From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Giuliani actually said before he became mayor of New York, people were afraid to go outside, or even buy groceries. What?? I am a native New Yorker and can tell you, I was never afraid to buy groceries. True, crime went down under Giuliani, the subways became safer, but afraid to buy groceries? That's a stretch -- one Giuliani, I suppose, hopes middle America will buy. 

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Romney deflected Stephanopoulos' attempt to hit Giuliani on being pro-life after ABC played Romney saying in March that Giuliani is pro-life, pro-choice, pro-gun. Giuliani said today a woman should make that choice and ultimately with their doctor.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Stephanopoulos was tough with Giuliani, read back his comments on Pakistan that he made on Charlie Rose. Giuliani first tried to say, no I didn't say that. I said I wouldn't take the option off the table. But he got called on it and then said, "I would take that option if I thought there was no other way." Essentially he agrees with Obama then on this, though Giuliani said Obama probably wishes he said it differently.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Everyone said they would have voted against SCHIP.

Romney: "It's critical to insure more people in this country. It's not good for the rest of the citizens either." And said we should "help people buy their own private insurance." But said he wouldn't vote for SCHIP.

Giuliani: Private insurance. Health savings account. Hit Michael Moore, Democrats and "socialize medicine."

Tommy Thompson had the most wiggle room -- said he is for SCHIP but against the way Congress is doing it.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- They had the first video question of the debate from an Iowa woman standing in her kitchen asking the candidates to explain their position on Iraq.

Ron Paul: He said "just come home" about bringing the troops home. That was met by a mix of applause and boos

Hunter -- standing next to Ron Paul -- was first to attack the Dems, saying he's "tired of" hearing Democrats say pull out, "just get out."

Huckabee says there's a middle ground. "We win this war and do it with honor." Two things: 1) insist people in that neighborhood [Middle East] take a greater role, 2) end our dependence on foreign oil.

Brownback said the political situation continues to deteriorate (he almost said "political solution." Said we need a political surge and cited the NY Times' Tom Friedman.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Stephanopoulos went right at abortion. Brownback has been attacking his opponents with calls and mailers to potential voters in Iowa and ABC played his robo call accusing Romney of being pro-choice.

Romney responded saying, "Virtually nothing in that ad is true. ... I am pro-life and that's the truth." He described the ad as "desperate."

Stephanopoulos tried to intervene and get him to say precisely what is untrue in the ad.

"Virtually every part of that ad is inaccurate," Romney responded, adding the he has always opposed tax-funded abortions. "The ad is completely wrong."

Brownback said go on YouTube video to see Romney's 1994 comments during his Massachusetts Senate run.  "I was pro-choice, I am pro-life. I changed my position. When the first time a bill came to my desk, I came down on the side of life. I am getting tired of people are holier than thou because they've been pro-life longer than I have."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Romney is up on the air and had his immigration ad run right before the debate went live.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- We're told there's going to be just one commercial break -- so get in your bathroom breaks, kids.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
DES MOINES -- Good morning from wet Des Moines and the campus of Drake University -- the site of today's Republican debate. I will be live blogging and will be in the spin room afterward. The crowd is mostly in, but as people filed in, they fought back back bending umbrellas in torrential rains. Last night, there was a tornado watch here. Ron Paul, Romney and Giuliani supporters are across the street holding signs. The Ron Paul crowd is the largest with the Romney supporters second. The Romney folks are holding a flapping -- now drenched -- banner. There's also a Duncan Hunter truck with his face on the side of it. Among the crowd, there was at least one would-be party crasher with a green T-shirt that said "Reverend Reefer" and had a depiction of a marijuana plant on the front. But this is a much more buttoned-up crowd than those at yesterday's YearlyKos -- as you can well imagine.

A couple of points of note, ABC News, which is sponsoring the debate, has closed off the auditorium where the debate will be held. They want to unveil it when it goes live at 9 am ET. One worker, who has been inside the hall, said the auditorium, which holds about 700 (generously) has been "transformed." ABC carpeted the stage and removed the first four rows to put in a stage extender.

Pictures from the local ABC affiliate shows large organ piping coming out from behind the stage, making for a church-like feel -- appropriate for a Sunday morning.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- Obama is clearly much more comfortable in this setting --
smaller, more intimate rooms instead of large halls. He jokes to
connect with people; he seems very comfortable in his own skin as
opposed to the stage. He's a rallier.

