Tonight’s Democratic Debate (most answers are paraphrased)
Also check out ACU Intern Andrew Breza’s live-blogging here.
9:20 p.m. Question about NAFTA
Clinton: I’d like to talk about health care. I’m not complaining, but it’s interesting that I’ve been getting the first question. If you saw Saturday Night Live, perhaps we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and wants another pillow. [Watch SNL sketch here.]
Obama: Doesn’t respond to Clinton’s whining, says NAFTA has hurt American jobs and that Clinton has flip-flopped on the issue.
It’s odd to me that Hillary wants to keep talking about health care. It just reminds people of why they dislike her. It’s like McCain saying, “Hold up everyone, can we get back to McCain-Feingold or McCain-Kennedy?”
Russert to Clinton: I’ve looked through your plan and you say you will add 5 million U.S. jobs in the first year of your administration. During your Senate election, you told my hometown of Buffalo [Drink because it’s shocking that he didn’t say “Go Bills”] that you would add 5,000 new jobs to the area. You later told the Buffalo newspaper that you may have overestimated. Is your current plan of 5 million also overestimating?
Clinton: Nah. My husband did it, so can I!
[Warning: I’m eating an ice cream cone, so the “live” blogging ain’t so live.]
9:40 p.m. Russert to Obama: Clinton has said you don’t have adequate foreign policy experience. In the general election, you would be going up against someone with considerable foreign policy experience.
Obama: McCain has the same policies as Bush and Cheney. Clinton would not be able to debate McCain because her positions are virtually the same.
9:45 p.m. Russert: Do you reserve the right to go back into Iraq after withdrawal if needed?
Clinton: You ask too many hypothetical questions.
Duh, the whole damn debate is a hypothetical question that hinders on whether or not you’re president! Spoiler alert: Clinton won’t be president.
Obama: Yes, if attacks are planned like what happen on 9/11, it’s my responsibility to stop it.
Clinton: Oh wait, I want to change my answer!
Brian Williams gives Clinton the hand and MSNBC goes to a hard break and says they’ll give her an opportunity when they come back. Hee hee, they don’t.
9:52 p.m. Williams asks Obama to look at the monitor. Video plays of bumble bee Clinton being sarcastic about the skies opening, angels singing for Obama.
Clinton cackles (drink).
Obama said it’s kind of humorous and understands the point Clinton has been trying to make about “speeches vs. solutions.” Obama says he’s been offering solutions for 20 years.
Williams to Clinton: What point were you trying to make in that comment?
Clinton: I was having fun on the campaign trail, which is hard to do. Then she rattles off a list of buzz phrases: health care, middle class, oil company profits, caps on credit card rates, Dick Cheney’s energy bill, student loans, names of cities in Ohio, etc.
In some room somewhere, Frank Luntz is high-fiving himself.
10:00 p.m. Williams plays clip of Obama saying Clinton is trying to capitalize on her husband’s administration and acting as co-president.
Obama: It’s wrong to take credit for good things, but shirk responsibility on the bad things.
10:05 p.m. Russert asks Clinton why she hasn’t released her (and her husband’s) joint tax return. Mentions that Clinton loaned her campaign $5 million. Russert also points out that President Clinton (the first one) has made a lot of money from foreign companies and the American people would like to know who is bankrolling her campaign.
Clinton: The American people that support me are bankrolling this campaign. Says she’ll release tax return before the general election, maybe earlier.
10:08 p.m. Russert asks Obama if he supports Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement. Obama says no and that his comments against Jews are reprehensible. Russert continues to push. Reminds him that his book title “The Audacity of Hope,” comes from a sermon from a minister that traveled with Farrakhan to Libya to meet with Khadafi.
Obama: I wouldn’t be sitting here tonight if it wasn’t for the Jewish community who adamently supported civil rights.
Clinton interjects and says she rejecting isn’t as strong as denouncing support. I renounced support from anti-semetics in NY’s Independence Party.
Obama: Ok, fine. I reject and denounce. I can haz presidency now?
Russert has had some good questions tonight. PJB must have helped.
10:22 p.m. Pop Quiz! Russert asks Clinton to tell him about Putin’s recently elected successor.
Clinton: He’s handpicked by Putin. We may be meeting with the President, but Putin will still be making the decisions.
Russert: Who is he? What’s his name?
Clinton: Meda-meda-veda (mumble mumble)
10:25 p.m. Russert asks last question, are there any words or vote you would take back?
Clinton: The 2002 resolution on Iraq is a vote I would like to take back. However, election is about the future.
Obama: Would take back vote on allowing Congress to intervene on Terry Schiavo. “As a constitutual law professor, I knew better.” Good answer.
Obama ends by complimenting Clinton. Says people are modest and don’t expect much from government. They are looking for a hand-up, not a hand out.
10:30 p.m. Williams asks Obama: What is the fundamental question that Clinton needs to answer to the voters?
Obama: Clinton would be a better president than John McCain and has tethered himself to Bush on foreign policy. I don’t think Clinton needs to answer a question on whether she can be the standard bearer. I’m better though because I can unite people in a unique way.
Same question to Clinton.
Clinton: It’s been an honor to campaign, but I still intend to win. I am the first woman running and it will be an enormous sea-change. The question I would pose is “Who can actually change the country?”
It’s over. Chelsea is first to greet Clinton. Obama and Clinton signs autographs.
Olbermann and Matthews: Was a debate of field goals rather than touchdowns.
Who said that McCain “will make Cheney look like Gandhi”? 
Coming in second in the Iowa Democratic caucus, Senator John Edwards gave the worst “victory” speech EVER. In the first 2 or 3 minutes of the speech Edwards mentioned a child dying after not receiving a liver transplant, another death, his poor mother, starving parents and children that were turned away from an Iowa soup kitchen, and a woman who died from breast cancer. Edwards paints a dismal picture for a country where over 
