From NBC's Mark Murray
You certainly can't say Fred Thompson is boring. We missed this when it first came out, but before the NFL Draft, Thompson -- who is thinking about running for president and will speak to Orange County Republicans later this week -- blogged on Pajamas Media about the draft and the troubles of Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, whom the league banned for his off-the-field troubles.

He wrote, "As most football fans and all Titans boosters know, Jones and his entourage invaded a strip club (the usual scene of his hooliganisms) during this year's NBA All Star Weekend in Las Vegas. There, he reportedly 'made it rain' by showering the ladies with a satchel full of more than $80,000 in dollar bills."

Tell us, what other presidential candidate is blogging about "making it ran" at a strip club? (He earlier blogged about the movie, "300.")

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid will stage a "signing ceremony" for the contentious Iraq supplemental tomorrow afternoon -- before sending it to President Bush for a promised veto.

Known as enrollment, every bill that passes Congress must have the signature of congressional leaders. But this is very seldom done in a public ceremony.

From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** Time to Exhale: In the couple of days after the Democratic presidential debate and before the GOP one, politics slows down a bit. And we're not complaining. The things to watch for later this week: 1) Bush's veto of the Iraq supplemental; 2) Thursday's Republican debate, moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews; and 3) Fred Thompson's speech on Friday to Orange County Republicans. Also, Tenet's book debut appears to be putting the White House on the defensive; its morning clip email included responses to Tenet's charges.

*** Identity Crisis: In advance of Thursday's debate, we can't help but notice that the Republican Party seems to be in the midst of an identity crisis. Just what is a conservative nowadays? Whose politics defines the GOP -- Reagan's, Goldwater's, Schwarzenegger's, or Cheney's? Here's what David Brooks wrote yesterday: "Instead of offering something new, each of [party's presidential candidates] has been going around pretending to be the second coming of George Allen — a bland, orthodox candidate who will not challenge any of the party's customs or prejudices… The big question is, Why are the Republicans so immobile?"

*** Drip, Drip? The Newsweek report that Obama's scheduler used his Senate fax machine to send him his political call list while in South Carolina -- a no-no -- is the latest dent in his good-government armor. Have the recent investigative/oppo stories on him (Rezko, whether lobbyists have donated to his campaign, and now this) begun to build the narrative that he's a politician like everyone else? Or are they all peccadilloes that voters won't care about? One thing is for certain: Since they've both become candidates, Obama is receiving much more scrutiny than Clinton is. Will that change? By the way, Newsweek does have a good preview of the policy initiatives Obama is on the verge of unveiling.

*** What Happens in Vegas…: Nevada is a popular destination today. Edwards holds a town hall meeting in Las Vegas, while Richardson addresses address AFL-CIO leaders in Carson City. Also, Elizabeth Edwards opens her husband's New Hampshire headquarters on Monday and spends the day campaigning in the state on his behalf. And Obama is in Dallas for a private event.

 

The White House is passing around this quote press secretary Tony Snow, who returns to work today, made this morning on ABC: "Of course people want to be out of the war. On the other hand, do people want to adopt a strategy that is going to weaken the hands of the troops who are there? In other words, do you want to bind our forces by saying, 'We're going to give you a timetable for withdrawal,' knowing that that strengthens the hands of the enemy?… If you frame it that way, I'd love to see the poll results. Why don't you try that one in the next poll because my guess is the American people will say 'No, that's insane!'" 

In advance of Bush's upcoming veto of the Iraq supplemental, the Washington Post looks at the key reason why most Republicans aren't going along with any withdrawal deadlines, even though a majority supports the: The GOP base isn't letting them. "That cohesion reflects the views of the GOP's core voters, who see the war in Iraq in fundamentally different terms than Democrats and political independents do, said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Voters from those groups tend to see unremitting gloom, but Republican base voters continue to see a conflict that is going reasonably well, with a decent chance of military success. "'That's the dilemma for Republicans going forward,' Kohut said yesterday. 'They've got to look out for their base, but they have to acknowledge the independents have aligned themselves with the way Democrats are thinking on the issue of Iraq.'"

