliani
• And more…

Subscribe to 2008 Central’s Presidential Election Podcast

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Sunday Talk: Biden, McCain, Brownback

This Week (ABC): Condoleezza Rice; Russ Feingold and Sam Brownback; Natalie Portman.

Face the Nation (CBS): Condoleezza Rice; John Murtha.

Meet the Press (NBC): Joe Biden

Fox News Sunday: John McCain and Cindy McCain.

Late Edition (CNN): Condoleezza Rice; Adam Putnam, and Jane Harman; Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi foreign minister; European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

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YouTubed: Saturday - April 28, 2007

Joseph Biden’s funny response to a question during the debate…

A protester interupts Rudy Giuliani’s commencement speech at the University of Oklahoma last year; the protester blames Wal-Mart for 9/11…

Mike Gravel and Chris Matthews getting into a bit of a heated exchange after the Democratic debate…

Daily Show’s “Coot Off” between Senators Robert Byrd and Ted Stevens…

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Mike Huckabee’s Son Arrested With Gun

 Yesterday, Mike Huckabee’s son, David (pictured left) was arrested at an Arkansas airport after a loaded Glock was found in his carry-on luggage.  David Huckabee pled guilty to possessing a weapon in a prohibited place.  He told reporters, “it was a silly mistake.”

Mike Huckabee had the following to say about matter:

“My wife and I love our son. What he did was irresponsible but not intentional.  “It’s one of those stupid things.  He knows better.”

As a reminder, Gov. Huckabee is a strong supporter of concealed weapon permits (which his son had) and suggested that if available in Virginia they might have reduced the loss of life:

 ”If somebody had been able to stop the shooter before he was able to kill that many people, there may not have been that many”

Given the temporal proximity to the Virginia Techshootings and Huckabee’s strong support of concealed weapon permits, I imagine he’ll use this opportunity (read: attention) to re-emphasize for voters his 2nd Amendment credentials.  I’m not suggesting that it is, but I’d be curious to hear from those that believe this may be a stunt.

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Mitt Romney: Everyone Flip-Flops, It’s No Big Deal; Also, Catching UBL Isn’t A Priority

In an interview with the AP yesterday, Mitt Romney defended his changes of positions as a natural evolution of politics that comes with understanding, specifically stating, “I served as governor for four years and my record is consistent and clear. … I’d also note that everybody in this race that I know has changed their mind on certain positions and they’ve done so as they gained more experience.”

On John McCain, Romney said, “Senator McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts. Now he’s for them. He was opposed to ethanol. Now he’s for it. He said he was opposed to overturning Roe v. Wade. Now he’s for overturning Roe v. Wade. … that suggests that he has learned from experience.” (See my take on McCain’s history on abortion here).

Romney also mentioned that Giuliani has had similar instances, but what, if any, he specifically referenced was not included in the original AP article.

It’s an interesting two-pronged strategy; first, to mitigate the flip-flop label by directly saying it doesn’t matter, and secondly to put the label on all the other candidates.

That said, I’m not sure either Giuliani’s or McCain’s flip-flops, at least the ones Romney mentioned, are serious enough as to compare to some of the more drastic ones of Romney. McCain opposed spending money on ethanol when gas was cheap and before 9/11 if I recall correctly. Even his statement on Roe clearly stated that he wanted to avoid illegal abortions. Giuliani’s shying away from some of his more dramatic statements, but not most of his record, and this unedited clip shows he wanted Roe ultimately repealed.

Neither Giuliani nor McCain have had as many moments like Romney has had with flip-flops; such as when he said: “I promised that if elected, I’d call a truce - a moratorium, if you will…I vowed to veto any legislation that sought to change the existing rules…I fully respect and will fully protect a woman’s right to choose.” There’s plenty more examples, on everything from campaign finance to guns to taxes. McCain had a major flip-flop regarding the Bush tax cuts, but not many beyond that. Giuliani seems to be tweaking his past statements regarding abortion and gay right, but nothing incredibly major like declaring himself completely against all abortions.

