From NBC's Chuck Todd
CNN did dial testing and reported that a slighty majority of their group gave the debate to Clinton but then added a caveat that the group sided with Obama on the Iraq issue. Interesting that they would include that addendum. 

From NBC's Mark Murray
Here's a statement the Republican National Committee just issued: "The Hollywood elites loved the Obama and Clinton show tonight, but average Americans who will most feel the pain of the Democrats' misguided policies will not."

More: "Even while Clinton and Obama both admitted to supporting tax increases on hard-working Americans, they failed to fully account for how they would pay for all their proposals.  Both spoke to retreating from the War on Terror, but failed to admit their records of defunding the troops and weakening our national defense.  Today, Obama was crowned the "most liberal senator," and his out-of-the-mainstream proposals left no question that he deserved the title.  Clinton's failure to explain her changing positions will do nothing to restore trust with the American people.  After watching these two Democrats pander to Hollywood's liberals, I have never been more confident that a Republican will win in November."

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
A friend watching the debate at home -- we in the press file can't sometimes see what audiences are seeing on TV -- kindly made a list of all the celebrities in the audience.

You'll find the list below, and NBC/NJ has added who they have donated to....

Diane Keaton... Hasn't given to anyone
Rob Reiner... Edwards, Clinton, Richardson and Dodd... apparently not an Obama fan.
Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.. Spielberg has maxed out in giving to all the Democratic candiates
Stevie Wonder...No record of him giving either though Obama plays "Signed Sealed Delivered" at every campaign stop.
Bradley Whitford... Looks like Josh from the West Wing is a bipartisan guy. He's maxed out to Biden, Obama and Ron Paul.
possibly Fran Drescher (a Hillary supporter has given her $2,300) and Topher Grace (no record of giving)
Pierce Brosnan... The Brit is staying neutral, hasn't given to anyone
America Ferrera... Ugly Betty campaigns for Clinton but hasn't given her any money.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
Clinton claims she's said many times that had she known then what she knows now, she would not have given Bush that authority on Iraq. Sure
she's said this before, but not that often, at least not on the stump
as I've heard in the last several months. In fact, Clinton rarely
mentions this issue on the stump -- almost never, unless asked a direct
question on it, which hasn't happened lately. There's no good reason
for her to bring this up, since it just reminds the anti-war folks
about this vote -- as if they need reminding -- which she refuses to
say was a mistake, as they would like to see her do.

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
I guess it's fitting in Los Angeles... That the call of "Can't we all just get along" apparently can be true on a stage with the Democratic candidates.... Whatever Obama whispered in Clinton's ear.. it was a great image to end the debate with. He's not trying to snub her now...

Adds NBC/NJ's Athena Jones (a bit sarcastically): They "heart" each other. Did you see him pull out her chair? Oh what a peachy end to a sweet debate. Like powdered sugar.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
At about 9:15, I was toying with the following lead to my post-debate wrap, "Nobody lost this debate, let's make that clear."  And then the subject shifted to Iraq, that's when this debate turned Obama's way.

Both candidates started out soft and strong; it appeared another kumbaya debate was about to take place.

And then came Iraq and Clinton once again showed why the issue has been such an Achilles heel. Obama just has an easier time talking about his position. Clinton has to sit there and re-explain why she was for it and why she's not for it now. It's never a good moment for her which is the recent shift to the economy has been so welcomed by Team Clinton.

Overall, this was a strong night for Obama as he proved that he belonged on the same stage as Hillary Clinton. And that's an important accomplishment for Obama. Because, I keep wondering, are undecided voters waiting to see if Obama can prove his mettle for the presidency?

There's a theory that believes just that. And if that theory is true then this debate could prove to be very important to Obama.  The audience for this debate was undecided voters and former Edwards supporters and I'm guessing these folks have a fairly low bar for Obama to prove himself to them, compared to the bar they have for Clinton since they are still not on board with the more well-known candidate.  Think about the progress Obama's made in the debate department since
early '07. She regularly cleaned his clock at these early debates but
now that advantage seemed to disappear. And Clinton can't afford for that gap to disappear.

