Prize Fight in Vegas

7.58pm One last fire cracker. Hillary is accused by moderator of playing the fear card when talking about the threat of another terror attack. She says it's Bush who plays the fear card, not her. Obama interjects. He said Hillary's terror rhetoric is "part and parcel" of using the spectre of terrorism to score political points.

Soy Barack Obama

7.30pm Back to race again, this time with a Nevada twist. Hillary is asked if she agrees with one of her pollsters that Hispanics traditionally don't like - and don't really vote for - black men.

"No," she says. "He was making an historical statement."

Obama, an Illinois senator, is asked if Latinos are antipathetic towards blacks.

"Not in Illinois. They all voted for me." Big laughs and cheers.

Yucca pandering: let me count the ways

7.19pm Candidates swear fealty to corn-based ethanol in Iowa. Here, they must find new ways to express fear and loathing for the planned dumping of nuclear waste in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Hillary tried to skewer Obama for having nuclear industry supporters (Obama said he has ALWAYS opposed Yucca Mountain plan). Hillary has been attacked a lot by Edwards recently. She enjoyed this one: "Well, John, you did vote for Yucca Mountain twice," reminding Edwards he actually voted for Yucca mountain dumping (before he came out against it). It's a voting record even his Southern charm cannot smooth over.

Obama: we can work together, Hillary

7.02pm The candidates are allowed to ask eachother one question. Hillary tries a gotcha one on Obama over Iraq. She wants to introduce legislation blocking President Bush from entering into agreement with Iraqi government to extend US deployment in Iraq by years, without Congressional approval. "Will you co-sponsor my legislation?"

Obama: "We can work on this, Hillary." He then moves into long recitation about his Iraq plan. Wasted question.

Stop on red

Everyone touting their plans to tackle the mortgage and foreclosure crisis. It's a big issue here in Nevada, and very big one in the Hispanic community. Hillary is chided for running over her 90 second allotted time in her answer, clearly speaking past her flashing red light. She (almost) cackles.

Obama: I am not a Muslim!!

6.30pm Obama is asked about internet smears and gossip that he is a closet Muslim. "I am a Christian. I have been sworn in by the Bible. I pledge allegiance to the flag." Then, he adds: "American people are, smarter than...folks give them credit for."

Hillary gets muscular, at last

6.28pm Asked about their greatest strengths and weaknesses, Obama says: "Ability to bring people together", and the latter: "I tell people not to give me paper until 2 seconds before I need it, because I will lose it. I need good people around me to make the system work."

Hillary (Greatest strength?: "The ability to bring about change in people's lives.") She's back on message. "But you need to be a chief executive. You need to have good people, but you need to have them accountable. You have to be able to manage and run the bureaucracy. We’ve seen the results of a president who frankly failed at that." Ouch. Her greatest weakness? She gets impatient when she can't change people's lives. And I bet she has a good paper filing system.

An Obama supporter sends an instant message: "Obama for president and Hillary for his chief of staff."

Is this a racist debate?

Audience member interjects: "These are race baiting questions!" Just when they thought they were passed all that.

Obama: don't buy me a beer

6.18pm Obama says he very much regrets the impression that he was being mean to Hillary at their last debate in New Hampshire when he churlishly said "you're likeable enough, Hillary." He says now: "My intention was to say you're plenty likeable."

Both candidates clearly realise the race row was damaging both of them, more so the Clinton camp. But on the subject of likeability, Obama adds: "It's not going to be about who has a nice smile, or who's the most fun to have a beer with." It's who can move the country forward, he says.

6.14pm John Edwards continues his message that "Washington is broken", and change is needed. He is ganging up again against Hillary, siding with Obama.

They are not secret racists in New Hampshire

6.10pm Did white voters in New Hampshire, in the privacy of the polling booth, vote against him because he is black?

"No," Obama says. "Senator Clinton ran a good campaign in New Hampshire."

6.08pm This is getting too chummy for Russert the moderator. He confronts Obama with 4-page memo prepared by Obama staffer detailing instances that can be uses against the Clintons to make them look racist. Obama says its not the kind of campaign he wants to run.

Enough with that race row

6.02pm Then it's straight into it: Hillary asked how campaign got to this stage, where race has become an issue (it all started when Hillary was accused 8 days ago of diminishing Martin Luther King's legacy).

Hillary tries to bury hatchet: says Obama has such an "inspirational and profound story". She adds: "We're all family here in the Democratic party." Her and Obama surrogates have been fighting like feral cats all day. She referred to them as "exuberant and uncontrollable" supporters.

6.01pm Obama enters debate having just, this second, picked up the endorsement of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the city's big paper.

Las Vegas debate

I am here in Las Vegas, for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's first face-to-face encounter since their extraordinarily ugly dispute about race engulfed their battle for the Democratic nomination a week ago.

The two are to appear in less than two hours time for a televised debate on an anniversary exquisite in its timing, given their incendiary feud in recent days about the legacy of Martin Luther King. Today would have been his 79th birthday.

They are debating just four days before Nevada's Democratic caucuses, the first time the Silver State has voted so early in the nominating process. It was catapulted up the calendar by the Democrats to give Hispanics, which make up 35 per cent of Nevada's 2.5 million people, their first real say in the process. Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama have been assiduously courting Latinos here for days. A win on Saturday would break their tie - Obama won Iowa, Hillary New Hampshire - but perhaps more importantly give one of them something to crow about in what is shaping up to be a very close and hard fought contest. It will also give them bragging rights ahead of California, one of the biggest prizes on February 5, "Super Tuesday", when more than 20 states vote. Hispanic voters will be very important then.

