Hillary Wins the Parsing Debate by Default

It's not like she was that good. It's just that the rest were that bad!

Snow White and the Six Dwarves

Desperate to prevent another disaster like she suffered in the Oct. 30th debate in Philadelphia, Hillary was well rested, well prepped and ready to take on the "boys" in the Nevada debate. Unlike the Philadelphia debacle, she has apparently realized that her opponent in 2008 is NOT President Bush. In that last debate she trashed President Bush over 20 times. This time she saved most of her fire for the "boys."

And for the "boys", primarily Obama and Edwards, it was one of the few remaining chances they had to make a permanent dent in the Clinton momentum heading into Iowa, which is all the more crucial as Iowa polls show the top three candidates coming together towards a tie at approximately 24 % each.

No Question It Was Softballs For the Girl

The Clinton machine was ready and took precautions to warn CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer not to "Russert" Hillary. Wolf dutifully complied by offering mostly softballs and never once asked Hillary about the scandals which already make her campaign look more and more like a repeat of her husband's campaigns. No question about Chinese funny money fundraising. No question about the off limits papers at the Clinton Liebrary. No question about planting campaign questions at Hillary events. No question about why she changed her position on illegal immigrants getting driver's licenses.

The Clinton effort paid off. After the debate, a Clinton senior advisor said Blitzer: "was outstanding, and did not gang up like Russert did in Philadelphia. He avoided personal attacks, remained professional and ran the best debate so far.” Dick Morris saw it differently: "Blitzer checked his journalistic instincts at the door." I'd say Blitzer checked his integrity at the door too.

O-Bomb-A Needs License to Speak?

Instead, Clinton rivals Obama and Edwards seemed to be on the ropes. Obama was having his own Hillary moment. Take for example this early statement regarding Hillary:

OBAMA: ...What the American people are looking for right now is straight answers to tough questions, and that is not what we've seen out of Senator Clinton on a host of issues -- on the issue of drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants.

We saw in the last debate that it took not just that debate, but two more weeks before we could a clear answer, in terms of where her position was.

And contrast it with his later answer when asked whether HE supported driver's licenses for illegals:

BLITZER: All right. I want to just press you on this point, because it's a logical follow-up, and then I want to go and ask everyone.

On the issue that apparently tripped up Senator Clinton earlier, the issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, I take it, Senator Obama, you support giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Is that right?

OBAMA: When I was a state senator in Illinois, I voted to require that illegal aliens get trained, get a license, get insurance to protect public safety. That was my intention.

And -- but I have to make sure that people understand. The problem we have here is not driver's licenses. Undocumented workers do not come here to drive.
They don't go -- they're not coming here to go to the In-N-Out Burger. That's not the reason they're here. They're here to work. And so instead of being distracting by what has now become a wedge issue, let's focus on actually solving the problem that this administration, the Bush administration, had done nothing about it.

BLITZER: Well, let's go through everybody because I want to be precise. I want to make sure the viewers and those of us who are here fully understand all of your positions on this barring -- avoiding, assuming -- there isn't going to be comprehensive immigration reform.

Do you support or oppose driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?

OBAMA: I am not proposing that that's what we do.

OBAMA: What I'm saying is that we can't...

(LAUGHTER)

No, no, no, no. Look, I have already said, I support the notion that we have to deal with public safety and that driver's licenses at the same level can make that happen.

But what I also know...

BLITZER: All right...

OBAMA: But what I also know, Wolf, is that if we keep on getting distracted by this problem, then we are not solving it.

BLITZER: But -- because this is the kind of question that is sort of available for a yes or no answer.

(LAUGHTER)

Either you support it or you oppose it.

The New York Times has an interesting tally of the word counts for each candidate reflecting their time speaking. Throughout the debate Obama spoke 3339 words, nearly 400 more than second place wordhog Hillary. Apparently, verbosity didn't help get his point across.

Blitzer then turned to the other candidates on the licenses for illegals issue: (Dodd: NO, Edwards: No) before turning back to Obama and finally getting a "Yes." Hillary was smart enough to say "NO" without equivocating as did Biden. Kucinich and Richardson were both "Yes."

