7:42 PM and hello from an Iowa City debate house party.  Teams Obama and Edwards are also having get togethers here in Johnson County, but Team Clinton invited me first so here I am.  Crowd is still gathering, chatting, ignoring the Obama ad running on “Deal Or No Deal” pre-debate.

7:58 and the crowd’s up to 15 or so; assorted local Clinton supporters including Rep. Mary Mascher.  She hints at an upcoming local activist endorsement.  We’ve got two crowds around two TV sets.

Showtime and we switch over hurriedly, bypassing the Bionic Woman.
No intro at all just straight to Obama.  How do you end the war?  Obama: I ooposed this war from the start (gets grumbles from living room crowd).  Phased redepoyment, 1-2 brigades a month.  No military solution.  Russert: will you pledge no troops by end of first term?  Obama: Hard to project.  I’ll drastically reduce our presence.  We *should) have all or toops out but no promises.

To Hillary: why won’t you pledge all troops out in 2013?  HRC: I’ll try but we don’t know what we’ll find when we take office.  Dems have pushed hard to change Bush’s course.  I supported Biden’s plan today.  But Dems don’t have the majority (sic) in the senate to get past filibuster.  Bush “height of irresponsibility” to leave troops.

Edwards can’t make that commitment either.  I’ll immedatelydraw down 40-50,000 out.  But embassy and humanitarian workers have to be protected.  3500-5000 troops.  “To me that’s a continuation of the war.”  Takes shot at Hillary.  Hillary shoots back: “wast majority of our combat troops should be out.”  Edwards continues with the break format and pushes back.  “Combat misisons mean the war is continuing.  I want to bring this war to an end.”

Russert turns it to genocide; Edwards ays don’t act unilaterally.

Richardson: I have a fundamental differennce with these 3.  “Their position is changing the mission.  My position is ending the war.”  And congress has not done enough to end war.  Russert: how do you get them out in a year?  Bill: thru Kuwait and Turkey, leave some light equipmemt behind.  Need stability in entire region.

Dodd: Why are we there – is the continuation of presence making us secure.  No, we’re more vulnerable now.  Redeploy, and robust diplomacy.  But Congress has an obligation.  We’re not getting to the fundamental power: terminate the funding.  Troops out in 1st term?  Dodd: “I will get that done.”

Biden: “We offered a political solution today, it got 75 votes.”  Federal system will end civil war and let us bring troops home.  If there is no politcal solution I would bring them out, “they’re fodder.”  But with my plan we get a stable Iraq.

Dennis: we can get out in three months.  Reconciliation, not partition.  Don’t privatize Iraqi oil.  “All troops out by April 2007,” Oops. “I’m ready to be president today” gets laughs here.

Gravel: Vote every day on cloture.  He’s next to Hillary and I half expect her secret service agents to tackle him.