In normal circumstances, talking about the elephant in the room would hurt Romney. But when everyone else is talking about it, and it’s certain to be brought up in the two debates coming in the next month, having a quote to fall back on would help him, not hurt him. And the argument has some merit to it, whether you think it applies to Romney or not - that’s definitely up for debate. Romney is always going to have some blowback because of his history of such positions; he’ll have to work hard and climb bit by bit to overcome it. It’ll be difficult in any one moment to say if it’s working or not.

The other noteworthy element of the interview with the AP interview was Romney’s comments on Osama Bin Laden (UBL). Romney said:

Said the country would be safer by only “a small percentage” and would see “a very insignificant increase in safety” if al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught because another terrorist would rise to power. “It’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person,” Romney said. Instead, he said he supports a broader strategy to defeat the Islamic jihad movement.

John McCain fired back at Romney over those comments, as the New Hampshire Presidential Watch writes:

On a conference call with “bloggers” Senator John McCain took aim at Romney. In response to a question, McCain said “this is a national security issue,” and that he “disagrees in the strongest terms.” He also criticized Romney by saying “it takes a degree of naiveté to think he’s [bin Laden] is not an element in the struggle against radical Islam.”

In response to McCain’s comments the Romney campaign responded that, “The answer was in response to a question from the reporter if it was a failure of the Bush Administration that bin Laden was still at large. Governor Romney believes that the terrorism threat posed by radical jihadists is larger than just one person. Governor Romney believes—and has stated time and time again—that in order to confront these threats we have to focus on the larger problem of the global jihad and break down entire regional and global terror networks of al-Qaeda and others.

This is a position that is consistent with many counterterrorism experts and the majority of Americans.”

This is a problem that you can expect Romney to look to nip in the bud. Even with everything happening in Iraq, Bin Laden is still public enemy number 1, and saying that catching him is not important - even with the fair context that the Romney campaign asserts - is something that could give him a lot of unneeded publicity. I’d look for Romney to make some statements early in the Reagan debate that are hawkish, just to nip a potential problem in the bud. He’ll also keep talking about the war against radical Islam, as he calls it.

Perception matters in presidential politics. Mitt Romney knows this - just look at how he handled the flip-flop issue as proof. But look for McCain and other Republicans to really push Romney on this issue. That may be the biggest problem for Romney - he can fight this all he wants, but in the end, it’s an easy apple for the other candidates to pick.

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Rudy Giuliani: Terrorists Will Take Advantage Of Democrats

At a campaign stop in North Carolina, Rudy Giuliani continued his assault on Democrats and their ability to keep America safe, saying:

“[Democrats] retreating in the face of this terrorist threat.”

“When, in the history of war, has a nation that decides to retreat, printed up a schedule of that retreat and handed it to its enemies?”

“(Terrorists) do not respect weakness, they take advantage of weakness.  They certainly respect strength.”

Giuliani said the United States needs to continue to fight terrorism abroad and at home with “aggressive” use of military strength, the Patriot Act and electronic surveillance and interrogation.

Not to get branded as a single issue candidate, Rudy also challenged Democrats in other areas.

On Caring about poor people…

“I’ll be darned if I’m going to concede that Democrats care more about poor people than we do”

On healthcare…

“They’re [Democrats] moving toward socialized medicine so fast, it’ll make your head spin.” [adding that private competition and limits on malpractice lawsuits could help bring down the cost of care] “When we want to cover poor people, as we should, we give them vouchers.”

Based on a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, I’m not sure how politically viable Rudy’s voucher solution to healthcare is.

How serious a problem is it for the United States that many Americans do not have health insurance — very serious, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not at all serious?

Which of the following three statements comes closest to expressing your overall view of the healthcare system in the United States and how much work is required to make it better?

I recommend looking at all the results, they are interesting.

My thoughts…

At this point, Rudy’s campaign seems to rely on two components:

1. Shift the focus of the campaign to security.  Whereby the campaign will be able to utilize both the warm sentiment for Rudy’s handling of 9/11 and the general impression that Rudy has serious security credentials.
2. Present Rudy Giuliani as the most electable candidate.  By taking the lead against the Democrats, Rudy is both presenting himself as a leader as well as attempting to avoid getting bogged down in struggles with fellow Republican contenders over his conservative credentials or the specifics of his plans.

