LIVE BLOGGING: First Democratic Presidential Debate

Welcome to The Blue State's coverage of this debate.  Less than fifteen minutes away.  (Be sure to keep REFRESHING THIS PAGE OFTEN for updates.)

• Here's our rankings
• AND SO IT CONCLUDES!  Stay with us.  In about 20 minutes, we will declare a winner and rank each candidate.
• 8:29: Biden: "Whoever wishes for Hillary is making a mistake on the Republican side."
• 8:27: Walmart "is a mixed blessing," said Clinton.
• 8:26: "I'm not trying to nuke anyone now, Mike," said Obama.
• 8:25: Obama and Kucinich interrupting one another, and arguing over Iran.
• 8:24: Kucinich is going after Obama on Iraq, and says Obama "is setting the stage for another war" on Iran.
• 8:20: Richardson wants to do away with limiting family visits from Cuba to Florida.  He wants to reevaluate the embargo.  He wants Cuba to become Democratic with regard to trade unions.
• 8:19: Biden wants to invest in lithium battery technology, flex fuel cars.  "You have to be willing to make" investments.
• 8:18: Dodd says there is a difference between civil unions and gay marriage.
• 8:16: Kucinich pulled out a pocket book of the constitution, and says he is justified in using taxpayer time in calling for the impeachment of Dick Cheney.
• 8:15: Hillary: "We should not be looking for fights."
• NOTE: After the debate, The Blue State Editorial Board will rank each candidate, and therefore announce a winner.
• 8:13: Edwards: "We have more tools available to us than bombs."
• 8:11: America needs "an effective emergency response" system, says Barack Obama.
• 8:09: Kucinich did not raise his hand when asked by Brian Williams of a show of hands of who thinks there is such thing as a global war on terrorism.
• 8:08: Dodd says Administration's claim that Republicans are better on national security is a "myth."
• 8:07: Clinton says there is "a disconnect between the rhetoric and reality" of Bush Administration on the issue of national security.
• 8:06: Richardson was nominated 4 times for the Nobel Peace Prize
  