Bob Novak offers up a positive look at one Republican who isn't heeding to the base on Iraq, Chuck Hagel. Novak concludes: "Hagel represents millions of Republicans who are repelled by the Democratic personal assault on Bush but deeply unhappy about his course in Iraq."

The New York Times front-pages how national security adviser Stephen Hadley "is interviewing candidates, including military generals, for a new high-profile job that people in Washington are calling the war czar. The official … would brief Mr. Bush every morning on Iraq and Afghanistan, then prod cabinet secretaries into carrying out White House orders… [T]he idea that the national security adviser is subcontracting responsibility for the nation's most pressing foreign policy crisis … is provoking criticism of Mr. Hadley himself, and how he has navigated the delicate internal politics of a White House famous for its feuding."

On Saturday, Obama and Clinton spoke to the very anti-war crowd at California's Democratic convention, and Newsday suggests that Obama's speech was a direct attack on Clinton even though he never mentioned her by name. "'I am proud that I stood up in 2002 when it wasn't popular to stand up and urged leaders not to take us down this dangerous path!' he shouted, voice breaking. 'Many of you did the same and said this was a bad idea when it wasn't popular to say this was a bad idea!' he added, to wild applause. ' ... But the war went forward and now we've seen those consequences and we mourn the dead and wounded.'"

 

Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times breaks down Obama's performance on Thursday. "'Last night I was a little nervous,' Obama said at a rally in Charleston on Friday, where he filled the gym at Burke High School. Constrained by a 60-second limit for replies that worked against Obama's speaking style -- a very long windup to the pitch -- his tendency to generalize meant he did not directly answer some questions. Even when asked something noncontroversial, what he personally did to improve the environment, he said 3,000 campaign volunteers planted trees on Earth Day. With a prod from moderator Brian Williams, the NBC anchor, Obama added he's "been working" to install energy efficient light bulbs at home. He sounded out of touch.

More and more analysts are picking up on the fact that one of the front-runners (John Edwards) does not believe there is such thing as a "Global War on Terror."

The Los Angeles Times writes about Richardson's response that Byron "Whizzer" White, who dissented in Roe v. Wade, is his model Supreme Court justice. "Richardson was asked Sunday to square that response with his support for abortion rights. He fumbled at first, questioning whether White was on the court at the time of the 1973 decision. He then explained he had been 'thinking really fast during the debate' and had chosen White because White was appointed by Richardson's hero, President Kennedy, and 'was an All-American football player besides being a legal scholar.'"

More: "The misstep, Richardson said, reflected his take-me-as-I-am philosophy. 'You're getting somebody who's candid, who's honest, who's not going to be a consultant-driven candidate,' he said. 'That's pretty obvious, eh?'"

In the wake of Thursday's debate, the Hartford Courant noted how Dodd was disappointed he didn't receive more question -- but still remains upbeat.

 

The Los Angeles Times notes that at the California Democratic convention over the weekend, the candidates "opened a new divide over taxes," as John Edwards "said he would consider an added levy on businesses and individuals reaping the kind of huge financial reward enjoyed by some of the nation's wealthiest investors." Bill Richardson, meanwhile, said that "Democrats, whenever we have a solution, we want to tax. I'm different. I'm a tax cutter."

The New York Daily News had the following lead: "Hillary Clinton brought California Democrats to their feet, but her rival Barack Obama brought the house down yesterday at the party's state convention."

BIDEN: The Delaware senator sat down with NBC's Tim Russert for nearly a full hour on Meet the Press.

CLINTON: In case you weren't sure of it, pollster Mark Penn is in charge of Clinton's campaign. The Washington Post writes: "In the four months since Clinton officially became a candidate, Penn has consolidated his power, according to advisers close to the campaign, taking increasing control of the operation. Armed with voluminous data that he collects through his private polling firm, Penn has become involved in virtually every move Clinton makes, with the result that the campaign reflects the chief strategist as much as the candidate."

And for those that wonder if Penn can survive should things get bad sometime this year, note this graph. "Yet Penn also has everything that Clinton would want in a senior consultant: undisputed brilliance and experience, according to even his enemies; clear opinions, with data to back them up; unwavering loyalty; and a relentless focus on the endgame: winning the general election. And Clinton clearly adores him. She describes Penn in her autobiography, 'Living History,' as brilliant, intense, shrewd and insightful."

DODD: On Saturday, the New York Times profiled the Connecticut senator. "There could be a certain poignancy to Mr. Dodd's enterprise, the narrative of a man who has waited his whole career to do this — maybe too long, past his time — and who, for whatever reason, is not catching on. In the shoes of another character, someone who takes himself more seriously than Mr. Dodd does, it could be sad." But: "As he ambles through the early voting states, there is a decided 'Why the heck not?' feel to Mr. Dodd's joyous orbit. As in, why the heck shouldn't Chris Dodd run for president, and enjoy the heck out of the ride?"

EDWARDS: The North Carolinian is touting electability more and more lately. He did so again yesterday campaigning in the purple state of Nevada.

OBAMA: As mentioned above, Newsweek's Howard Fineman catches Obama in a small ethics flap regarding his use of a Senate fax machine for political purposes.

Meanwhile, Newsweek does a longer piece previewing how Obama plans to fill in the blanks when it comes to policy.

Obama was in Los Angeles yesterday, where he marked the 15th anniversary of the 1992 riots there. Per the LA Times,  "Obama drew a sustained ovation when he rebuked the Bush administration for, as Obama put it, funding the war in Iraq instead of impoverished Americans — particularly those in minority neighborhoods."  Obama "did not mention the 1992 conflagration to the convention Saturday, but he made it the primary focus of his speech Sunday morning from the pulpit of one of South Central's most vibrant African American churches."

Speaking of churches, the New York Times is the latest to profile the church that Obama attends in Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ. "The Christianity that Mr. Obama adopted at Trinity has infused not only his life, but also his campaign."

In the Politico, Elizabeth Wilner writes that Republicans are "now searching for a candidate who embodies the principles for which they elected Bush, but not the policies of his presidency. "The May 3 debate – hosted by The Politico, MSNBC and the Reagan Library – will offer a very public and occasionally awkward glimpse of a party on the hunt for a new and different relationship. While the candidates rhetorically dodge being closely linked to the incumbent, for example, they'll be quick to embrace the president for whom the venue is named, particularly with hostess Nancy Reagan seated in the audience."

The aforementioned Sunday column by David Brooks: "The big question is, Why are the Republicans so immobile? There are several reasons… Conservatives have allowed a simplistic view of Ronald Reagan to define the sacred parameters of thought. Reagan himself was flexible, unorthodox and creative. But conservatives have created a mythical, rigid Reagan, and any deviation from that is considered unholy."

MCCAIN: Channeling First Read, the Sunday Washington Post looked at the ties between McCain and Bush. "At times, Bush had no stronger supporter than McCain; at others, no harsher critic. For McCain, the challenge of the next year will be figuring out how to reconcile those instincts."

During an interview on Fox News Sunday, McCain was asked about George Tenet's assertion that some of the enhanced interrogation techniques saved lives. McCain criticized these "enhanced" techniques as torture.

And McCain wrapped up his announcement tour over the weekend. Here's an odd thing one senior adviser said to the New York Daily News: "'The announcement went as well as could be expected given the fact that he's not the new, new thing anymore.'"

ROMNEY: The Boston Globe does the story the Romney campaign has been waiting for: that the ex-governor is not the only flip-flopper in the GOP field. The piece includes a "then and now" sidebar featuring Giuliani and McCain

THOMPSON: Those Tennessee Republicans behind the Draft Fred Thompson movement held a rally over the weekend in Cookeville, TN, which drew about 300 people.

Newsweek reports that as late as January, Fred Thompson was still making donor phone calls on behalf of McCain.

The East Valley Tribune, one of Arizona's most conservative papers, calls for Rep. Rick Renzi to resign in an editorial. "We have no idea if Renzi is guilty of any wrongdoing. But we do know the FBI investigation already is hampering Renzi's representation of the 1st Congressional District, which reaches across a vast swath of northern Arizona. He has stepped away from all of his committee assignments and made himself largely unavailable for comment… The better choice, the honorable choice, would be for Renzi to step aside and let someone else come forward to represent his district and our state in Congress.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported over the weekend that the DCCC has established an AZ-01 Special Election Fund. If/when there is a special election to replace Renzi, the fund will ensure that the Democratic candidate benefits from an immediate infusion of funds for the general election.

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
The day after the debate, many of the Democratic candidates campaigned in South Carolina. Clinton, after briefly returning to DC for an event with educators, held a town hall in a church in Greenville, SC. She addressed a tough question from reporters about her southern accent when she was in Selma, AL two months ago. "I lived about a third of my life in Arkansas, and I lived about a third of my life in Illinois, and I lived about a third of my life on the East Coast. I think America is ready for a multilingual president." This line received a loud applause from the audience. Clinton then said "I think America is ready for a lot of other things too."
 
Edwards and Kucinich were also in Greenville, eating lunch at OJ's Diner. Edwards was asked about his answer to the moral leadership he received during the debate -- an answer that followed after a solid ten-second delay. Edwards replied, "I'm very proud of that ... I couldn't have possibly answered it better." Last night, Edwards said, "I don't think I could identify one person that I consider to be my moral leader." He then went on to talk about the Lord, his wife, and father.
 
Dodd, at a kitchen table on homeownership in Charleston, was very optimistic. "I plan on being the nominee of the party, I plan on being the president of the United States... Based on the conversations I've had here, people don't want to be told by outsiders the race is over with. They are going to make up their own minds in South Carolina."

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
Last night, NBC's Brian Williams asked the eight Democratic candidates to raise their hand if they believe there is such a thing as a global war on terror. A review of the tape today shows that Biden, Edwards, Gravel, and Kucinich did not raise their hands.

Clinton, Dodd, Obama, and Richardson did.

From NBC's Carrie Dann
One casualty of last night's debate: Hillary Clinton's voice. The senator struggled through obviously strained vocal chords this morning in Washington, where she addressed delegates from NYSUT (New York State United Teachers.) After last night's wide range of hot topics, Clinton may have been relieved to restrict her remarks to one issue she did not address last night -- education policy. But more noteworthy than her criticism of No Child Left Behind and her tricky dance moves around the issue of charter schools (New York public school teachers tend to disagree with the way they're funded) was the mere fact that she was there in the first place. She jetted in last night just for this event, only to return to South Carolina later this afternoon, demonstrating just how hard she's courting NYSUT, which is the biggest union in her home state.

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** One Down, About Twenty to Go: Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Who looked good in last night's debate? Who didn't? Our thoughts are below. Listen carefully to the Democratic candidates' stump speeches today for new additions that might signal what they liked and didn't. Also, be on the lookout for YouTube submissions of clips from the debate that opponents may want to highlight about one or more of the front-runners. One thing we do know for certain: The first debate is behind us, and there are many more to go -- including next week's GOP debate in L.A., moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

*** Clinton: Hillary was Hillary. You've got to admit, she doesn't make mistakes and didn't last night (but did get a little flustered on hedge funds). Of course, she didn't directly answer some questions, either (like on whether Iraq is "lost"). And the RNC pounced on her comment that she had been advocating withdrawal from Iraq "for a number of years now." But the Clinton people, by and large, were happy with her performance.

*** Obama: Or maybe the Clinton folks were happy that they didn't have the questions surrounding them that Obama did. Perhaps no one seemed more uncomfortable with the tight format. If there are future debates allowing for 90-second or 2-minute responses, he'd likely do better. His speaking style is more professorial than political, which goes hand in hand with the message that he's trying to getting across: that he represents change.

*** Edwards: He acted like the most experienced debater on the stage, and he was. No one there has debated more times in the past four years than Edwards. He handled the haircut question well, but was mixed on the hedge fund one.

*** Richardson: Outside of Obama, the candidate many were waiting to see shine was Richardson, but he wasn't comfortable and it came across. His answer on the model Supreme Court justice might be a future problem. He picked Byron "Whizzer" White -- a Rhodes Scholar/football star from the West, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by JFK. The problem, especially for a Democrat? He dissented in Roe v. Wade.

*** Dodd: He was prepared and is a total pro. But he never owned a moment. And this raises one of the biggest questions of his candidacy: How does he separate himself from the front-runners? His support for legislation like Reid-Feingold (which he talked about last night) is one way he's trying to do this, but it hasn't yet forced the other candidates to take a position.

*** Biden: He may well have hit a homerun on the question about his verbosity and verbal gaffes with his simple "Yes" (and nothing more), which made everyone laugh. Overall, a solid performance. Still, at the end of the day, he faces the same problem Dodd does: How does he break from the pack?

*** Kucinich: He was the first and only true rule-breaker in last night's debate by whipping out a copy of the Constitution. But he seemed like a legitimate front-runner on the stage compared with Gravel.

*** Gravel: Which brings us to… He was entertaining, even comical -- but was also rude to his fellow candidates. Does he get invited to any more debates?

All three front-runners - Clinton, Obama, and Edwards -- sent out releases declaring victory. The Clinton campaign's came out first and referred to pundits' comments. The Edwards folks came out second, using blogs to back up the claim. And Obama's camp sent out theirs this morning pointing to a robo-dial poll.

The New York Times leads its coverage this way: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was professorial and emphatic as she spoke Thursday night about health care, Iraq and whether Wal-Mart was good for America (a 'mixed blessing,' she decided). Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, by reputation a dynamic performer, was reserved and cautious as he talked about a donor with a shady past, how he would respond to a terrorist attack on American shores and his biggest mistake (not doing more to stop Congress from intervening in the Terri Schiavo case, he said)."

The impression by the Washington Post's Broder is "that the Democrats have a field of contenders that, by any historical measure, matches in quality any the party has offered in decades," adding that the debate "was fast-paced and civil, with few sharp jabs among the serious contenders." 

The Los Angeles Times: "The exchanges were mostly cordial, with Biden at one point cautioning that Republicans would be making a 'big mistake' if they underestimated Clinton's ability to win the general election. But for Clinton and Obama, who have faced criticism from the party's liberal base for not supporting an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, the event showcased potential problems."

The paper also says there was at least at least "one memorable exchange, in which Gravel knocked Obama for saying he would not rule out any options in responding to Iran's nuclear program. 'Who the hell are we going to nuke? Tell me, Barack,' Gravel said. 'I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike. I promise,' Obama said, his words muffled by audience laughter."

The Boston Globe adds that Obama and Clinton "appeared careful to avoid attacking each other personally. Each referred to the other in a companionable manner, with Obama remarking that 'as Hillary mentioned earlier . . . people are hungry for change,' and the New York lawmaker referring collegially to 'Barack' in one of her responses."

USA Today: "The candidates spent more time attacking Bush during the 90-minute debate, which also featured questions on health care, gun control and abortion."