Given his personality and his liabilities (i.e. personal life, abortion position, gay rights positions), this seems to be the most effective strategy for the time being.  Although, eventually, he will need to bring a lot more substance to the campaign in order to sustain his growth and/or win the general election.

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On TV Tonight: Brian Williams

Hardball (MSNBC): Brian Williams gives a moderator’s perspective of the debate. Hopefully, he’ll discuss how much time the candidates were alotted.

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO): Dennis Kucinich

That’s really the only interview even remotely related to the candidates themselves. Everything else seems to be punditry from afar.

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Democratic Primary Debate Tag Clouds

Pollster.com compiled tag clouds for yesterday’s democratic debate:

I have some thoughts on what (if anything) these clouds tell us that I may post later.  Regardless, they’re still pretty interesting.

[Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan for the link]

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Rudy Giuliani Flip Flops On Gay Civil Unions

Rudy Giuliani issued a rather curious response to the passage of a Civil Union bill in New Hampshire:

“Mayor Giuliani believes marriage is between one man and one woman. Domestic partnerships are the appropriate way to ensure that people are treated fairly.  In this specific case the law states same sex civil unions are the equivalent of marriage and recognizes same sex unions from outside states. This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it.”

You can find the complete language of the bill, which is expected to be signed into law, here:

Title:An Act permitting same gender couples to enter civil unions and have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples.

Giuliani’s response to New Hampshire’s Civil Unions runs counter to his previous actions and stated positions…

• In 1998, Mayor Giuiliani signed a domestic partnership bill into law.  Back then, the Empire State Pride Agenda lauded Giuliani’s action on a law they considered “a new national benchmark for domestic partner recognition.”
• Back in 2006, Rudy said “I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that it should remain that way,” he said. “But I also believe you should allow for protection of the legal rights of people who are gay and lesbian.”
• Howard Koeppel, one of the gay men that Rudy lived with as his second marriaged ended, said “He [Giuliani] did tell us that if they ever legalized gay marriages, we would be the first one he would do.” [Photo: Rudy Giuliani and Howard Koeppel at Graci Mansion in 1997]
• According to the New York Sun, “On a February 2004 edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, Mr. Giuliani told Bill O’Reilly, when asked if he supported gay marriage, ‘I’m in favor of … civil unions.’”*
• On October 13, 2004 during an appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball Giuliani stated, “I supported civil unions, however, partnerships, and I signed that legislation when I was mayor of New York City. The distinction is that you protect people’s rights.You make certain that they get the benefits the way Senator Kerry described it.”*

* Editors Note: I know that almost everyone in the blogosphere and mainstream press is using the O’Reilly quote that appeared in The Sun.  It seems odd that The Sun was unable to quote the date of Giuliani’s appearance (how could they have possibly gotten the quote) and it seems odder that I was unable to locate Giuliani saying that to O’Reilly.  Also, I was unable to verify the last quote.  Please contact me if you have additional info on either of these quotes.

It looks like Rudy’s got some ’splaining to do…

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Democratic Debate Scorecard

Debate Performance Ranking…

1. Joe Biden
2. Hillary Clinton
3. John Edwards
4. Barack Obama
5. Bill Richardson
6. Christopher Dodd
7. Dennis Kucinich
8. Mike Gravel

* Rankings are from best performance (1) to worst performance (8).

Debate Performance Ranking With Spread…

|Joe Biden| –> |Hillary Clinton -> John Edwards -> Barack Obama| –> |Bill Richardson -> Christopher Dodd| —> |Dennis Kucinich| –> |Mike Gravel|

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Live Blog of Democratic Debate

6:45 pm: MSNBC shows candidates milling around onstage in a group.

6:58 pm: Candidates are at their podiums, from left to right: Richardson, Dodd, Edwards, Biden, Obama, Clinton, Kucinich, Gravel.

7:00 pm: Intro by Brian Williams looking at South Carolina State University, introducing candidates, and going over rules. Brian Williams has total discretion as to what questions to ask.

