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(L-R) Democratic presidential hopefuls, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina senator John Edwards greet the audience before the start of a debate in Las Vegas. Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney touted his business background as a balm in turbulent times as worries about the stuttering US economy moved to the foreground of the presidential contest.

The best one-liner from Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate has sparked an entertaining war of words between Joe Biden and Republican Rudy Giuliani. Biden, a senator from Delaware, repeatedly said that the former New York mayor was unqualified to be president, then punctuated his assertion: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, and a verb, and 9/11. I mean there's nothing else." That prompted Katie Levinson, Giuliani's communications director, to dredge up accusations that Biden plagiarized speeches, which helped sink his 1988 presidential bid. In her statement, she followed that up with this zinger: "Senator...

I had an opportunity to observe about a half hour of the two hour Democratic presidential debate last night. A pleasant half hour it wasn’t but hey, someone has to do it. It’s popular in conservative circles to say that you should skip the presidential box if your guy doesn’t get the nomination. After watching last nights debacle, I’ve only got one thing to say - I’m not skipping the box, no matter which Republican candidate gets the nod. Even…well, you know. In the short time I watched it, I heard this: Sen. Clinton says that we should follow New...

<p>The truth is out there, and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich had no trouble offering his version of it when asked Tuesday night about his UFO sighting.</p> <p>"It was an unidentified flying object, OK? It's, like, it's unidentified," Kucinich said during one of the few highlights at the Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia. "I saw something."</p>

It was supposed to be the night Barack Obama took Hillary Clinton down. But, when all was said and done, Obama was a bystander. The opening question in Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate was a softball pitch from NBC's Brian Williams to the senator from Illinois. Noting Obama's interview in the Sunday New York Times, in which the senator from Illinois promised to get tough with Clinton for acting like a Republican, Williams asked him detail the votes and statements from Clinton to which he objected. Obama should have been ready to knock that one out of the park. Instead, he...

All the major Democratic presidential candidates-and none of the Republicans-will be in Los Angeles tonight for what was billed as a nonpartisan forum on issues important to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. The televised event showcases the status that gays' votes and money have earned them in the Democratic Party, but also the continued controversy of their cause. Writer and gay-rights advocate David Mixner recognizes this as much as anyone. Two decades ago, the 1988 presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, fearful of controversy, declined an offer by Mr. Mixner and three wealthy friends to raise $1 million...

More than any other news show on cable, MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" is us. This has less to do with the host than the format, which is all about ranking things and listing things, prioritizing information in the way we've become acclimated to consume it: as somebody's -- anybody's -- best-of. Olbermann, the host of "Countdown" since its inception in 2003, tonight moderates a Democratic presidential debate in Chicago sponsored by the AFL-CIO amid a year of improved ratings for "Countdown" that has seen one of its competition (no, not Bill O'Reilly, but CNN's Paula Zahn) drummed out of...

The Democrats still blink. Debate moderator Wolf Blitzer asked Dennis Kucinich if he would try to knock off Osama bin Laden with a missile even if it would kill some innocent civilians. Kucinich said, "I don't think that a president of the United States who believes in peace and who wants to create peace in the world is going to be using assassination as a tool." The rest of the Democrats crawled into a hole of vacillation.

Quotes from the Democrats' debate Sunday night: JOE BIDEN "I love these guys who tell you they're going to stop the war. Let me tell you straight up the truth. The truth of the matter is, the only one that's emboldened the enemy has been George Bush by his policies, not us funding the war." JOHN EDWARDS On legislation to pay for the Iraq war through September _ but without a withdrawal timetable: "Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama did not say anything about how they were going to vote until they appeared on the floor of the Senate and voted....

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidates clashed on Sunday on Iraq and over the security of the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, trailing both New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in national polls, criticized their cautious approach in forcing President Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq While some members of Congress spoke out "loudly and clearly" last month against legislation to pay for the war through September but without a withdrawal timetable, "others did not," Edwards said.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- There's one thing all of the Democratic candidates seeking the party's nomination for president have in common -- they all strongly support abortion. The candidates put those pro-abortion views on display last night in the first primary presidential debate of the election season. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards left off the debate with the first question on abortion issues going to him. He said he disagreed with the Supreme Court's ruling upholding a national ban on partial-birth abortions and promised, if elected, to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would promote abortion on the...

