Dartmouth Democratic Debate: Hillary Clinton and Iran

I thought Hillary Clinton did a terrific job standing up to Tim Russert and the other presidential candidates on the issue of Iran. She gave a clear, declarative answer as to why she supported Joseph Lieberman’s resolution calling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in Iran a terrorist group. This showed great courage coming as it did after as Mike Gravel tried to set it up with the Lieberman conspiracy talk. Given the climate on the Left these days, I’m frankly amazed that she would so calmly tick off the factors that make the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group.

At the same time, once again, I am entirely unimpressed with Obama’s style and “substance.” His answers are halting and haughty at the same time. It’s almost infuriating.

I don’t agree with Chris Dodd on much of this, but his performance is solid as usual. I felt, as did Joe Biden, that Russert is giving the Delaware senator short shrift.

Clinton in the Lions Den

When Senator Clinton strides onto the Dartmouth Green tonight for a Democratic presidential debate, she will do so with a bullseye on her back.

NECN’s veteran political reporter, Alison King, will be one of the questioners at the debate moderated by NBC’s Tim Russert. She sees presidential candidates close-up as much as any journalist in America. She says the focus will be on Senator Clinton. “I’m going to be looking to see how negative the other candidates are willing to get, how much dirt the other candidates are willing to throw out, and how nasty they’re willing to get,” Ms. King said. “The status quo isn’t working. Being nice isn’t working any more.”

She speculated on what grounds candidates might challenge her. “Are they going to going to get into her health care plan? Are they going to get into Whitewater?”

“She would prefer this to eating breakfast, to going to the movies, to getting her hair done. She loves it. She revels in that forum,” a one-time Democratic candidate for governor in New Hampshire and a morning talk show host on WCCM-AM, Arnie Arnesen, says. “She is authentically happy up there. Most human beings get nervous walking into that. That is so scary.”

Read more here.