Obama and Clinton Clash in Debate

According to this article, it got pretty feisty in the Monday night Dem debate:

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) - Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed bitterly Monday over Bill Clinton's role in his wife's campaign and Obama's recent praise for Republicans in a presidential debate five days before the pivotal South Carolina primary.

After a brief discussion of the nation's economic woes, the debate devolved into an angry exchange between the two senators, with Clinton noting Obama had taken campaign contributions from a political patron facing fraud charges and Obama calling Clinton a "corporate lawyer sitting on the board of Wal-Mart."

As Obama tried to defend his comments about Republicans and Ronald Reagan, Clinton interrupted and said she has never criticized his remarks on Reagan.

"Your husband did," said Obama, who has accused the former president of misrepresenting his record.

"I'm here. He's not," she snapped. ...

Often speaking over each other, Obama and Clinton clashed over their legislative records. Obama questioned why the New York senator had voted for a bankruptcy bill that she later said she was glad hadn't passed, and Clinton criticized Obama for voting "present" on dozens of occasions while a member of the Illinois legislature.

"Senator Obama, it's hard to have a straight up debate with you because you never take responsibility for any vote," Clinton said to loud boos. "On issue after issue, you voted present ... Whenever someone raises that, there's always some sort of explanation."

Obama accused Clinton of playing dirty and saying anything to get elected, while Edwards joined Clinton in criticizing Obama for the "present" votes.

Early on in the debate, Clinton and Obama called for tax rebates for individuals to help with home heating and other short-term needs. But Obama claimed he was first with the idea, saying Clinton had "caught up" with him.

Poor John Edwards. He's nothing but wallpaper in these debates anymore.

It's really starting to get nasty between Obama and Clinton, and I think that plays better for Obama. When Hillary turns on the snark she's a very offputting character. Her nasty attitude plays right into this survey:

A new poll just out from CNN/Opinion Research tied to Martin Luther King Day today finds blacks and whites optimistic and pretty much in agreement -- 84% whites, 78% blacks -- that a lot or moderate progress has been made toward the civil rights leader's dream of equality in American society.

But hidden near the bottom of the survey of nearly 1,400 adult Americans Jan. 14-17 is some disturbing news for Sen. Hillary Clinton heading into tonight's Democratic debate in South Carolina and the party's primary there Saturday.

The survey's numbers show that Americans are more ready for a black president than a female president. You read that right.

I'm not ready for either one if either is a Democrat.

Obama needs to keep the heat on Hillary and keep forcing her to respond angrily. Voters won't like what they see.

UPDATE: Here's another report on the debate. All you have to do is read the first two paragraphs:

Personal antipathy and pent-up anger boiled over as Democratic foes Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama accused each other of twisting the truth, in a fiery 2008 campaign debate Monday.

The two senators stared one another down, gesticulated and constantly interrupted one another, flinging accusations and counter-charges at a vital stage of their quests for the White House.

And John Podhoretz adds this:

Because Barack Obama dared make reference to Hillary Clinton’s husband — who has been taking a rather startlingly front-and-center role in her campaign — she called Obama a mouthpiece for a slumlord. It was not a good moment for her, to put it mildly. Angry and condescending in the same instant, not to mention proudly triumphant, she looked like a Disney villainess at the second she finished her attack.