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If Hillary is elected Bill will be her #1 advisor in political and foreign relations as well as crisis and conflicts in her administration.

You know I honestly cannot believe that we are in the year 2008 and this ridiculous crap is still going on. I actually love Barack Obama, but I am appalled and quite astonished at how far this whole race issue has been taken. It's crazy. For one, if the African Americans would just stop trying to play the race card in EVERY situation they find themselves in .....THEN WE COULD ALL MOVE ON PEOPLE! It's a pathetic attempt and quite shameful if you ask me. You people are supposed to be on the same side....DEMOCRATS! Truly, I love all people, but as we all know, whites and blacks both try to play the race card too often. What I have a problem with, is the fact that Hillary may have said something that was taken out of context, she definitely went out of her way to spell out exactly what she was trying to say and not what the media was trying to say that she said. However, Obama took it upon himself to try and get some free points for the election by playing the race card. Now at this point, I don't know what I think anymore. I'm very disappointed. It never should have been an issue to begin with, as Hillary clearly did not mean to start anything with anyone.

GET OVER IT....MOVE ON!

I don't know that I can judge a "win" here for anybody. The questions were miserable, by and large, so the candidates had to make up their own debate.

That said, one of the only moderately-stupid questions of the night -- your greatest weakness? -- elicited the most telling moment.

Clinton: I'm impatient with people who don't care as much as I do.

Edwards: I'm too empathetic, making me try too hard to fight for the underdog.

Obama: I'm disorganized.

Which of those answers sounds ... honest to you.

Like I said, it's a small deal, not worth making or breaking a primary vote. But it's about what I have to go on tonight.

* That Tim Russert forgot that he was moderating a debate, and instead thought he was playing his usual Sunday morning game of gotcha. We heard a lot about politics instead of governance -- and this whole thing IS about governance -- and learned precious little about either.

* That the candidates, fortunately, are more serious than their interrogators, and tried to turn the dumb questions back to matters of substance.

* That it's true, after all, that there's not a ton of daylight between these candidates on the major issues. At least, as far as we can tell from the questioning. So it really will be a matter of voting for the style you think can lead to the most substance.

More thoughts, if I have them, in a bit...

So, candidates, have any final platitudes to drop on us?

And now, the brass tacks. Which of these candidates is best equipped to wage the war on terrorism?

Hillary Clinton: "The highest duty of the president is to protect and defend the country. ...One of the biggest jobs will be to fight terrorism." She talks the talk. I sure hope she... does that other thing, especially since she can't help but talk about George Bush's penchant for using the "politics of fear."

Barack Obama: "Dominated by the politics of fear," "the tragedy of New York," "trauma for the country," "specter of a terrorist attack," "I don't want to perpetuate that." This man might be a fine orator, but he is not serious.

John Edwards: "I didn't actually place a call to Musharraf." No, not at all the actions of an opportunist.

The Second Amendment isn't just about hunting. The candidates have deployed just about every fallacy in the book here.

Honestly, this is terrible.

Hillary Clinton said she regrets that the debate hasn't focused more on "black-brown issues." Thank God! Energy policy, taxes and spending, the war and health care are American issues.

Great, great question. Why only directed to John Edwards? For all the talk about uniting the country -- I'm looking at you Sen. Obama -- an official language would certainly be one way to do that.

No panacea.

No new nuclear power plants? Tell it to the French, Senator!

Oh, and Edwards is backpedaling on another vote. Good grief.

The real issue is going unspoken there: Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Why have universities tried to exclude ROTC? Because they oppose the military's policy on gays. But then again, the army seems to be turning a blind-eye to that policy lately.

Barack Obama reminds me of a young Bill Clinton. There. I said it.

Incidentally, I think it's great that the Democratic candidates all support the Solomon Amendment. Good for them.

...when you're quaffing a decent Argentinian Malbec.

Oh, no, they're back!

Because, as John Edwards says, that's different. Oh, OK.

Obama calls it a distinction without a difference. Quite right.

It's nice of Sen. Obama to remind Americans about his eagerness to withdraw precipitously from Iraq. His current plan calls for having all U.S. troops out by 2009. His bill last year -- 2007, when the Democrats had Congress -- would have had U.S. troops out by this May.

By the way, I don't necessarily think we need permanent bases in Iraq. But I'm troubled by this idea that the Democratic candidates are trying to one-up each other as far as pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Says she's got legislation requiring the president to seek Congressional permission for permanent Iraqi bases. Wants Obama to cosponsor.

He's up for it.

Edwards starts on campaign finances. Says Obama and Clinton raised lots of money from drug and healthcare industries. Are they expecting something?

Obama says that money from a mid-level executive who likes him is recorded as "industry" money. Fair point. And he notes that he won't take lobbyist money.

Russert: Edwards, do you regret voting for a bill to make it tougher to declare bankruptcy?

Edwards: Yes, I regret that.

So Edwards admits he voted wrong on the war. And that he voted wrong on bankruptcy. He's calling into question his own judgment on big issues. You've got to be right at the moment of decision occasionally, right?

Edwards says the core economic problem is that all the economic growth is going to the wealthy. Which is true. But why nothing about our insane levels of debt? A lot of American families feel insecure because they're looking at their credit card debt, in combination with other shaky factors. Same for the country. Nobody's saying anything about that, though.

I hope the candidates' questions to each other are better than the questions the moderators are asking.

Oh, good lord. This fever swamp stuff really burns me up. Not sure why it's a question, but I guess it's good to let Obama clear the air.

I love the weakness question. Obama, messy desk. Edwards, too empathetic. Clinton, too impatient for change.

I'll just score Obama as being the most honest there.

Obama is making an effective point (not necessary a good point, but an effective one) about the role of the president. But I wonder where in the Constitution is the part about the president tapping the hopes and dreams of the American people?

These race-based questions are absurd.

"People come to Nevada in the thousands every day to find the promise of America," Edwards said. Where? At the MGM Grand?

We're -- what? -- 18 minutes (oops -- 20 minutes) into this thing and it's still all about race, sex and class. Sigh.

Obama is right about one thing, though: talking about what he meant when he said "You're likable enough, Hillary," is not nearly as important as what these candidates have to say about health care, taxes and spending and -- oh, yes -- the war.

What's a white man to do in the face of these historic candidacies?

Yup. It's been pretty tough for white guys over the years...

Question from the public: Since the policy differences are so slight, why shouldn't she resent being forced to choose between the first African American and the first woman for president.

Why SHOULD she be resentful? Weird.

Also: John Edwards, in answering the question, mentions that he's the son of a mill worker.

Only Obama hasn't mentioned it yet.

Blaming the staff? Not good form.

Does anyone doubt that Democrats and Republicans alike believe in racial equality? This isn't 1968!

Russert asks Obama why his staff sends out racially charged quotes from Clinton's surrogates, if he wants to put the issue aside. Obama says it's not going to happen anymore.

The candidates seem to want to move on from this topic...

Brian Williams goes right after Clinton on race. She manages to get out that Edwards is a son of a mill worker before he does. That's gotta burn.

The show hasn't started yet. We're getting pre-TV video. John Edwards just slipped off his watch. Apparently he learned something from George HW Bush...