It's interesting that neither candidate is feeling the pressure of losing on Feb. 5; If anything, one gets the sense that both candidates realize this campaign could go on a few more months so no sense throwing any desperate attacks tonight. Neither candidate took crazy shots at each other which tells me that neither thinks they are behind.

Obama's strongest moments may have been toward the end when the debate shifted to Iraq. Clinton struggles to defend her actions at the time with her new position now and it just doesn't come across well. If this debate were being scored like a boxing match, the first 60 minutes would have been judged as a draw but the last 30 minutes would have been given to Obama on points, thanks to the Iraq issue.

If Obama does go on to defeat Clinton for the nomination, he will join McCain in winning his party's nod on the back of Iraq, even as the issue landscape has shifted to the economy. Go figure.

Two other extraneous thoughts: Democratic Party elders should be ecstatic about the civil tone the two
kept throughout the debate. Contrast the tone tonight with McCain v.
Romney last night. ... And CNN did the Democratic Party no favors by filling the audience with celebrities. Maybe that's good for CNN to have those folks to cut to during the broadcast but it only feeds into the stereotype that Hollywood and the Democratic Party are inseparable.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
The Iraq section of this debate was not good for Clinton.

From NBC's Mark Murray
For the last couple of months, Iraq has virtually disappeared from the campaign trail. Indeed, opinion polls now show the economy -- not Iraq -- to be the biggest concern to Americans.

But for about the last 20 minutes, the issue returned with full force -- over the 2002 Iraq war resolution, the Levin amendment, how to withdraw from Iraq, and the use of force in general.

From NBC's Athena Jones
Clinton has been highlighting support of Iraq war critics in Congress. In recent days, she mentioned MA Rep. Jim McGovern (D) when in Springfield, MA the other day.

And now Maxine Waters and her "Out of Iraq" group at this debate.

From NBC's Andy Merten
By my count, there have been six McCain mentions so far.  It's strangely similar to the Republican debate last week in Florida, when Clinton's name was invoked many times.

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
Obama criticizes Hillary for having different positions on the drivers
license issue. One of Bill Clinton's critiques of the press coverage is
that Obama had a similar hang-up one week later after Hillary's
much-publicized answer during the MSNBC debate in Philadelphia. And in
her response tonight, Hillary hinted at Obama's trouble during another
CNN debate in November.

Here's what Obama said in Las
Vegas. Asked if he'd support giving a drivers license to illegals,
Obama said that as a state senator he voted to require illegal aliens
to get them. He then said he is "not proposing that that's what we do"
now. Wolf Blitzer tried to clarify his response at least twice, and
ended the exchange by saying: "This is the kind of question that is
sort of available for a yes or no answer. Either you support it or you
oppose it."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Obama has been much more comfortable bringing up McCain in various answers than Clinton. Is there a reason for that?

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
If you want proof that these candidates aren't going for the jugular tonight when the spotlight is glaring upon them.. take a look at what Obama said about the Clinton presidency in the speech he just gave yesterday, it's certainly of a different tone than his answer on the Clinton presidency tonight:

"We've reached Americans of all political stripes who are more interested in turning the page than turning up the heat on our opponents. That's how Democrats will win in November and build a majority in Congress. Not by nominating a candidate who will unite the other party against us, but by choosing one who can unite this country around a movement for change.," he said.

AND
If you choose change, you will have a nominee who isn't just playing on the same electoral map where half the country starts out against us, because you will have a nominee who has already brought in more Independents and Republicans;

AND
'I know it is tempting – after another presidency by a man named George Bush – to simply turn back the clock, and to build a bridge back to the 20th Century. There are those will tell us that our Party should nominate someone who is more practiced in the art of pursuing power; that's it's not yet our turn or our time.

AND
It is about the past versus the future. And when I am the nominee, the Republicans won't be able to make this election about the past because you will have already chosen the future.

AND
It's time for new leadership for the woman I met who can't get Medicaid to cover the needs of her sick child.  She can't afford to wait another four years or another fifteen years to get health care because we've put forward a nominee who can't bring Democrats and Republicans together to get things done. I know that the reason Americans don't have health care isn't because no one is forcing them to buy it – it's because they can't afford it.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Hillary's been asked that question before and it is central to Obama's argument -- why should the country vote for a Clinton when there's been either a Bush or a Clinton on the ballot for a generation. She knocked it out of the park with a line she's used before, saying, it took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and it might take another Clinton to clean up after this Bush. It's about as good as she could answer it and it got a standing ovation. Still, Obama can make the case as generational change and turning the page on the politics of old.