By a 51-46 vote, the Senate passed legislation yesterday calling to begin bringing troops home from Iraq by no later than October of this year. President Bush is certain to veto the measure, likely by next week. Per NBC's Ken Strickland, two Republicans (Hagel and Smith) voted yes with the Democrats; no Democrats voted against it; one independent (Lieberman) voted no; and three senators weren't there (the Democrat Johnson and Republicans McCain and Graham)

"The White House reaction was swift and harsh. 'Eighty days after President Bush submitted his troop funding bill, the Senate has now joined the House in passing defeatist legislation that insists on a date for surrender, micromanages our commanders and generals in combat zones from 6,000 miles away, and adds billions of dollars in unrelated spending to the fighting on the ground,' said Dana Perino, the administration spokeswoman."

So where do we go from here? The Washington Post: "The provision most likely to survive the next round is a set of political and diplomatic benchmarks for the Iraqi government. The language all but certain to be dropped, or at least diluted, would require troop withdrawals to begin as early as July 1 and no later than Oct. 1… A significant number of Republicans support the benchmarks -- possibly enough to override a second veto, should Bush resort to that." 

Iraq Study Group co-chair Lee Hamilton, the Wall Street Journal says, "is urging fellow Democrats to accept "target goals" for troop withdrawals rather than fixed dates… At the same time, Mr. Hamilton … says the president should accept target goals for removing combat troops and legislation that makes U.S. support for the Iraqi government conditional on the achievement of greater political reconciliation. Such an approach could have appeal for moderate Republicans, who are unhappy with the war and the administration's unyielding stance but also what many see as the overly political approach of Democratic leaders."
 
The New York Times says that former CIA Director George Tenet "has lashed out against Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials in a new book, saying they pushed the country to war in Iraq without ever conducting a 'serious debate' about whether Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat to the United States… Mr. Tenet admits that he made his famous 'slam dunk' remark about the evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. But he argues that the quote was taken out of context and that it had little impact on President Bush's decision to go to war. He also makes clear his bitter view that the administration made him a scapegoat for the Iraq war."

 

On the trail: McCain takes his announcement tour to Iowa; Romney makes remarks at a Lincoln Day dinner in Michigan; Giuliani addresses the conservative Civitas Institute in Raleigh, NC; and Huckabee is in Iowa.

HUCKABEE: The AP writes that his son, David, "was arrested at an Arkansas airport Thursday after a federal X-ray technician detected a loaded Glock pistol in his carry-on luggage... Huckabee, 26, later pleaded guilty in Little Rock District Court after being charged with a misdemeanor count of possessing a weapon in a prohibited place. 'It was a silly mistake,' Huckabee told reporters as he left the Pulaski County Jail. When asked whether it would affect his father's presidential campaign, Huckabee responded, 'It shouldn't.'"

MCCAIN: Covering the senator's stop in South Carolina yesterday, the Arizona Republic notes that "McCain's outspoken support for the controversial Iraq war doesn't seem to be hurting him in this Red State, the second stop on his formal presidential announcement tour. South Carolina voters want to debate the consequences of a U.S. defeat in Iraq, a serious topic for McCain, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a top McCain ally here."

The Washington Post reminds us, however, that South Carolina was the scene of McCain's undoing in 2000. In the days and weeks after that vote, McCain was angry, lashing out at the Bush team. But seven years later, as he woos former Bush supporters here, he allows not a hint of the animosity he once exuded. 'The state has really been growing, particularly along the coast. There's a whole new set of voters out there,' he said to reporters after a rally…, explaining his strategy for victory here. 'We're building a strong political base along the lines that President Bush was able to do in 2000.'"

On the trail: The Democratic presidential candidates stick around South Carolina for the state party's Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, plus Rep. Jim Clyburn's all-important fish fry. During the day, Richardson meets with Hispanic leaders and then with AARP Presidents in Columbia; Obama does a town hall in Charleston; Edwards has a couple of restaurant photo-ops; and Dodd participates in a handful of smaller events throughout the state. Clinton is in South Carolina too, but not before she hustles back and forth from Washington for an early morning address to teachers from her home state.

