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Posted: February 27, 2008 3:47 PM
Democrats Have a Candid -- but Still Civil -- Debate in Ohio
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In Tuesday night’s Democratic debate in Ohio, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, took on a sharp round of questions from NBC’s Tim Russert and Brian Williams, as well as from each other, in their last meeting before key primaries on March 4.

Despite the tough questions, the debate struck the civil tone that has been a hallmark of the Democratic forums — Obama took the opportunity Tuesday to praise his opponent, saying Clinton has “campaigned magnificently.” Clinton offered Obama similar praise during their meeting last week in Texas.

“He was a bit more defensive last night than last week and had more stumbles than in more recent encounters. But there was a reason for that: He received some very tough questions,” MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro wrote.

One of Obama’s most challenging moments came when he was questioned about the endorsement of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The support from Farrakhan has raised considerable questions because of criticisms surrounding the controversial leader.

“Obama distanced himself from Farrakhan’s comments, but he sidestepped a question on whether he would reject the endorsement, saying he had denounced Farrakhan in the past for anti-Semitic statements,” the Associated Press reported.

Clinton said rejecting Farrakhan’s support was different from denouncing it, noting she “rejected” the support of a group with anti-Semitic views during her 2000 Senate campaign.

“I happily concede the point, and I would reject and denounce,” Obama responded, drawing some laughter from the crowd.

Both candidates were questioned about supporting the North America Free Trade Agreement, which has become a hot-button issue in Ohio. Buckeye State voters have named the economy their No. 1 concern before they vote on March 4.

Russert asked both candidates if they would remove the country from the agreement within six months of becoming president.

“Clinton said she would negotiate the deal’s core labor and environmental standards to the benefit of U.S. workers,” the Portage County Record-Courier. “Obama agreed with Clinton’s response and said the deal needs to be reworked to benefit struggling communities and not global corporations.”

“We need to use the hammer of potential opt-out as leverage to get environmental and labor standards enforced,” Obama said.

The question of the Clintons’ record over NAFTA has been raised in past days, with Obama charging that Clinton previously supported the deal — which was initiated by her husband’s administration.

The candidates used the last few minutes of the debate to tout their own records and take aim at their presumptive Republican opponent rather than attack each other.

Obama said that while he feels he’d be a better leader, Clinton would make a better president than McCain, who “essentially has tethered himself to the failed policies of George Bush over the last seven years.”

Clinton emphasized her own record on health care, saying “I want to help the people of this country get the chances they deserve to have.”

Still, the 20th debate between Democratic contenders this primary season didn’t appear to break much new ground.

“If undecided voters in Ohio and Texas, where potentially race-deciding primaries will be held Tuesday, tuned in to hear something new, they went away disappointed,” Liz Halloran wrote in U.S. News & World Report. “Clinton’s statement that she’d vote differently on going to war in Iraq if she had a do-over and Obama’s acknowledgement that he’d been too busy campaigning to hold Senate oversight hearings on Afghanistan were as revelatory as it got.”