Iowa Dem Debate: A Reluctance to Attack

ABC began this morning's Democratic presidential debate with a new Iowa poll that shows Sen. Barack Obama leaping into first place. His lead is insignificant, but his support is much greater in this poll than other recent polls have measured.

ABC IOWA Poll
Barack Obama 27%
Hillary Clinton 26%
John Edwards 26%
Bill Richardson 11%

Now, to the debate . . .

• Obama's Experience . . . Hillary won't say Obama isn't ready to be President. Joe Biden says he thinks Obama can be ready, but isn't ready yet. Bill Richardson says he's the candidate that represents what both Obama and Hillary have -- experience and change. When he finally gets his turn, Obama looks seasoned defending his position about talking to our enemies, and going into Pakistan to take out Osama Bin Laden. When Hillary is asked about an April 2006 interview where she "takes nuclear weapons off the table" against Iran, she says it's all about context. "This was not a hypothetical, this was a brush back . . . against [the Bush] administration," Clinton explains. "There was no difference," says Obama. Al Qaeda in Pakistan is not a hypothetical, he points out. He thinks Hillary is just ginning up an issue against him. John Edwards says he would not talk about hypotheticals and nuclear weapons, basically siding with Clinton over Obama.
• Hillary's Electability . . . Obama won't take the bait on Hillary's vulnerabilities in a general election. He says he wants not only to be able to win, but govern afterwards. Edwards says Democrats need to be the party of change, not the status quo. Edwards says if Hillary wants to represent change, she should pledge to not take money from Washington lobbyists. "The idea that you're going to escape the Republican attack machine and not have high negatives by the time they're through with you I think, is just missing what's been going on in American politics the past 20 years," Hillary responds. On Edwards' lobbyist charge, Hillary says it is a sham: Don't take money from lobbyists, but take money from the people who employ them and give them their marching orders?
• Kucinich Gets His First Shot . . . at the mic 29 minutes in. He zaps Stephanopoulos for it! He advocates a non-for-profit healthcare system, where private insurers no longer have the power.
• How To Leave Iraq . . . Biden says it will take one full year to get out of Iraq responsibly. Richardson believes it can be done within 6 to 8 months. Hillary says, based on what she has been told, Biden is right. "I think this is going to be very dangerous and very difficult," Hillary warns. "Any Democratic president will end this war," Edwards says. Richardson goes back to question Hillary's plan to leave a residual force. He says if you bring all the troops out, none are left to be targets. Again, Biden shines on this topic with his knowledge and experience. This is why he's running. Biden says he would leave a residual force to protect the 4,000 civilians left behind. Obama says Biden is right on how long it will take, and then takes a shot at all of them for not asking these questions before they voted to authorize the invasion. Kucinich urges the Democratic Senators to cut off funding for the war.
• The Power of God . . . "I think there are some things beyond our control," Edwards says. "I don't think you can prevent bad things from happening through prayer." Richardson says he won't wear his religion on his sleeve. "All the prayer in the world will not stop a hurricane," says Biden. "But prayer will give you the courage to respond . . ." Obama says we need to express the values we pray for in government, not just through religious institutions. Kucinich breaks up the spirituality: "George, I've been standing here for the last 45 minutes praying to God you were going to call on me." Boffo Dennis, boffo!
• The Power of Corporations . . . Dodd wants a stronger Justice Department to enforce anti-trust laws. From farms to media, consolidation of power is not good for America, Dodd charges. Edwards says when negotiating trade deals, his threshold question would be: Does it benefit the middle class? "I want to be a smart pro-American trader," Hillary says when asked whether she wants to be a free-trader or a fair-trader. Obama wants to cap subsidies to farms, to stop concentration of agribusiness interests.
• Telling the Truth . . . Biden says he always says what he thinks on issues, but at times, too much of it. Edwards says he wish he spoke out more about the war. Clinton says she also regrets her judgement on the war. Dodd says the worst recent Congressional vote was abandoning habeus corpus and the Geneva Convention. "I thought about filibustering that bill and I didn't do it, and I regret that deeply," Dodd says.
• Paying Teachers . . . Dodd opposes performance-based pay for teachers. Hillary supports incentive-pay for school-wide performance. She also says school infrastructure must change. She says classrooms look the same as they did 50 years ago. "We have changed as a nation, we don't live and work the same way," she says. Richardson isn't for merit pay, but wants to pay teachers better. He wants a minimum wage for teachers: $40,000 a year. He also wants to scrap No Child Left Behind. Kucinich wants to cut the "bloated Pentagon budget" by 15 percent to implement a universal kindergarten program. Biden says there needs to be a performance-based pay program, by paying the best-performing students who want to teach.
• Cut Rates For Everyone? . . . Hillary says not an easy yes or no. Dodd says yes. Edwards agrees. Richardson says yes, and calls the market the Katrina for homeowners. Biden says yes and wants more transparency for hedgefunds, private equity funds. Obama wants more protection for homeowners, and says lobbyists are part of the problem. Kucinich says no. Hillary went first and was the only one not to answer.

• Decisive Life Moment . . . For Kucinich, it was living in a car in the inner-city because it makes him remember where he came from. For Obama, it was the transition from high school to college because it reawakened his values. For Biden, it was the civil rights movement because it made him believe he could change lives. For Richardson, it was asking his wife to marry him and 9-11. For Gravel, it was realizing government is complex and only people can change it. For Edwards, it was seeing his Dad watch public television to learn so he could get a better job in the mill. For Dodd, it was joining the Peace Corps. For Hillary, it was the women's movement who broke down barriers to make her run possible.