Oh … OK, I‘ll simulblog the thing. What the hell. Here are the lines that stand out to this observer … and as usual, please forgive the typos. This is, after all, live. Here we go …. YEEAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

• DEAN: “There was no middle class tax cut in this country.” Goes on to say a balanced budget is the key issue in this election.

• CLARK: “I voted for Bill Clinton and Al Gore … I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America, or I was going to be a happy Democrat.”

• EDWARDS: On his vote against force in Iraq “It was not a protest vote … it came to the point where we had to stand up and take responsibility, and I took responsibility.”

• SHARPTON: “The Sharpton doctrine of foreign policy would be to support emerging democratic nations … with humanitarian support and trade.” “They know we’re a superpower … the question is whether we can be a superhelp to nations in need … rather than go to Mars, before we settle our problems here on Earth.”

• KERRY: “The troops of America our overextended … the fact is that if we’re going to maintain this level of commitment on a global level … we need two more divisions … a combat division and a support division.” Goes on to say this is temporary; that long term we need to establish a “new architecture” of support.

• LIEBERMAN: “There is a morally scandalous fact … which is that 43 million Americans don’t have health insurance, 2 million more than when George Bush took office.” (Ed. note … I’m reminded of the last line on Carville’s famous sign in the Clinton War Room: “And don’t forget healthcare.”)

• KUCINICH: [Would you throw out No Child Left Behind?] “Yes I would.” Wants to move us away from being a nation of “test-takers.” “NCLB had become an unfunded mandate … I would have a universal pre-kinder program.” (I think that’s what he termed it … but he clearly means a pre-kindergarten education program.)

• DEAN: On Iraq - “It turns out they did not have the weapons of mass destruction that people thought they did.” OHHH … and there’s this: “I think a lot of people have had fun at my expense over the Iowa hooting and hollering, and I think that’s justified.” (Kind of takes the fun out of it …)

• CLARK: Regarding terrorism in the United States - “I never used the word guarantee.”

OK … here’s our post about the WaPo guarantee story. And he’s right … he didn’t use that word. In fact, according to the story:

As president, Clark added, he would “take care of the American people” and “we would not have one of these incidents.”

• SHARPTON: Gives an answer to the “who would you look to name as head of the Fed” question that was, frankly, nearly impossible to follow. Ends with “Would I replace Greenspan, probably … do I have a name, no.”

• KERRY: “I will never conduct a war or start a war because we want to … but because we have to.” “This president is breaking faith with veterans all around this country … I’m not going to listen to Tom DeLay or the President or anyone else lecture the democratic party about patriotism” when they’re “breaking faith” with our vets. Kerry gets a large response to his take on this issue.

• LIEBERMAN: “When it comes to supporting our troops in battle, I will never say no, period.”

• KUCINICH: Will cut the Pentagon by 15%, “but the one thing I won’t do” is cut assistance programs.

• CLARK: Peter Jennings asks Clark why he didn’t contradict Michael Moore when he called Bush a “deserter,” which Peter says was a reckless an inaccurate charge. Clark says he doesn’t know the facts, and besides, it’s “not material.” He is “proud,” though, to have Moore’s support.

• EDWARDS: In support of greater benefits for gay and lesbian couples, and against the Defense of Marriage act.

• SHARPTON: Asked what he would do to get more minorities in leadership positions in government … and gives his view on the Defense of Marriage act, decrying efforts to “go back to state’s rights.” Answering the question, “Government must make sure it is inclusive of everyone … because diversity is good for everyone.” Candidly: does not answer question.

• DEAN: Accuses Bush of playing the “race card” in his use of the word “quota.”

• LIEBERMAN: “So long as democrats are hesitant to talk the language of values … we close ourselves off” from large number of Americans. Argues that Dems. need to, in essence, take back the high ground on values. Offers, actually, a very passionate and moving response.

• CLARK: Would suspend all parts of the Patriot Act that are related to search and seizure. “We cannot win the war on terror by giving up the very freedoms we are fighting to protect.”

• KUCINICH: Asked if the Dem party is divided over the issue of the war in Iraq - “Of course it is.”

• EDWARDS: Asked what federal gun control policy he would introduce. “I think we should extend the Brady Bill … we need to close, forever, the gun show loophole … it does make sense to have trigger locks … but I start from the place that we need to protect people’s 2nd Amendment rights.”

• KERRY: Calls the Bush administration the worst environmental administration he’s ever seen. “I will balance between jobs and the economy, but I will not give people a phony choice between jobs and the economy. Cleaning up the environment is jobs.”

• LIEBERMAN: We should allow the legal importation of drugs from Canada.

• KUCINICH: What is the most important environmental issue facing the nation? “I would lead this country on a new energy initiative … sustainable and renewable energy.” Strong favorable response to this.

• DEAN: We’ve lost 500 soldiers and 2,300 wounded, and “those soldiers were sent there by senators Edwards and Lieberman and Kerry.” LIEBERMAN then jumps in, rebuts, calls Hussein a homicidal maniac, and says “I repeat, we are safer with Saddam Hussein in prison.”

• EDWARDS: Regarding lobbyists - “[I would] ban their contributions, I would shine a bright light on their activities, and third, make them tell us everything they’re doing.”

• SHARPTON: How he would deal with Iran - “I do not in any way shape or form support a military intervention.” Would use diplomacy, trade, our “ability to communicate with all sides,” and the UN.

• KERRY: Is asked a question about small business, and after reframing the answer to list all the large supporters he has, says he’s in favor of “tax reductions for small business.” Notes about the Repubs: “That’s why they’re frightened, and that’s why I’ll win.”

• LIEBERMAN: (Hand raised) “I will pledge, to the death, to protect the New Hampshire Primary!”

• EDWARDS: Launches his “two Americas” message 1.5 hours into the evening.

• KUCINICH: “My first act in office will be to cancel NAFTA and the WTO.”

• DEAN: “This isn’t about gay marriage … this is about job … this isn’t about race … this is about education, because everyone needs an education … we have to stop fighting the Republicans on their ground, we need to fight them on our ground.” He’s really picking up steam later in the evening.

• KERRY: On Bush - “He’s run the most arrogant, inept [more adjectives that I missed] … foreign policy in the history of our country.” Big response to this.

Final assessment, just my take, without bias toward any candidate: Dean was stiff, appeared uptight, at times weak, but really picked up momentum late in the evening. Edwards was cogent, but not strongly enough on message to elevate above the others. Clark appeared generally hostile and defensive. Kerry acted like the leading candidate and did well.

All that said, Lieberman did awfully well. Smart. On-message. Consistent. Funny. But most important, continually argued from a position of superior values. An “I stand by my beliefs and try to do what’s right” message that clearly resonated with the crowd. If this performance has any influence, he could get a bump … but Monday’s a long way away.