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio made the observation of the night when he said that it made no sense to oppose the war and then turn around and vote for more money to fund it.

Democrats will never be satisfied By Curtis Campbell/Staff Writer March 02, 2004 The four remaining contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination (Kerry, Edwards, Sharpton and Kucinich) squared off again at a debate held in New York on Sunday. Although entertaining (Sharpton’s displeasure with moderator Dan Rather and Edwards’ aggressiveness towards Kerry), their debate was, again, overflowing with hypocrisy. I am specifically speaking of the candidates’ stance on Bush’s handling of the conflict in Haiti. Bush ordered American Marines to be sent to stabilize the country after Haitian President Aristide officially resigned and fled the country Sunday morning following weeks...

WASHINGTON (AP) - When John Edwards played the Washington-outsider card, John Kerry called him on it, reminding everyone where the senator from North Carolina works - Washington. When Kerry declared he has long been in favor of putting environmental and labor protections directly in trade agreements, his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination didn't let that go by. They pointedly noted he supported agreements lacking those very measures. So it went in the last scheduled debate of the primary season. As in previous debates, the candidates oversimplified some of their positions and left out inconvenient details. But thanks to a...

Sun Feb 29 2004 ET Democrat frontrunner John Kerry is not sure God is on America's side in the war terrorism. Kerry made the startling comments during Sunday's Democrat presidential debate in New York City. Elizabeth Bumiller of the NEW YORK TIMES asked Kerry: "President Bush has said that freedom and fear have always been at war, and God is not neutral between them. He's made quite clear in his speeches that he feels God is on America's side. "Is God on America's side?" KERRY: Well, God will -- look, I think -- I believe in God, but I don't...

CBS) The four remaining Democrats in the race for president disagreed as often Sunday over whose turn it was to talk as over major policy questions. When they did hit "the issues," they were sometimes at odds with each other, and — occasionally — with the facts. Begin at the beginning Speaking the day Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled his country in the face of a rebellion, John Edwards chided the Bush administration for failing to act "when this problem began to develop." In fact, Bill Clinton was president when the problem began to develop. Haiti's electoral dispute started in...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contenders John Kerry and John Edwards battled during a boisterous debate on Sunday over trade policy and their ability to change Washington, but united to criticize President Bush's handling of the crisis in Haiti. Two days before a potentially decisive "Super Tuesday" showdown in 10 states, Edwards took a more aggressive approach than in Thursday's debate in Los Angeles, accusing Kerry of "the same old Washington talk that people have been listening to for decades." But Kerry, who has dominated the Democratic presidential race by winning 18 of the first 20 contests, said voters...

Kerry and Edwards clash over Singapore FTA Debate between the two Democrats centres on such deals, which Edwards blames for loss of American jobs LOS ANGELES - Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has reiterated his opposition to the fast- track authority given to the President of the United States to conclude trade agreements such as the one with Singapore. Mr Edwards, who has made opposition to free trade pacts a centrepiece of his campaign, made the point during a 90-minute debate on Thursday with front runner John Kerry and long-shot candidates Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton. The comments on trade...

<p>In one of the liveliest debates of the Democratic primary season, the four remaining presidential candidates skirmished over trade, the death penalty, and lobbyist donations last night, but the culturally charged issue of gay marriage dominated much of the forum.</p>

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopefuls John Kerry and John Edwards sparred over trade and the death penalty in a debate on Thursday and each said he had the best chance to defeat President Bush in November. But Edwards, seeking gain ground against front-runner Kerry, made no effort to attack or draw sharp distinctions with the Massachusetts senator on most issues just five days before a crucial 10-state "Super Tuesday" showdown, and the two agreed frequently. The prime contenders for the nomination to challenge Bush defended their votes to authorize the war in Iraq (news - web sites), and...

