Dem's Debate on Heels of Heated Week

Jan. 15, 2008 — -- On the birthday of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., the Democratic presidential candidates debated in Las Vegas about race and its importance in the election, following 10 days of heated back and forth on the issue.

Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton seemed to agree on the issue of race in the campaign, both saying that while they acknowledge race will always be a factor, it should not drive voters toward one candidate or another.

"Sen. Obama and I agreed that neither race nor gender should be a part of this campaign," said Clinton, who added that all three candidates -- including Sen. John Edwards to her left -- are part of the Democratic "family."

"I hope that my campaign has inspired the sense that we hold much more in common than what separates us, and that's how I want to move this campaign forward," said Obama, acknowledging his campaign staffers had provoked additional coverage of Clinton's comments about King made earlier in the week.

"I'm absolutely convinced that everybody here is committed to racial equality," said Obama.

Edwards also chimed in when asked what it was like to run for president against two history-makers.

"I'm proud of the fact we have a woman and an African-American, who are very serious candidates for the presidency. They both asked not to be considered on their gender or their race, but I do believe that it says really good things about America," said Edwards.

Clinton won Michigan's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, though neither Clinton, Obama or Edwards stumped in Michigan, where party officials defied the Democratic National Committee by holding an early primary. As a result, no delegates would be seated from the state, the party decided.

The result was an election in name only, where Clinton was the only major candidate entered. She faced competition principally from the "uncommitted" line on the ballot.

"The so-called truce remains," said ABC political contributor and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. "The candidates have gotten back on track with their individual messages. It's refreshing to see the candidates move to higher ground and let the past week fade in the memory of voters."

Each of the candidates was asked by NBC moderator Brian Williams what they consider to be their greatest strengths and weaknesses.

"My strength is my ability to bring people together from different perspectives," said Obama, who said his weakness is his disorganization. "My desk in my office doesn't look good," he said.

Edwards said his strength is his ability to fight for survival, and said that his weakness is his sometimes "very powerful, emotional response to pain that I see around me."

Her ability to make change and create opportunities is what Clinton billed as her greatest strength.

"I get impatient," said Clinton of her weakness. "I get concerned about pushing further and faster than perhaps people are ready to go."

Touching on another controversy from the Clinton campaign this week, NBC's Tim Russert asked Clinton if she thought BET founder Bob Johnson's comments seemingly referring to Obama's past drug use were "out of bounds."

"Yes, they were, and he has said that," replied Clinton. Johnson has so far not apologized for his remarks, which were made in introducing Clinton in South Carolina Jan. 13.

The candidates also sounded off on the war in Iraq. At one point, Obama fired back at Russert, who accused the candidates of singing a different tune than they had in New Hampshire, when all said they were unwilling to promise they would remove all troops from Iraq within the first year of their presidency.

Tonight, each of the candidates seemed to be more willing to make that promise.

"We have to protect our civilians there, and we're going to have to have some presence there that allows us to strike if al Qaeda strikes," said Obama. "There will be some troop presence but it won't be engaged in war or permanent military occupation."

"It's dishonest to say there will be no troops there to protect the embassy," added Edwards, who pledged to have all the troops out within his first year in office."

'We have to be responsible and we have to make sure our strategic interests are taken care of," said Clinton.

A media fire storm was sparked last week when Hillary Clinton made a comment that seemingly implied that the success of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement hinged greatly on the actions of President Lyndon Johnson, who signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Clinton later appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and tried to clarify her comments.

"I think it's important to set the record straight. Clearly, we know from media reports that the Obama campaign is deliberately distorting this, and you know, I think we should just take a step out here for a minute," said Clinton. "This is the most exciting election we've had in such a long time, because you have an African-American, an extraordinary man, a person of tremendous talents and abilities running to become our president. You have a woman running to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling. I don't think either of us want to inject race or gender into the campaign."

But in a telephone interview with reporters following the broadcast, Obama at last responded to Clinton, taking offense at the accusations that his campaign had added fuel to the fire surrounding her comments.

"Sen. Clinton made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark, about King and Lyndon Johnson," said Obama. "I didn't make the statement. I haven't remarked on it. And she, I think, offended some folks who felt that she somehow diminished King's role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that. But the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous."