Best line of the whole debate:

[Jillian]

http://www.wmur.com/politics/13435118/detail.html

check out the video!

Our group of respondents reacted very positively when Biden argued that political campaigns should be financed publicly to remove special interests from the political process.

[StudentProgressive]

1. How does he reconcile this with the special interests who fervently support him?

The monied folks have always liked ol' Joe. I wonder how legitimate this makes his opinion on public financing.

[Jillian]

5. Other than Kucinich (and Gravel)

name one other candidate that doesn't have special interests supporting them.

[StudentProgressive]

8. I'm proud of Kucinich and Gravel

and sickened by the rest, but Biden has more fervent support by corporations than any of the rest. It's ironic he says he wants to eliminate them; it's hard to take that seriously.

[sutz12]

9. It might be better than you think...

I would bet a lot of companies would prefer not to waste so much time and money schmoozing with pols, too.

The system has created this symbiotic monster where privately owned companies feel compelled to contribute to pols to defend their interests vis-a-vis their competition. It's a vicious circle where the amounts of money keep spiralling upward. The campaign seasons keep getting longer and longer, and the money just keeps piling up and being wasted.

The one thing about government intervention in something like this. If they can turn the spigot off for everybody, they all save money and none lose any more leverage than any others do.

In the end, we need public financing, with no money available until 6 months before the election. Decrease the primary election cycle to 3 months. Take 2 weeks off to hold the conventions--they are nothing but coronations, anyway. Then do the national election in the time remaining. Countries in Europe don't spend 10 months a year campaigning. We shouldn't have to.

[Orangepeel]

17. that's not inconsistent

I know that the future of our country is not a game, but to use that analogy, playing a game by its current rules doesn't mean you can't think the rules should be changed.

Whether or not you think Biden is a credible force for change is a different issue, but it is the case that someone who starts with a big handicap of no money isn't likely to be the one to be in a position to reduce the influence of money.

[Egnever]

2. I kinda liked Dodds answer to what he would do in his first 100

days.


Restore the constitution!

Best line of the night IMHO

[Jillian]

3. I also give credit to Obama when he said to Edwards that he was

4 1/2 years too late (regarding Iraq)

Hit that one right out of the ballpark!

[illinoisprogressive]

4. I love the 4 and half years crack of Obama's

[DesertRat]

6. I thought Hillary's Cheney comment was the best line

edited to add video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSrMs0u12cA

[Jillian]

7. She had a good nite.

[flpoljunkie]

14. Hillary's best line was Goldwater quote: "You don't have to be straight to shoot straight."

[Forkboy]

16. Yup...that was a good one.

[Bucky]

10. The best line came from the Kooch, his "teachable moment" comment

Everyone else was pandering with the 'blame Bush' routine and saying this was Bush's war. Wrong: he started it and he conned people into supporting it. But we are still a democracy and what out government does in our name, we do, because we own the sucker.

Kucinich is right when he says that, as of inauguration day 2007, this is the Democrats' war. Not because we started it. I expect children to bicker about "who started it" in a playground scuffle. When a democracy goes to a war authorized by their elected representatives, the point quickly moves from who started it to who is responsible for handling it.

In November the voters told the Democrats to handle it. It's our war now; ours to end.

[k8conant]

11. Kuchinich was also absolutely right when he corrected Biden...

by telling him that the way to defund the war was not to offer any funding bills. You don't need 67 votes in the Senate to do that.

[Bucky]

13. Republicans can offer funding bills that could win over enough Dem votes in the House & Senate

Sorry, but just not offering a funding bill is not workable. Democrats lack the working majority to shut down all legislating activity on the war. And a Democrat-sponsored bill is going to be better than the inevitable Republican-sponsored bill that would pass if the Democrats just quit trying to pass something.

Kucinich isn't used to being the majority. His approach wouldn't work.

[welshTerrier2]

12. they should do a whole debate on that topic

no follow-up on this critical issue from anyone including the moderator ... is Biden a warrior for better democracy free from the poisoning influence of big money? I don't think he deserves much credit. in fact, iirc, i didn't really like the "context" of his answer. he was essentially saying to Kucinich (my interpretation), "well, if you're going to go on about special interests, why not go all the way to publically financed campaigns." (again, from memory) ...

was Biden actually advocating publically financed campaigns? not sure i came away with that impression. and why didn't the other candidates talk about that issue? why didn't any of the questioners? everyone knows there is massive corporate money in the campaigns. they all complain about having to spend so much time raising money. well, where is their leadership? have they introduced legislation? do they consider this one of the most critical issues? if not, why not? do they talk about the issue when they appear on talk shows or at their campaign rallies?

restoring our democracy is probably the most important issue we need to confront ... was this issue even raised at tonight's debate in any meaningful way? it would be nice to have every candidate and the Party itself pushing the issue of publically financed campaigns.

[polichick]

15. Clinton's Goldwater and Cheney lines were great...

And I think they showed how she might be in a casual setting with friends ~ smart and funny!