Kerry is now talking about his experience as a prosecutor, explaining why he is against the death penalty. Larry King to Edwards: "Do you agree with capital punishment"? Edwards: "Yes."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Democratic presidential contenders converged on California on Thursday for the first of two debates that give John Edwards his best shot at slowing front-runner John Kerry's momentum before next week's 10-state Super Tuesday showdown. Kerry, Edwards and the two other remaining candidates, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton, will participate in the 90-minute debate at the University of Southern California on Thursday night. Along with a Sunday debate in New York, the two forums offer Edwards his most public platform to try to change the dynamics of the Democratic race and stop Kerry's march to the...

        The Democrat presidential wannabes debate tonight. Given all that has happened with respect to the gay-marriage issue, we can expect at least one softball question on the subject with minimal follow-up.   But, if the debate moderators want to do their jobs, they should consider pursuing the Democrat's newfound support for state's rights in their attempts to dodge the subject of same-sex marriage. John Kerry's position, at this point in time, appears to be that while he does not support gay marriage, he is against any constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man...

<p>Sen. John Edwards yesterday asked for a series of four debates leading up to the 10 Super Tuesday primaries on March 2, as he campaigned in Maryland seeking to define the differences between himself and front-runner Sen. John Kerry.</p> <p>"While we are all Democrats, there are very real differences among us, and the American people deserve to know who we are, where we're from," Mr. Edwards said in a letter to Mr. Kerry. The North Carolina senator said he would welcome allowing Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio and the Rev. Al Sharpton, the other candidates for the nomination, to participate in the debate.</p>

<p>Since former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean ended his presidential run, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina sees only two viable Democratic Party candidates and wants at least one debate without the Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio.</p>

Looking to fellow Southerners to help keep his presidential campaign afloat, John Edwards challenged front-runner John Kerry Thursday to debate him in Georgia, saying the stakes are too important for Georgia voters not to hear their views. The North Carolina senator, who despite his Dixie roots has carried only one of three Southern states so far, avoided calling Georgia a "must-win" state on March 2 in the "Super Tuesday" round of primaries when bigger states like New York and California also vote. "Georgia is a place where I expect to do well, but I'll let you guys set those standards,"...

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Contending the battle for the Democratic nomination is far from over, John Edwards served notice last night that he intends to fight on despite Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's gathering momentum. During a genteel and largely passionless debate here, the North Carolina senator reacted to Kerry's confident boast of beating President Bush in the fall general election, saying, "Not so fast, John Kerry. We're going to have an election here in Wisconsin this Tuesday. And we've got a whole group of primaries coming up. And I, for one, intend to fight with everything I've got for every one...

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - The Democratic presidential hopefuls questioned President Bush (news - web sites)'s credibility and leadership on Sunday, but steered clear of attacks on each other in a sober debate two days before the Wisconsin primary. With front-runner John Kerry (news - web sites) looking for a Wisconsin win that could put him on the road to a November matchup with Bush, rival John Edwards (news - web sites) warned Kerry against planning too far ahead. "Not so fast, John Kerry," said Edwards, a North Carolina senator who has vowed to stay in the presidential race even if he...

Feb 14, 2004 DEMOCRAT DEBATE WATCH The Legal Contributions Aren’t TheIssue, It’s The Hypocrisy, Stupid __________________________________________________Kerry Says: “Well, I’m the best person to make the case against George Bush because for 35 years I’ve had an uninterrupted record of taking on powerful special interests in American politics.” (John Kerry, Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2/15/04)_____________________________________________________________________________________Kerry Says: “I am the only Senator who has been elected four times, voluntarily refusing to take one dime of political action committee special interest money.”  (John Kerry, Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2/15/04)KERRY ATTACKS PAC MONEY, BUT CREATED TWO PACS HIMSELF Kerry Does:...

Live debate from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Democrats to Debate After Kerry's 2 Wins 1 hour, 37 minutes ago By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer Democratic presidential candidates were preparing for a debate Sunday, a day after front-runner John Kerry scored victories east and west, swamping his rivals in Nevada and the District of Columbia caucuses to build his advantage in delegates needed for the nomination. His opponents pinned their hopes on the coming Wisconsin primary to try to slow him down. Kerry, the only candidate to campaign in Nevada, easily outdistanced Howard Dean in second place for a Valentine's Day win that unexpectedly drew thousands of...

