Fireworks Erupt at Democratic Debate

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The simmering feud between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama exploded in a debate Monday night with a fiery clash over truthfulness and personal character in the pursuit of the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

The unusually personal exchanges drew a sharp rebuke from rival John Edwards, who is struggling to remain in the race for the party's nomination. "This kind of squabbling, how many children is this going to get health care?" Edwards said.

For most of the two-hour debate, however, the back-and-forth between Obama and Clinton overshadowed discussions of the economy, health care and Iraq. Obama repeatedly questioned the accuracy of assertions made by Clinton and her husband, former President Clinton, about his record in public life, and Clinton charged that Obama is unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.

"Part of what the people are looking for right now is somebody who is going to solve problems and not resort to the same typical politics that we've seen in Washington," Obama said.

In response, Clinton said, "Your record and what you say does matter, and sometimes it is difficult to understand what Senator Obama has said because as soon as he is confronted on it he says that's not what he meant."

At one point, Obama referred to Clinton's one-time service on the board of Wal-Mart and legal work for the Walton family, calling her a "corporate lawyer."

Clinton reacted with a reference to the legal work Obama once did for a "slum landlord," a reference to Chicago real estate developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a longtime fundraiser for Obama who has been charged with fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering.

One of the sharpest exchanges came when Obama tried to defend his recent comments about Republican ideas and Ronald Reagan and Clinton interrupted to say she has never criticized his remarks on Reagan.

"Your husband did," Obama said.

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

"Well, I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes," Obama countered.

The debate, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, came on the federal holiday honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and just six days before the South Carolina primary, the first presidential contest in the South and one in which African Americans make up nearly half of the primary electorate.

It was one of the last opportunities Clinton will have before the primary to cut into the overwhelming African American support Obama has in South Carolina. But some of her criticism of Obama drew groans or boos from the audience in the Palace Theatre here.

When the debate turned to questions about King's legacy, the discussion became much more civil, notably when Clinton observed that the debate stage celebrated King's legacy — an African American, a woman and a white son of the South vying for the presidency.

A rare moment of levity occurred midway in the debate when the candidates abandoned their lecterns and sat in chairs for a less formal discussion.

That's when Obama was asked whether he agreed with author Toni Morrison's assessment of Bill Clinton as "our first black president, blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children's lifetime."

Obama said Bill Clinton "did have an enormous affinity with the African American community, and still does. And I think that's well-earned."

Bill Clinton, Obama said, "embodies" the lessons learned by people who grew up in the segregated South. Then he joked about a stereotype.

"I have to say that, you know, I would have to, you know, investigate more of Bill's dancing abilities, you know, and some of this other stuff before I could accurately judge whether he was in fact a brother," he said.

"Well,"Hillary Clinton replied, "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Clinton defended her husband's role in her campaign, calling him a "tremendous asset."

Obama acknowledged Bill Clinton's right to be active in participation, but said "my record has not been accurately portrayed" by the ex-president.

Edwards, in a recently adopted tactic, said Arizona Sen. John McCain is the likely GOP nominee and the question for Democrats is "who is willing to be tough enough and strong enough, and who can compete against John McCain every place in America."

As a son of the rural South, Edwards proclaimed himself the only Democratic candidate who could compete with McCain in that GOP part of the nation.

"It has nothing to do with race and gender," he said.

Obama and Clinton said they, too, could be strong candidates against McCain, though they did not go as far as Edwards in declaring McCain the likely GOP nominee.

"If John is right and Senator McCain is the Republican nominee we know that once again we will have a general election about national security," she said. "I believe of any one of us I am better positioned and better able to take on John McCain or any Republican when it comes to issues of protecting and defending our country and promoting our interests in the world."

"And if it is indeed the classic Republican campaign, I've been there and I've done that. They've been after me for 16 years and much to their dismay I'm still here," she said.

Clinton and Obama both came to the debate armed with opposition research. Clinton, for example, noted that Obama, as a member of the Illinois state legislature, voted "present" 130 times rather than take a "yes" or "no" position.

Edwards joined Clinton in criticizing Obama for the "present" votes. "Why would you over 100 times vote present," Edwards pointedly challenged Obama. He contrasted that with the votes he and Clinton had taken, including support for the war in Iraq, which Obama has repeatedly criticized.

Edwards said he didn't avoid voting on controversial bills in Congress. "It would have been safe for me politically, but I have a responsibility to take a position even if it costs me politically."

Obama said most of his present votes didn't have political consequences but were because of technical or legal concerns in bills he might otherwise support.

"Don't question, John, that on issue after issue that is important to the American people, I haven't followed. I have led," he said.