7:04 pm: First question to Clinton about whether the war is lost, whether she agrees with Reid. Clinton talks policy and about the bill passed today, skirting the question. She says the Iraqis can win or lose, not America. Joe Biden immediately shifts to talk about what is passed today, and then goes into his Iraq plan, focusing on decentralization.

7:06 pm: Obama asked how he reconciles calling the war dumb with his votes. Cites opposing the war from the start and says troops need equipment. Obama goes into a personal story of people opposing the war. Edwards asked if his apology was a shot at Clinton: he denies the obvious, and talks about building trust with the President. Clinton gets a response, and says she regrets it, but wants to focus on the present, and segues into an attack on Bush.

7:10 pm: Kucinich gets a softball, and says that Democrats can’t oppose the war and vote to fund it; he also says international troops should replace American ones. Kucinich says that the information available now was available then.

7:11 pm: Richardson says he would not vote to fund the troops if in Congress. Richardson says if he were President, he would withdraw; he cites three religious entities - there’s only two. Kurds are an ethnic group, not a religion. He talks about having regional talks that include Syria and Iran.

7:13 pm: Dodd talks about Iraq, and the Feingold-Reid legislation. Dodd talks about Iraqis assuming responsibility.

7:14 pm: Gravel says the war was lost the day it started. Gravel says that another way out must be found, since Bush will not leave. He literally lectures the other candidates on how to get rid of funding.

7:15 pm: A question to Iraq about the military. Obama talks about increasing the size of the military. Obama talks about what it will take to override the veto.

7:17 pm: Hillary Clinton “I think what Barack said is right.” That’s the first mention by name of one candidate by another.

7:18 pm: Obama asked about the donor who received kickbacks. Obama says he denounced the donor in question, and cites positive examples.

7:19 pm: Edwards asked about haircuts being paid for out of campaign funds. Edwards says it was a mistake. He points out that while he and others live privileged lives, his father was a mill worker and he was from South Carolina. I think everyone saw this anecdote coming. Edwards is asked about his counsel to hedge funds and if they make America better. Edwards says they help money move and that financial people understand what needs to be done.

7:22 pm: Clinton is asked about hedge funds and says America is a great place, and connects investing to regulation. It’s compares well to Edwards’ more fluffy answer on the same topic. She says a Democratic President is key to the regulation.

7:24 pm: Richardson is asked why he supported Alberto Gonzalez because he was Hispanic. Richardson says he wanted to give him a chance to explain himself; he follows up by saying that Americans want candor. It came off as a weak answer.

7:25 pm: Dodd is asked about public service. He talks up his support of campaign finance reform and serving on economic committees.

7:26 pm: Kucinich gets another softball, asked why he doesn’t have traction. Kucinich says he opposes war ipso facto and that the debate will change things. He then quips about American Idol before immediately listing death figures.

7:28 pm: Biden asked about whether he has the discipline not to make gaffes and make mistakes. He answers, “Yes.”

7:29 pm: Gravel goes on the offensive against other candidates about being worried by other candidates, specifically saying that Biden wants to stay. He says all soldiers are dying in vain - awkward and out of tone with the rest of the debate.

7:30 pm: Clinton asked about her negative numbers. Clinton says she stood up for what she believed in, mentioning her battle for health care in the early 90s. She goes into a stump speech about change.

7:32 pm: Edwards asked about partial birth abortion ruling, where a majority of Americans in a poll support the decision. Edwards talks about how abortion itself is on the line in this election. Obama says that it’s a difficult decision and that he trusts women to make decisions with their doctors, family, and clergy. Obama talks about needing to talk about issues everyone agrees on - preventing the need for abortions. Biden asked about having a litmus test, and says that he made sure people nominated to the court would share his values, and mentions battling Bork, and more recent nominees. He criticizes the decision for inserting a “trojan horse” that would eliminate abortion. Kucinich says that a culture of life with prenatal and health care is key. Dodd asked if he regrets his decision to approve Roberts; Dodd said he’s disappointed in Roberts not upholding precedent in the decision. Dodd cites “Dennis” when he says abortion should be rare, safe, and legal. Democrats may be talking up against the abortion ruling, but they’re definitely talking up alternatives.