When Obama walked in the audience broke into a rousing rendition of
"Happy Birthday." He's 46. He smiled widely and jokingly said, "Is
there a cake in the back?"

Then he got serious and hit on the lobbying issue.

"We had some interesting exchanges to say the least," Obama said. "We have to completely change how we do business."

He added, "Most elected officials have an eye towards what's going to get them elected.  ... Duke Cunninghams are relatively rare in Washington."

But he went on to say that lobbying is a problem, because "We give our power away all the time." And he said "cranky" (Obama's word) Gravel was right when he said every politician "walks in the mud."

"Look, any one of them will be better than George Bush," Obama said of the other Democratic candidates. Certainly, he wasn't going to leave it at that and added, "But you have to ask, who will really represent change?"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clearly in this debate and in past weeks, Edwards has been the one pushing several issues -- including the lobbying one. He did it today again. Are we too obsessed with Clinton-Obama? And is the headline really Edwards Pushes Democrats? Or Clinton defends lobbyists? Did Edwards perhaps make a mistake even bringing up lobbying because it gave Kucinich the opening to hit him on taking money from hedge funds?

Does any of it matter? Do people really decide on who they want to vote for based on where they stand on the issues and who they most line up with? Is taking lobbying money salient enough to matter? Whose hands are truly clean and pure and then don't we just get super-funded personally rich candidates? And is that pure?

Fact is, Edwards is well liked by the YearlyKos crowd and scored big points as we noted on at least two questions because he has taken the progressive mantle. The question is can Edwards emerge from the Clinton-Obama oxygen vaccuum and what will that take?

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- We have our headline: Obama hits Clinton for defending her taking of lobbying money. Clinton said no one can really believe she would be influenced by lobbyists. She then said Washington lobbyists represent real people. And she will continue to take money from those groups.

Obama pounced and deflected criticism from Dodd. He said, paraphrasing, You can't really say you weren't influenced by taking that lobbying money.

Edwards then surveyed the crowd to see how many have Washington lobbyists. A spattering of hand arose and he noted how few, telling the majority. "You are not represented by Washington lobbyists."

Kucinich then hit Edwards, saying, "Would Senator Edwards be willing to include Wall Street hedge funds?"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- All of the candidates said they would hire a White House blogger, by a show of hands. Obama appeared reluctant at first and then raised his hand with a kind of, sure, what the heck.

Edwards had a strong answer with, "I will hire an official White House blogger, and her name would be Elizabeth Edwards."

The question was asked by a blogger. Do they just want to be on the payroll?

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- "We need to push Musharraf." Said Bush-Cheney relationship with Maryland has been one of "appeasement."

You go after those safe havens. If you don't, we will.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- First question addressing Pakistan and it is addressed to Edwards.

Q: "Are we now trading Communism for Terrorism" with Pakistan?
Edwards: We need to draw people to us. On Musharraf, he said we have economic and diplomatic leverage, but "We have to be very careful."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- The Edwards campaign is first out of the box, trying to spin for their candidate. The campaign just sent out an e-mail, highlighting his lobbying answer. The headline: "Edwards calls on all candidates for federal office to join him in rejecting donations from federal lobbyists."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- Clinton was crisp, clear and forceful on what she calls the Global War on Terrorists, because terrorism is a tactic. She's is looking tough and strong so far today. But she's been tough in each of these debates.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- Obama said he doesn't agree with those who say we shouldn't talk to our enemies and tell them what we think. That's the second time now he's perhaps tried to draw Clinton in during this forum.

NBC's Christine Colvin points out that Obama is not facing the audience and instead answering the NY Times' Matt Bai. Bad TV and doesn't show he's talking to this crowd.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- This is obvious, but the Democrats (and the Republicans for that matter) still don't have a good answer on how to get the troops out of Iraq, but not create chaos in the process. Saying chaos and civil war are already exist there isn't good enough.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- An easy hit for Kucinich... standing ovation for Impeach Bush and Cheney.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- Clinton highlighted her "fight" with the Pentagon's Edelman and VP Cheney as evidence she will get the troops out of Iraq.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- Gravel appeared milder and called everyone on the stage "good people."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
CHICAGO -- A tough, almost angry sounding Edwards received a standing ovation calling to not take money from Washington lobbyists and he called on Republicans to do the same. So far best two reactions were for Edwards -- on healthcare and now lobbying reform.

NBC's Leo Juarez points out that it's been a 1/2 hour and neither Kucinich nor Gravel have spoken.