There'll be no debate among Democratic presidential candidates in Missouri after all. The Missouri Democratic Party today called off Monday night's planned debate, which would have been held at the University of Missouri at St. Louis on the eve of Tuesday's presidential primaries. Missouri Democratic Party chairwoman May Scheve says organizers couldn't get commitments from Senators John Kerry and John Edwards. She cited the demands of travel coupled with short preparation time and forecasts calling for a possible winter storm. Missouri is one of seven states holding primaries Tuesday.

Democratic Candidates Speak at S.C. Forum Democratic Presidential Candidates Speak at S.C. Forum; Kerry Becomes Target As Front-Runner The Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. Jan. 30 — Democrats heard gut-wrenching stories of a son killed in Iraq and health care benefits denied to a dying relative, promising South Carolina voters Friday that they will reverse President Bush's policies if sent to the White House. "These are cutbacks coming because George W. Bush cut taxes for wealthy people, took revenue sources from states, and states are cutting back on Medicaid," retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark told a woman sobbing over her family's...

The Democratic presidential contenders attacked President Bush on Thursday for his handling of Iraq and terrorism and for his stance on trade and the economy and insisted that their party would be able to compete against him in the South. Their exchanges, at a debate in one of the seven states with nominating contests Tuesday, reflected the changed dynamics of the presidential race since Senator John Kerry won the first two contests, in Iowa and New Hampshire. Howard Dean, shifting easily to dart thrower from the target he played in earlier debates, questioned Senator Kerry's record and effectiveness. Dr. Dean's...

<p>January 30, 2004 -- GREENVILLE, S.C. — A feisty but focused Howard Dean last night went after Democratic front-runner John Kerry as an ineffective senator who can't "get results" on vital issues like health care. Dr. Dean, the former party favorite, fired away in the latest presidential debate: "Now Sen. Kerry is the front-runner, and I mean him no insult, but in 19 years in the Senate, Sen. Kerry sponsored . . . 11 bills that had anything to do with health care and not one of them passed."</p>

Beginning shortly..

The so-called "debates" among the Democratic candidates in the primaries are not really debates -- and that is a real shame. In a real debate, opponents could question each other's statements -- and there have been a lot of questionable statements made already in this young political season.Senator John Edwards, for example, has included among his rhetorical flourishes poor children going to bed hungry at night in America. In reality, obesity is even more common among low-income people than among high-income people.Whether Senator Edwards doesn't know any better or doesn't care about the facts, his statements could have been challenged...

KEENE, Jan. 24 -- In diners, taverns and student centers across the state yesterday, few minds were changed by Thursday night’s Democratic debate in Manchester . Some voters were still undecided, and those who weren’t only felt more certain about their candidate. Many who watched were skeptical about the debate’s format, and a few were disinclined to participate at all in Tuesday’s primary. “Very blah,” said Ted Tivnan of Manchester . “The substance wasn’t there.” While Sen. Joe Lieberman was making his pitch to a health care forum next door at the Palace Theatre, Tivnan, 55, sat inside the Stage...

Spin Buster Hogging the Spotlight Did it seem to you that the four moderators spoke about as much as the candidates in last night's Democratic debate? Me too. Having some time on my hands, I decided to see if my hunch was accurate. Here's what I found out: Peter Jennings spoke more words than each of three candidates: Gen. Wesley Clark, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and Rev. Al Sharpton. Jennings spoke nearly as many words as Gov. Howard Dean, who was expected to be the focus of this debate. In total, 30 percent of the words spoken came from one of...

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Dictionary.com defines the Latin phrase "ceteris paribus" as "With all other factors or things remaining the same." And that describes accurately the outcome of Thursday's New Hampshire Democrat candidate debate. Nothing that transpired seems likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of next Tuesday's vote. Nevertheless, a few observations are worth making. Sen. John Kerry effectively emerged as a winner — the frontrunner always does when he escapes a debate unscathed. He made no major missteps and looked plausibly presidential. His advisers no doubt gave him a thumbs-up off-stage. Gov. Howard Dean managed to...