• 8:05: Edwards thinks the world has to see us as a force of good again
• 8:04: Gravel just went nuts about the military industrial complex.
• 8:03: Biden thinks N Korea, Iran and Russia are the biggest threats to us
• 8:01: Barack realizes China isn't our enemy nor our friend, its a business thing
• 8:00: Now talking about non-Iraq foreign policy.  But it will be tough for them to bring up anything besides Iraq.
• 7:58: The first thing Richardson would do as president would be getting the US out of Iraq, and then invest in renewable energy.
• 7:57: Edwards: "We ought to ask Americans" to be "patriotic about" something besides "war."
• 7:55: Clinton:"get the 12 million immigrants out of the shadows"
• 7:54: Something I learned is "to put more faith in my own judgment."
• 7:52: Gravel: "I'm the senior rep here and I'm starting to feel like a potted plant over here"
• 7:51: Obama: "I think the confederate flag should be put in a museum"
• 7:50: Richardson: "deal with the inefficiaencies, eliminate the middle men, the HMO's"
• 7:49: Richardson: "no new beuracracy".. I believe in renovating the system so that 31% of all costs would not be on bureaucracy.
• 7:48: Clinton:"cover everybody, even the people that can't afford the plans they have now"
• 7:47: Clinton:"I had the plan but the big drug companies got involved" (referring to health care)
• 7:46: Obama referred to taxayers as "my boss."...Obama: "doesn't make sense that my bosses the taxpayers don't have benifits but i do"
• 7:46: Edwards: "employers would be required to cover employees benifits"
• 7:45: Edwards: "get rid of Bush's tax cuts for people that make over 200K a year"
• 7:43: Biden: I've worked with law enforcement over the last 30 years.  "We shouldn't have let the assault weapon ban lapse"  We have to close gun show loophole.
• 7:41: Richardson: "I'm a westerner, the 2nd amendment is importent to us"
• 7:35: Biden: "right to privacy in the constitution" -- calls the latest Supreme Court decision dangerous.
• 7:35: Biden on litmus test of Roe v. Wade in choosing candidates: yes.  "I led the fight" against Robert Bork.
• 7:33: Edwards: "I don't think the government should make the decisions on abortion"
• 7:32: Edwards says Supreme Court decision on abortion "is an example of what is at stake in this election."
• 7:31: Clinton:"I've stood up what I belive and America is ready for universal healthcare"
• 7:31: Hillary flattered that Republicans are so critical of her.
• 7:30: Gravel says there is "a certain arrogance" about Joe Biden.
• 7:29: Audience erupted in laughter when Biden gave a one-word answer to a question about his ability to not make verbal gaffes in the future.
• 7:28: Kucinich: "Americans are looking for a president that can make the right choices and has intergrity"
• 7:27: Kucinich: "Apologies aren't enough."
• 7:26: Kucinich: "I opposed the idea of using war as a matter of policy."  ..."This isn't American idol here."
• 7:25: Richardson: "I did call for Gonzales's resignation"
• 7:24: Richardson got stumped a little bit when asked why he delayed his call for Gonzales to resign because he was Hispanic.
• 7:22: Obama seen taking notes like crazy as Hillary spoke.
• 7:22: Clinton: Regulate free market system so "no one has an unfair advantage."
• 7:21: Edwards: "I have not forgotten where I come from, I remember when my dad after church one time and looked at the menu and told the waitress we have to leave because he couldn't afford it"
• 7:20: Edwards responds to paying for haircuts through campaign: I "haven't forgot where I come from."
• 7:18: Obama responds to allegations of illegal business donations: He has a proven track record of supporting campaign finance reform.
• 7:17: Clinton: "I believe what Barack said was right."
• 7:16: Obama: "this war has strained the troops"..."we are 16 votes away from ending this war."
• 7:15: Gravel: "make it a felony to stay in Iraq"
• 7:14: Gravel: "Bush communicated over a year ago that he would not get out of Iraq until he left office."... "Understand that this war was lost when Bush fraudulently invaded Iraq"
• 7:13: Dodd: "I belive it's possible to have no more troops in Iraq, this is a failed policy"
• 7:13: Richardson calls for diplomacy and partition in Iraq.  "would set up 3 seperate entities"
• 7:12: Kucinich: I don't think its sufficient to say if we had the information in the beginning we would have voted differently, we had that information"
• 7:11: Kucinich taking on Clinton, looking at her, saying it was wrong to vote yes to go to war.
• 7:11: Kucinich believes that Democrats should not fun the war, therefore disagreeing with all other Democrats there.
• 7:10: Clinton: "the president is being stubborn and not listening to the people, and will veto"
• 7:09: Clinton: Knowing what I know now, I would not have voted for it.
• 7:08: Edwards: "It's important for the president to restore trust with the rest of the American people"
• 7:07: Biden: "the real question is are we going to be able to leave Iraq without chaos."
• 7:06: Biden: "You've got to de-centralize Iraq."
• 7:06: Biden on the war: "This is not a football game."
• 7:05: Clinton: Democrats will "fund our troops" and "start to bring them home."
• 7:04: candidates were asked to refrain from asking eachother questions and opening thank you statemenst
• 7:03: Clinton up first.
• 7:02: Some of the questions have been submitted via email.
• 7:00: Welcome everyone!  here we go.  Let the debate begin.
• 7:53: BREAKING NEWS: LBJ aide Jack Valenti dead at age 85.  This came just one day after he was released from the hospital for stroke treatment.
• 7:49: Candidates are on the stage, off to the side, mingling with one another as we count down the final 10 min.

Comments

[George]

Dude, this is on the front page of kos right now. how did that happen?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/26/14530/5288

The Blue State Blog is going to be one of many liveblogging tonight's Democratic presidential debate. Starts at 7:00 pm, EDT. Can you believe it's only April and we're already having debates? I still haven't totally recovered from last November.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Sweet!!! Looks like we're going to have a decent crowd on hand.

[Disillusioned]

Well, you'll definitely have me (coming here from Kos) on board, laptop at the ready.

Thank you for the wonderful work you're doing!

[Ross Smith]

For those who cannot get enough of all things debate, check out our site (it has info about our blogtalkradio show tonight, too. MyDD also will discuss the debate on blogtalkradio.

The liveblogging is great for cmmunity building. Congrats!

[Ross Smith]

did not give URL or site name (though you could see it by clicking on my name). www.DebateScoop.org

[Tony]

Hey Ross,

Just took a gander at your page DEBATE SCOOP, great page and full on info. Bookmarked it and will "brush up" on my debate knowledge.

Anyone reading this, I recommend a stop over the the page.

[Tony]

besides the typo i just left, i think i'll stop by after the debate for coffee and some debate talk.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Disillusioned, thanks for coming. We're about set up

[leadfoot]

woot! This is going to be cool. Obama better come out with some specifics tonite!

[Tony]

I agree leadfoot, i want to see him on top of the polls tomorrow. "the honest guy"

[Tony]

Our host may have been booted...stand by

[leadfoot]

Sounds like Edwards is coming off as the most prepared.

[Demostrat]

Go Obama Go!!!!!!

[George]

i DVR'd this and fast forwarded thru every Dodd reponse.

I would vote for Gravel tomorrow...or was that Ralph Nader?

Obama held his own but I was worried about him early on - first debate jitters?

Is Clinton a wax figure or is she human? jury still out...

Richardson was a mess. But i still like him

Edwards was smooth as silk. I'm impressed.

Gravel stole Kucinich's lunch.