Hillary Smacks Pretty Boy Edwards

When John Edwards had his turn at bat he pointed out Hillary flip flops on Social Security and Iraq before saying: "the most important issue is, she says she will bring change to Washington while she continues to defend a system that does not work, that is broken, that is rigged and is corrupt, corrupted against the interest of most Americans and corrupted."

The Clinton Playbook: Avoidance of Accountability Raised to An Art Form

As both Clintons do whenever they are criticized, Hillary responded true to form.

HILLARY: "Wolf, I've just been personally attacked again....I don't mind taking hits on my record, on issues, but when somebody starts throwing mud, at least we can hope that it's both accurate and not right out of the Republican playbook because what I -- (cheers, applause) -- what I believe is important is that we put forth what we stand for. I have been active for 35 years. The American people know where I stand.

You know, Senator Edwards raised health care again. When Senator Edwards ran in 2004, he wasn't for universal health care. I'm glad he is now. But for him to be throwing this mud and making these charges, I think, really detracts from what we're trying to do here tonight. We need to put forth a positive agenda for America."

Haven't we heard a variation of that before? Sounds an awful lot like "I need to get back to doing the work of the American people." Standard Clinton fare; when things get hot accuse your opponent of "throwing mud" or "the politics of personal destruction." And notice how she always works in an attack of her own. Of course, it's not "throwing mud" if SHE is doing it.

Clinton Again Plays Gender Card While Denying She is Doing So

Later, Hillary was asked is she was "exploiting gender as a political issue?"

Her reply was classic Clinton:

Hillary:"...I'm not playing, as some people say, the gender card here in Las Vegas. I'm just trying to play the winning card...I understand, very well, that people are not attacking me because I'm a woman; they're attacking me because I'm ahead...Harry Truman famously said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. And I feel very comfortable in the kitchen. And I'm going to withstand the heat."

But of course the minute the heat gets turned up Hillary accuses her opponent of a "personal attack."

CNN Reporter Campbell Brown followed up on her question: "What did you mean at Wellesley when you referred to the "boy's club"?

Hillary answers: "Well, it is clear, I think, from women's experiences that from time to time, there may be some impediments."

Hillary never loses a chance to play the victim card.

[NOTE:If you haven't seen the video of this segment, use this interactive video/transcript feature from the NY Times. Click on "The Gender Question."]

What's More Important: Protecting American Lives or Vague Notions of Human Rights?

The debate wasn't an entire evening of Hillary, Hillary, Hillary. There was plenty of time for the also rans to prove why no Democrat can be trusted in the Oval Office.

On a question about Pakistan and U.S. Support for our ally General Musharraf, Democrats let us know that the disastrous Carter Doctrine of supporting human rights over the safety and security of Americans is alive and well.

Wolf Blizter put it directly to Governor Bill Richardson:

BLITZER: What you're saying, Governor, is that human rights, at times, are more important than American national security?

RICHARDSON: Yes...

(APPLAUSE)

Never mind that this same attitude in the Carter Administration led to Iran becoming the very seed bed of Islamic evil that has killed hundreds of Americans since the Ayatollahs took over in 1979 and held our embassy personnel hostage for 444 days.

This is the same attitude among Democrats who would offer American constitutional protections to terrorists and deny government officials the ability to use aggressive interrogation techniques that have saved thousands of lives in the past six years.

How is it defending "human rights" when the consequence of such shortsighted views means more Americans will lose their right to live?

Iraq Surge Success: Democrats in Denial

When asked about General Petraeus and the success of the surge that is evident to nearly everyone but Democrats running for President Congressman Kucinich replied: "The occupation is fueling the insurgency." Really? If anything, the "insurgency" is nearly dead.

Obama also had problems with this question. While saying our troops were "doing a magnificent job" he also fails to see the bottom up progress so evident in the neighborhoods of Baghdad and nearly all the tribal regions. Obama is also pushing the quagmire in Afghanistan theme. No doubt his promise to invade Pakistan, which he reiterated during the debate will get the job done without unduly impacting the human rights of the terrorists in Waziristan.

Edwards May Regret Nixing Fox News Nevada Debate

Readers may recall that John Edwards nixed the Fox News debate in Nevada planned for last August at the behest of liberal hate mongers at the Daily Kos . That turns out to be a huge mistake. Clearly the Clinton News Network ended up putting Edwards and Obama in a negative light when compared to their queen and master.