*** UPDATE *** NBC/NJ's Athena Jones adds that that line is one that's not new. I think I've heard line many, many, many, many times, she writes. It's always a winner, always gets laughs and applause, just like it did here.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
When Obama had the chance, he talked about crumbling schools in South Carolina, instead of crumbling schools in Los Angeles or Oakland or Oklahoma or Tennessee or Brooklyn or any other Feb. 5 state.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
On the Kennedy/new generation question..

She seemed to even cut Wolf off she was so ready. She delivered the same answer she's given lately on this stuff

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
Last week, Hillary Clinton's camp had a contest where the winner would get to sit next to Chelsea at tonight's debate. I'm not sure who won, but the camera just showed a new Clinton endorser -- Los Angeles area-Rep. Maxine Waters -- next to the former first daughter

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clinton delivered a, dare I say, more inspirational explanation of why government is not a business in answering the question why are either one of you more qualified than Romney to run the country since they haven't run a business. She talked about standing up for values, etc.

Obama, in turn, decided to turn the screws and stick the knife in Romney, saying Romney hasn't gotten much of a return on his investment during this presidential campaign, adding that he'd be happy to compare his management style to Romney's over the last year of this campaign. Yikes.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
This appears to be a very polite but substantive debate so far. The health care discussion should make the wonk wing of the Democratic Party very happy. The most striking thing about this confrontation so far is the improvement in Obama as a debater. There was a time that the gap between Clinton and Obama at these debates was vast. Tonight, there's hardly a difference; Obama's benefitting big time from the no-time limit rule. Clinton, btw, is doing well herself; both are making a very professional and, frankly, nice impressions to what is likely to be one of the largest debate audiences to date. 

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Obama is full throttle on immigration these days,
voluntarily bringing up the issue at rallies and town halls and
compared to Iowa fully expressing his views on how he thinks the issue
has been demonized and turned into a "political football."

To get how far he's come on this answer... take a look at what he said South Central LA today: "I
think it's very important that we have an intelligent debate about
immigration that is not tinged with our attitudes of what people should
look like who come here. Cause my attitude is everybody should come here.
My father when he came here, he didn't look like you know - he didn't
look like he stepped off the Mayflower, you know. ... And let me remind
everybody that not everybody who came in through Ellis Island had their
papers in order. I'm just telling the truth now. Not everybody was all -- you know -- all had their stuff together, so we just need to remember
that."

From NBC's Mark Murray
An issue that all but disappeared after mid-November has resurfaced... Obama hit Clinton for her reversal on the issue, and then Hillary responded that Obama didn't necessarily answer the question at the CNN debate in Las Vegas.

Touche...

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Obama is full throttle on immigration these days, voluntarily bringing up the issue at rallies and town halls and compared to Iowa fully expressing his views on how he thinks the issue has been demonized and turned into a "political football."

To get how far he's come on this answer... take a look at what he said South Central LA today:

"I think it's very important that we have an intelligent debate about immigration that is not tinged with our attitudes of what people should look like who come here. Cause my attitude everybody should come here. My father when he come here, he didn't look like you know - he didn't look like he stepped off the Mayflower, you know. ... And let me remind everybody that not everybody who came in through Ellis Island had their papers in order. I'm just telling the truth now. Not everybody was all – you know – all had their stuff together, so we just need to remember that."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
The question about immigration costing jobs for minorities was a tricky one. Obama answered well; Clinton answered it better. She seemed to get right to the heart of the question which was about jobs. I'm guessing Obama's answer played well in Arizona and California, while Clinton's answer played well in, say, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Looking at Clinton and Obama tackle taxes
together, I'm reminded of what many Democrats said waaaaaaay back in
the day in September and October when the race was still somewhat civil and many
spoke longingly of an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket. A far-flung wish that wouldn't make the choice between these candidates so
hard but one that will most probably remain a pipe dream....

From NBC's Mark Murray
The moderators did Obama a big favor by giving him the first immigration question, which he used to bash the GOP over some of its anti-immigration views.