7:39 pm: Richardson says Whizzer White would be his preferred justice for the SCOTUS; when pressed for someone alive, he says Ginsberg; Dodd and Edwards agree.

7:40 pm: On Virginia Tech, we have our first (and ultimately only) mention of the Clinton Administration, when Sen. Clinton mentions accompanying “Bill” to Columbine. Clinton says the background check failed and ought be fixed. Richardson says that, even though he is the NRA’s preferred candidate in either party, that mentally ill should not get guns, that background checks should be more thorough, and that mental health care ought be better overall in the country.

7:42 pm: Dodd, Richardson, Biden, and Gravel have had guns in their household.

7:44 pm: Biden says the gun show loophole should be closed, and the assault weapons ban renewed. He also says that mental health care needs to be fixed in the country.

7:44 pm: When asked what taxes he would raise to pay for health care, Edwards mentioned bush’s tax cuts and then immediately segues into the details of his plan; a reaction shot show Clinton paying attention and Obama writing some notes. Obama is asked about health care, and talks up the Congressional plan, and that controlling cost is crucial; he specifically cites black infant mortality as an issue that needs to be fixed. He also talks about reducing premiums on bankruptcies. Clinton talks about her plan that people were enthusiastic about, and then eventually failed. Says reducing the cost for everyone is crucial and that spending more effectively is important. Richardson is asked about his refusal to raise taxes. Richardson mentions that raising taxes isn’t a cure all (came off well). He mentions being a governor and his experience; also reducing bureaucracy and inefficiency; focusing on prevention.

7:50 pm: Biden is asked about not boycotting the NAACP; he cites Rep. Clyburn and a historically black college that ought be showed off. Obama says the Confederate flag belongs in a museum, and that the debate is a worthy event.

7:52 pm: Gravel is asked about his career, and jokes about the other candidates’ youth. Kucinich says a mistake he made was firing a police chief on the news live. Clinton says her list of mistakes was too long. Obama talks about not fighting hard enough on Schiavo when he first came to the Senate. Biden says he was mistaken on trusting the Bush administration. Edwards says he was wrong to vote on the war. Dodd agrees. Richardson said he tried to pus through minimum wage through his legislature too quickly.

7:55 pm: Illegal immigration. Clinton goes first, and talks about her position, which is similar to that of John McCain.

7:56 pm: Biden asked about immigration, says teachers need to be paid more. Dodd says that drug tests for welfare recipients is something people are not comfortable with; though question to answer in this format. Edwards is asked about gas prices, and talks about demand, the first mention of energy policy and climate change.

7:57 pm: Kucinich asked about health care premiums. Kucinich says he lives in a house built in 1971. Kucinich then says he wants to legislate away health care insurance companies with universal health care.

7:58 pm: First thing to accomplish on the first day. Richardson: Get out of Iraq, then get energy independent, then an imitative on climate change.

8:00 pm: Obama asked about three most important allies; First he mentions the European Union citing help in Afghanistan. He then mentions Japan. Williams notices he did not mention Israel; Obama said the Palestinian people have been hurt by the Palestinian leaders, and says that Israel is an important ally.

8:02 pm: Biden says that North Korea, Iran, and Russia with Putin’s totalitarian moves are the three biggest threats. He says conduct change should be the goal not regime change. Gravel is asked the same question and says that America has no enemies.

8:04 pm: Edwards says Russia now is an “autocracy.” Edwards wants to change the underlying dynamic in the world - says primary school education in Africa and the Middle East could change things.

8:05 pm: Richardson is asked about Russia. Richardson talks about control of the nuclear weapons, humanity in Russia, a source of energy, and promoting democracy. Richardson mentions terrorism, and cites his experience in North Korea. Richardson then talks about Darfur.

8:07 pm: Clinton is asked about Giuliani’s comments. She says she worked on being safe since 9/11, and says there is a disconnect between rhetoric and reality, citing multiple failures of security of the Bush Administration, and says America is not safe. Politically effective answer. Dodd asked the same question, and cites lack of funds to the first responders and the failures in Afghanistan (after Obama said the Europeans were there - curious). Dodd then says stateless terrorism is the threat, not states like North Korea or Iran.

