- Or not. Wolf is still talking. Michelle asks "Is Campbell Brown pregnant?" (Eight months so, apparently).
- Hillary says she is wearing an asbestos suit. No one laughs. It wasn't that funny.
- Why does the first question of every debate have to go to Hillary about whether or not she can be elected, and the second one go to Obama about why she can't. Do the networks actually think that they've come up with something new?
- Michelle: "She looks really funny standing like that." I keep staring at Hillary to see what she's talking about. Michelle is talking about our dog.
- Obama is not going to take this laying down. Someone in the audience is heckling Wolf for not letting the other candidates answer.
- Apparently Biden has forgotten that his mic is open. Edwards just said that not everyone is perfect and Biden let out an "Oh, come on!" Does he mean that he (or one of the others) is perfect?
- Wolf has absolutely no control over this discussion.
- Fat man with an ugly tie, live on CNN.
- Joe Biden looks really gray, and he won't shut up.
- John Roberts is using the republican "you were for it before you were against it" line. He should be called on that.
- John Edwards just can't stay on the attack. He's all over the place. Does he want to let Hillary have it, or does he want to talk about poverty. He started by talking about Hillary's inability to hold a position.
- Michelle says Dodd looks like he had his eyebrows trimmed, but not dyed. They just look lighter because they aren't as thick.
- People are going to take Richardson's exhortation to be positive as lead blocking for Hillary. Hillary's ready applause at the line doesn't change that perception.
- Obama is fumbling his line about going after employers who hire undocumented immigrants. And now he's clearly uncomfortable defending his position in favor of drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. Twisting himself into a pretzel. He clearly knows it's an unpopular position.
- Chris Dodd says we need "clarity" then he bloviates for 45 seconds before getting to his answer. That is example #1 why a senator hasn't been elected in forever.
- Michelle has determined that Chris Dodd must have gone to the salon and had a complete makeover. He got his eyebrows trimmed and a "cool dude haircut." I wonder if he got a manicure and wax too. Actually, I wish I hadn't thought of that...
- Richardson has put on a little weight. And yes, I'm totally not paying attention to anything these guys are saying. I'm listening enough to realize that no one has said anything new, however.
- Hillary: "we need a collegeral collaboration." I don't believe collegeral is a word...
- I disagree with the way Wolf has framed the "Is Human Rights more important than American Security?" But more than that, I can't believe that Dodd and Clinton have fallen into the security trap. Human Rights are obviously more important than Security. What is the point of security if we are sacrificing freedom and dignity for it? Security first is a George Bush position.
- John Edwards just tried to dismiss Kucinich by calling him "cute." He is not connecting. He's not doing well at all.
- Frankly, I don't think any of them are doing very well. Maybe I've just seen too many of these. No one is wowing me at all.
- Hillary is going to impose a "trade time-out?" Is it a full time-out, or a 20-second timeout? Do we need to hire Supernanny to put trade in the time-out chair?
- Obama is "opposed to South Korea." Wonder what they ever did to him.
- Here is the problem with this and most debates: the reporters and moderators have all of these smart questions that they think they have to ask, so they cut off any real discussion to get to the next question. The whole group was about to get engaged about the issue of China trade after Joe Biden attacked the president, and Wolf Blitzer cut off the back and forth to go to John Roberts for a question about Yucca Mountain. Fine. But what is wrong with letting the candiadtes go and actually debate and challenge each other. I'd much rather hear them go at each other with some passion on the issues, than parry with the reporters.
- "My opponents are not attacking me because I'm a woman, they're attacking me because I'm ahead." Probably the line of the night.
- John Edwards gets booed as we go to the break. Seems apropos.
I'm done. If anything in the second half of the debate grabs me, I'll let you know.
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