During the Democratic Presidential debate I saw Thursday, Jan. 22nd, Peter Jennings asked Al Sharpton about what type of person he would potiently nominate for Chairman of the Federal Reserve. His response was unbelieveable, it was cheap entertainment...I was laughing hysterically. This guy is shear entertainment. I found the transcript to this portion of the debate and thought I would share it. Enjoy: JENNINGS: If during your term as president, if you become the nominee, and you have the opportunity to nominate someone to be chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, what kind of person would you consider for the...

MANCHESTER, N.H. — When Howard Dean was the Democratic presidential candidate that the other contenders feared most (meaning in the six or so months before the Iowa results came in Monday), you could tell he was the Feared One because all of the other candidates mimicked him in a shameless ploy to tap into that mysterious something he had that no one else seemed to have. If this were an Austin Powers film, we'd call it his "mojo." The tone of Thursday night's debate was positive, cheerful, and sober. In short, John Edwards is the one the others are scared...

Presidential candidate Wesley Clark on Friday complained that one of the moderators in Thursday night's debate was carrying out a Republican agenda by questioning his Democratic credentials. Brit Hume of Fox News Channel, who worked as both moderator and questioner during the two-hour debate with the seven candidates, pressed Clark about when he had first realized he was a Democrat. Clark told reporters Friday, "I looked at who was asking the questions, and I think that was part of the Republican agenda in the debate." Democrats have complained that Fox News Channel shows a Republican bias. Clark joined the Democratic...

NASHUA, N.H. - Presidential candidate Wesley Clark on Friday complained that one of the moderators in Thursday night's debate was carrying out a Republican agenda by questioning his Democratic credentials Brit Hume of Fox News Channel, who worked as both moderator and questioner during the two-hour debate with the seven candidates, pressed Clark about when he had first realized he was a Democrat. Clark told reporters Friday, "I looked at who was asking the questions, and I think that was part of the Republican agenda in the debate." Democrats have complained that Fox News Channel shows a Republican bias. Clark...

<p>AFTER ALL THESE years, you'd think the TV people would know how to run a debate. Outrage Number One was the arrogance of Fox News in deciding that the yammering of Chris Wallace, Fred Barnes, and Morton Kondracke was more interesting to voters than the final remarks of Democrats seeking to be president.</p>

QUOTE I would hope this party is planning to reach out to "moderate" Democrats like myself who see the party sinking too far to the left.... I believe that's the plan. You have to understand that the Democratic party consists of some fairly diverse groups that are antithical to each other. They stay together by three common bonds. 1. Hatred or extreme dislike of anything Republican. That's why so many people seem disgusted when someone changes from Democrat to Republican. 2. Extreme lust for power. Most of the Democrat groups have a specific agenda they try to push. They are...

In their final debate before the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic presidential candidates declared on Thursday that they could withstand election-year attacks from President Bush on social values and tax cuts, as they sought to allay concerns among Democrats about the party's hopes of winning back the White House this fall. Looking weary and subdued after three weeks of nonstop campaigning, the seven Democrats insisted in a two-hour televised debate that they could easily defend themselves against the kind of attacks on social, military and economic issues that Republicans have used effectively against Democrats in presidential elections for 20 years....

<p>WAVE goodbye to Sen. John Edwards and Gen. Wesley Clark, who blew themselves up in the Democratic debate last night in New Hampshire. Their performances were nothing short of disastrous.</p> <p>Edwards was utterly flummoxed by two key questions — one about the continuing support of the mission in Iraq and the other about gay marriage. He completely mischaracterized current law on the subject, and when moderator Brit Hume gently pointed that out to him, Edwards said he really didn't know enough about the subject.</p>

<p>January 23, 2004 -- GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — There were no tirades as Howard Dean toned himself down at last night's debate and even managed a few smiles — but it's probably too late.</p> <p>Dean's Iowa defeat and tirade opened the door for rival John Kerry to surge to the top of New Hampshire polls — and Kerry was at the top of his debating form.</p>