The debate will be moderated by America's most pugnacious political questioner, NBC's Tim Russert. Although Clinton and Obama tried to declare a truce yesterday, their surrogates have been trading accusations all day over who is exploiting race - an issue that was going to dominate the debate anyway, given Nevada's diverse ethnic make-up. It is being co-sponsored by groups such as the 100 Black Men of America and the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We are a long way from lily-white, frozen Iowa and New Hampshire here. The sun is setting over the desert mountains, the salsa is hot, Hillary and Obama fans are chanting outside, and much is anticipated.

I must add one more thing. There will be one  more candidates on stage. John Edwards is pressing on, despite losing both Iowa and New Hampshire. According to the latest poll, he has a serious shot at winning Nevada. He has sided with Obama in recent days and will play an important role tonight.

Dennis Kucinich, the perennial longshot and Ohio congressman, was excluded by NBC. He sued, and this afternoon a Nevada judge ordered that he be allowed to participate. At the time of writing, 45 minutes before kick-off, NBC have just won an appeal in the Nevada Supreme Court to block him again.

So we have one result tonight already: the lawyers have just got richer.

Comments

[USAgina]

Only in the second to last paragraph do we hear that Edwards is almost tied with the others. Unfortunately, this type of coverage has a knock-on effect, where voters read about Obama and Hilllary, King lite and tears, and assume that's what it's all about. They aren't told about the head-to-head, Republican vs Democrat polls by MSNBC in December and a recent January 10 poll in Oklahoma showing that neither Clinton nor Obama do well aginst the Republicans--in short, either might win the nomination but will fail in November, and if the Democrats nominate either they will once more snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Hopefully, the writer will think a little more, educate the readers a bit, and not focus on how witty he can be on the fly.

[Adam]

Great timeline, thanks.

I saw the debate tonight.

Obama won, hands down.

The moderators clearly had a bias towards Clinton. It was transparent, and the heckler was absolutely right -

if he wasn't a plant.

[Sharifa]

I also enjoyed Obama during the debate last night. After the debate one Russert asserted that Hillary won the debate because of her outburst about Bush and also said that Obama was very mellow. You don't have to yell and bash a person to win a debate , so I disagree with Russert. Obama puts alot of though behind his answers because he is not a hot head. Beside Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton were hot head enough. If he acted like them America would label him another hot headed angry black man. Obama wants to be just that , OBAMA. I liked his plans for this country and I am happy that he elaborated on what he plans to do for this country. He sure set Edwards back on his heal though. LOL

Edwards: is it not true that you have excepted fund from a lobbiest and do you think the expect something in return.

Obama: I have excepted a donation by a non-special interest lobbiest and they won't get anything in return. And I was the one who past the bill stating that all monies donated have to be accounted for and donation that are given by lobbiest cannot have special interest ties. That was the bill I passed Sen. Edwards.

Edwards looked suprised. Anyways, if I don't get Obama for prez. I am still considering and comparing Edwards and Hillary.

[loretta c story]

Unfortunately, the country is not ready for a female, and definately not a black president. Lets hope the journalistic public will instill a little reality into the race. John Edwards will do better in the south, and Obama will not. I live in the south and hear what people say. No matter how much validity his campaign has, he is still black.

[David Florida]

The debate was good, the most informative to date.
I agreed with the member of the audience who interjected. The first few questions were designed to divide and provoke further mud slinging.
Concerned that NBC chose to exclude a candidate from debate. After two primaries ? Get real. On this basis Rudy would be kicked off the other platform

[Ginette Lubuya]

Barack Obama for president!!!

[arthur]

obama represents the core needs of americans in this day and age, the clintons were involved in controvesy when they were in the office. it appears this is still happening even before elected. Give Obama his dues he is young and a new face in politics, i believe he has the right attitude and stable persona for the office.

[Jodi]

People of the United States, I urge you to get the facts and disregard all the reteric and personal attacks, get a copy of The Constitution, Go to local Libraries, check out history of our country, lets all do the right thing this time.

[broussard]

I love Obama. I have lost a tremendous amount of respect for the CLintons. The Clintons has been playing the dirty politics, than covering up. The real question here is who is running for president Hillary or Bill. Oh I forgot it is Hillary, I remember the tears that she cried, and I am also remembering how she began the race card. Shame on the CLintons, I once respected them highly, her more than Clinton.
Obama won the debate, to him I say peace and god bless you always in your endeavors.

[Steve Johnson]

All this fuss about whether Obama is muslim. Shouldn't it be a dream for America if their next president was a muslim? Wouldn't that mean that relations with muslim countries would improve more than ever. I don't think terrorists would hate America so much, and there would be so much more respect for America as a nation . Moreover, shouldn't Obama be judged on his character and leadership ability rather than on his religon? We live in a new era here, Obama being Black, raised among whites, and being from a diverse background is the best thing that could ever happen to the oval office, he represents all people, and that is what the President of America should stand for, all people.

[Steve Johnson]

All this fuss about whether Obama is muslim. Shouldn't it be a dream for America if their next president was a muslim? Wouldn't that mean that relations with muslim countries would improve more than ever. I don't think terrorists would hate America so much, and there would be so much more respect for America as a nation . Moreover, shouldn't Obama be judged on his character and leadership ability rather than on his religon? We live in a new era here, Obama being Black, raised among whites, and being from a diverse background is the best thing that could ever happen to the oval office, he represents all people, and that is what the President of America should stand for, all people.