Over on The Hotline:

• Still unknown: what constitutes success in Iraq for Edwards, Obama and Clinton.
• "Do you believe there is such a thing as a global war on terror?" Clinton, Obama and Edwards raise hands.
• Obama, potentially realizing that he might face some heat for his response to the question of what'd he do if two American cities were nuked,  later clarified his response: "We have genuine enemies out there that have to be hunted down." There is "no contradiction" between using force "intelligently" and building alliances.  Kucinich then noted that his statement was "provocative." Obama calls the idea of initiating a war with Iran "a profound mistake" but says "there is no contradiction taking us the seriously the need to want to strengthen our alliances around the world" but "if we have nuclear proliferators around the war.," that is a "grave" threat. It was strong response.
• Edwards's efforts to draw out Clinton and Obama on specifics.
• Obama's refusal to answer the question of how he'd pay for his health care plan.

Click here to read more from Hotline.

From Hardblogger:

• Chris Matthews thought the debate was very civilized and therefore," not very exciting."
• MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says there is no clear winner: "John Edwards just gave a fantastic closing argument. It was the most human moment of the debate and is the type of snapshot of a candidate's soul that moves voters. Barack Obama's best moment may have been standing up to Kucinich on Iran. And Joe Biden waving off happy talk was a moment that would even make heartless Republicans smile. A strong ending for these three. Still, no clear winners."
• Scarborough adds: "Clinton, Edwards and Obama have done what is required to get out of the first debate. Hillary Clinton should be the next Democratic nominee for president if she avoids big mistakes. Tonight she did."
• The underperformers, for Scarborough, were Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd. He adds, "The New Mexico governor fighting his tongue as well as Nixonian flop sweat. And the former Alaska senator wins the James Stockdale Memorial Award for confused debate performances."  
• Tucker Carlson also thought Bill Richardson was amusing. For him, the best question of the night, "How do hedge funds make America a better place?" "The correct answer is: They don't. Yet both candidates [Clinton and Edwards] dodged it." 
• Hillary Rosen points out  the lack of discussion on "The Gay Married Elephant in the Room"  

Keep checking back with Hardblogger through the night as they continue to get posts from MSNBC analysts… and comments from viewers.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
It took 85 minutes, but we FINALLY got a "let me finish."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Very interesting decision by Obama as the debate winds down. He made sure that we knew that he didn't like his first answer to the terrorist attack question. He tried to re-answer. Look for that moment to be dissected.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Yes, Kucinich violated the rules of the debate by bringing a prop. (his dog-eared copy of the U.S. Constitution) 

From NBC's Chuck Todd
While Mark noted the lack of guns in the Edwards, Clinton and Obama households (something that won't be a plus in a general), that same trio all agreed that there is indeed such a thing as a "global war on terror," which is something not all Democratic activists believe.

From NBC's Mark Murray
It took more than a hour, but here's the first rapid response e-mail I received.

Statement from Luis Navarro, Biden campaign manager, in response to Gov. Richardson's adoption of Biden plan for Iraq:

"We welcome Bill Richardson adopting the key elements of the Biden Plan for Iraq -- a political settlement that gives its warring factions breathing room in their own regions with control over the fabric of their daily lives including the police, education, jobs, marriage and religion. But while we should start to withdraw our troops now and get most of them out by early next year, Richardson is wrong to rule out a small residual force to prevent Al Qaeda from gaining a foothold and to continue training Iraqis."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
In case you are wondering, Richardson has gone over the time limit more than any other candidate, so take that Joe Biden!

 

From our Hardblogging friends
Producer Brooke Brower, blogging from inside the hall, says that mumbling ensued in the crowd as candidates answered the question about who has ever had a gun in the house. "Richardson, Biden and Dodd quickly raised their hands, but a few seconds passed before Gravel and Kucinich raised theirs." Brower also points out that Gravel is prompting some in the audience to talk among themselves.
 
Joe Scarborough is drawn to Kucinich's statement on opposing the war while funding it is impossible. "That shot at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama may not win Kucinich any votes, but it is sure to energize the Democratic base."