Hillary Clinton Insists She's No Liberal

Asked by a questioner how they're _really_ going to change things if they're creatures of Washington, Chris Dodd talked about "bringing people together" and Barack Obama was in his element entirely and said he was a change agent.

A questioner had the gumption to ask Dennis Kucinich how he differs from Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton: "The only one who voted against the war from the beginning." Wait -- the questioner actually asked how Kucinich would differ as president. He didn't really answer and fell back on his "strength through peace" line. Wasn't this debate supposed to be different?

Clinton, on he horn, said Democrats "are united for change. ... The issue is which of us is ready to lead on day one. I have 35 years of being an instrament and agent of change." Obama's answer was a little different: " I don't think this is just a Republican problem. I think it's a problem across both parties."

Boyee -- a guy named Rob asked CLinton to define the word "liberal." "It was a word that originally meant that you were for freedom... but it has been turned on its head and made to be a word that describes big government. I prefer the word progressive." A "proud modern American progressive."

Sen. Gravel isn't a progressive or a liberal, he says. And, Barack Obama, "he has 134 bundlers." Which Gravel somehow equates with lobbying money.

BTW: can you imagine any Republican candidate shying away from labeling themselves a conservative? And is Hillary Clinton openly rejecting "big government?"