'Been A Little Busy' Says Clinton

Asked during the debate [in Cincinnati, Ohio] whether he accepted the endorsement that he received from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has made anti-Semitic remarks, Sen. Obama issued a blunt rejection: "I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan. I did not solicit his support." The issue has been a sensitive one for Sen. Obama, who met with Jewish leaders Saturday in Cleveland.

Sen. Clinton said she faced a similar situation in New York when she ran for the senate. "I made it very clear that I did not want their support," she said.

During the presidential campaign, much has been made of Sen. Clinton declining to release her income-tax returns. Asked last night when she might make the returns public, Sen. Clinton said she would do so soon, but not before the contests Tuesday. "I'm a little busy right now. I hardly have time to sleep," she said.

I have no doubt that Barack declined Farrakhan's support; I have much doubt that Hillary has been too busy to provide her tax returns.

Two More Democratic Debates: Barack vs. Hillary

MIKE HALPERIN writes:

The Obama for America campaign today announced that Barack Obama will participate in two more debates before the March 4 primaries. He has accepted an invitation to participate in a debate at Cleveland State University hosted by NBC News and WKYC, the NBC affiliate in Cleveland. The debate is schedule for Tuesday, February 26th. NBC affiliates throughout Ohio have agreed to carry the debate, which include those in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton, Lima, Steubenville, Youngstown, and Zanesville. The Obama campaign will soon announce participation in a debate in Texas, before the primary on March 4.

The Ohio debate will be moderated by Brian Williams and Tim Russert. It will be streamed live on MSNBC.com, and it will air on Telemundo the same evening after it is translated into Spanish.

Democratic Debate: "I Just Want to Be Clear About This"

"I can't tell who I'm running against, sometimes." Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton referring to her husband, Bill Clinton.

And, John Edwards asks, "How many kids are going to get an education from this?" regarding the "squabbling" between Barack and Hillary. "The American people deserve to know what we are going to do" about the problems in our society and economy, I presume.

Edwards also says, "African American families are more vulnerable to predatory lenders and payday lenders...we need a national predatory lender law."

Barack says, "This is not new...we have a history in this country of preying upon people who are financially strapped..."

"We have to have consistency in how we vote," Barack says.

"Does you plan cover the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country?" Barack says, "It does not." Then says the important question is: "How are we going to get this (health-care reform) done?" Ooh, he implies that when health insurance is made mandatory (as Hillary says it must become), the money will be taken forcefully from our paychecks!

Edwards says, "Everybody is worthy of health care."

Barack says, "If we are not making it affordable enough, and you mandate that families have to buy it then they have to choose between that and being fined for not having health insurance."

Hillary says, "I'm looking to bring our troops home when I am President. There is no military solution...I will put the Iraqi government on notice..."

"I want to be as careful in getting out as we were getting in," says Barack regarding troop withdrawals from Iraq. "We are seeing Al-Qaida stronger than ever since 2001."

Hillary says that Bush is trying to establish permanent bases in Iraq without approval of Congress.

"People want to move beyond our divisions..." says Barack. "Race is a factor in our society, there's no doubt that this peaks interest... but I don't want to sell the American people short."