8:10 pm: Candidates asked if they think a global war on terror exists. Kucinich demurs and says that war ought not be an instrument of policy. Clausewitz rolls in his grave and he talks about his ideas of peace.

8:11 pm: When asked what he would do if Al Qaeda attacked, Obama first mentioned first responders, and then talked about maintaining good intelligence to dismantling networks. Obama then says talking to the international community is critical, and making sure mutual security issues are understood. Edwards says he would act “swiftly and strongly” against whoever was responsible and then he would rectify whatever mistakes led to the intelligence failure. Edwards says that using other tools other than war to recruit people on the fence is a crucial long-term issue. Clinton says she was a senator on 9/11 and that a quick response is crucial, mentioning she supported Afghanistan, but would not have gone into Iraq.

8:16 pm: When asked if his idea to impeach Cheney is a waste of time, and after other candidates refused to join him, Kucinich pulled a Byrd and pulled out a pocket Constitution. Red Herring.

8:17 pm: Dodd is asked about civil unions. Dodd says that his daughters may turn out to be lesbians, and that the relationships need to be respected. He does not support gay marriage.

8:18 pm: Biden is asked about climate change. Biden says a fundamental change is needed, citing a bill he and Obama are co-sponsoring. He goes through a litany of other policies, and ultimately says critical change is necessary.

8:19 pm: Richardson is asked about Cuba and takes over, saying that if America is attacked, he would respond militarily. On Cuba, planning for post-Cuba is key, including taking a second look at the embargo.

8:21 pm: Gravel answers a question about nuclear power by saying he fought nuclear power and then says terrorism is inevitable. Rambling answer.

8:23 pm: Obama is asked about the environment, and says innovation is important. Obama then goes back to terrorism, realizing he overlooked it in his answer about threats, saying response is important. Kucinich responds that war is a problem. Obama responds that initiating a war would be a problem, and that its undisputed that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and that it would be a security threat. Kucinich starts talking over him, and Gravel responds angrily. Obama comes off like an incredible moderate and presidential while arguing with the fringe candidates. On the other hand, getting dragged down to their level will not help him.

8:26 pm: Edwards is asked who his moral leader is; he cites his lord, his wife, and his family.

8:27 pm: Clinton is asked about Wal-Mart, saying it is a mixed blessing, that they provide people goods, but that they should stop discriminating and provide health care. She segues into a stump speech.

8:29 pm: Biden is asked whether his party can win, specifically saying that Hillary will be a tough battle should she win. He then says that the ‘happy talk’ of no force being used needs to end. A brilliant response to end it.

I think Biden had the best performance; Clinton was solid, Obama and Richardson a little less so. Dodd had some tough questions but dealt with them the best he could. Edwards was himself - I find it impossible to grade him. I’m not a fan of what Kucinich and especially Gravel did.

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Notes on the Debate

Mark Penn was on MSNBC and mentioned that Bill Clinton is in Russia for Boris Yeltsin’s funeral, and will not be on campus.

As you can see in this picture, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be standing next to each other in the debate. The two chatted with each other before the debate when Obama went into her room.

Here is a PDF preview of the debate.

Clinton, Obama, Biden, and Dodd voted this afternoon to pass a resolution to fund the troops while setting a deadline on Iraq; expect them to mention it tonight.

There will be no opening or closing statements, and all responses are limited to one minute.

Chris Matthews openly questioned MSNBC letting Mike Gravel into the debate.

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On TV Tonight: Democrats Everywhere, Petraeus

Hardball College Tour (MSNBC): 5:00-6:00 Elizabeth Edwards 

Democratic Debate (MSNBC): 6:30-8:00. All Democratic Candidates.

Post-Debate Coverage (MSNBC): 8:30-12:00. Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, and Chris Dodd will talk about the debate. Comprehensive Coverage will continue through 1 am EDT. Al Sharpton may appear as well.

Situation Room (CNN): Wolf Blitzer looks at Michael Bloomberg as a presidential candidate.

Larry King Live (CNN): Larry King may interview Democratic candidate(s) after the debate.

Charlie Rose (PBS): Gen. David Petraeus. Not political, but he’s going to be a major focus of attention over the next year.

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