The 20th Democratic Debate: Part II

I have many friends at NBC News, but the questions to HRC seem tougher than the questions to Obama. For example: Brian Williams asked: "How were her comments about you unfair?"

Obama: "She was ready on day one...to give into George Bush."

The RNC is paying attention to Obama again.. four releases against him... none mentioning HRC.

HRC wraps Obama's Iraq speech in '02...with her "speeches, not action" theme

Russert: HRC, you pledged 200K new jobs for upstate New York..there's been a net loss of 37K jobs... notes that she pledges 5M new jobs...

Finally: Russert notices that Obama has been "ambivalent" about NAFTA. Obama says HRC's answer is right.

HRC seems to have an edge in her voice. The substance of her answers is sound. But emotions seem to be just under the surface... Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

HRC: "We will opt out of NAFTA unless we renegotiate it. Let's be fair here, Tim. There are lots of parts of New York that have benefited. But the problem is in places like upstate New York, Youngstown, Toledo, it hasn't."

By the way: is tonight the first time Matt Drudge has been mentioned in any debate?

Obama accuses HRC of "shifting positions" on this.

HRC defends herself on NAFTA.... "I would hope again that we can get to a debate to what the real issues are and where we stand... we do need to fix NAFTA and it is not working.."

HRC: complains about getting the first question: .... "If anyone saw Saturday night live, maybe we should get Barack a pillow and ask if he is comfortable..." The audience hisses a little bit.... seems like she lost her temper.