Liveblogging the first 2008 presidential debate

I’m going to be watching tonight’s debate between the eight Democratic presidential candidates and blogging live. I’m not going to report the entire event word-for-word, but I’ll periodically update this site throughout the 90-minute event with observations and quotes. The newest updates will be at the end of this posting.

Then, later, I’ll have an analysis of Gov. Bill Richardson’s performance.

You can watch the debate live on MSNBC or the network’s Web site. It begins at 5 p.m.

Update, 5:10 p.m. Richardson was the first to be introduced tonight by NBC News anchor Brian Williams and he appeared to be a bit caught off guard. The camera showed him looking off to the side with his mouth open as if he was in a slight daze. The next time the camera showed him, Richardson had a serious look on is face as if he was about to meet with Saddam Hussein.

Update, 5:15 p.m. Richardson said he would not have joined most Democrats in the House and Senate who have voted in the last few days to continue to fund the war but set a timeline for an Iraq pullout, if he was still in Congress. He said he favors the beginning of an immediate pullout.

Richardson looks highly caffeinated while he’s speaking and is using a lot of hand gestures. He has a serious look on his face and is speaking intelligently.

Overall, most of the Democrats are saying very similar things about what should be done in Iraq.

Update, 5:25 p.m. The candidates are all being asked questions about ethical questions with their campaigns. Barack Obama had to explain a questionable donor, but spent more time talking about other donors to his campaign than that one.

John Edwards was asked about whether his campaign against poverty is contradicted by his wealthy lifestyle and a $400 haircut his campaign recently purchased for him. Edwards said he is now “blessed” to live a wealthier lifestyle, but then told a story about having to leave a restaurant when he was a child because he father couldn’t afford to pay the prices there and said he remembers what it was like to be poor.

Richardson was asked about his statement last week he was hesitant to call for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales because he’s Hispanic.

“That’s how I felt,” Richardson said in response to being asked if ethnicity was a valid reason for making such a decision. He then changed the subject to talk about tangents, but he came back to the question.

“I think the American people want candor,” he said. “They don’t want blow-dried candidates who are perfect.”

Was that a shot at Edwards’ haircut?

I should add that Richardson has since called for Gonzales to resign. He said tonight that in addition to the Hispanic factor, he was waiting for Gonzales’ testimony before Congress to decide whether he should resign.

Update, 5:31 p.m. Mike Gravel just took a shot at basically every other Democrat running for president. He said all three top-tier candidates and Joe Biden frighten him.

Update, 5:45 p.m. After being told he was the NRA’s favorite presidential candidate from either party, Richardson was asked if the recent shooting at Virginia Tech changed his stand on gun control.

Of course, it gave Richardson a chance to point out he’s a Westerner. He then spoke intelligently about the need to treat the mentally ill and to implement instant background checks.

He didn’t really, however, answer the question.

He didn’t really, however, answer the question.

Update, 5:52 p.m. On the topic of health care, Richardson said he would allow no new bureaucracy in the system and attempt to deal with existing red tape, would focus on preventative health, and would “eliminate those in the middle like HMO and others.”

He breaks with most other Democratic candidates in proposing a health-care plan that doesn’t involve a tax increase.

“As Democrats I hope we don’t think we always think of taxes to pay for new programs,” Richardson said.

Williams has twice had to cut off Richardson for refusing to stop talking when his time ran out.

Update, 5:57 p.m. Richardson said the most significant political mistake he’s made in the last four years was trying to “ram” a minimum wage increase through the Legislature in 2006 instead of using diplomacy.

“I’m impatient. I try to change institutions, my state, rapidly. I’m too aggressive,” Richardson said. “… I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’m not perfect.”

The others all shared brief answers, too. Some spoke honestly about mistakes. Clinton, Edwards, Chris Dodd and Biden took the opportunity to take shots at the president.

Update, 6 p.m. Richardson said the first thing he would try to accomplish during his first day in office would be to “get us out of Iraq with diplomacy.”

On the second day, he would push an “Apollo plan” for energy independence, he said.

Update, 6:09 p.m. Williams mentioned Richardson’s extensive foreign policy experience. He then asked how the governor would deal with Russia.

Richardson said he wants Russia to control the nuclear weapons in its borders. He wants the nation to “be more humane in dealing with Chechnya.” He wants it to help with energy and be a more stable force in the world.

Richardson got in his shot at Bush, saying “being stubborn isn’t a foreign policy.” He then quickly laid out its foreign policy plan, and emphasized a need to care about Darfur and Africa in general.

Richardson had to be cut off again.

Update, 6:17 p.m. When asked if any of them supported Dennis Kucinich’s proposal to impeach the vice president, none raised their hands.

Kucinich said the vice president is preparing for war with Iran.

“Mr. Cheney must be held accountable,” Kucinich said.

Update, 6:24 p.m. When asked about normalizing relations with Castro’s Cuba, Richardson instead answered a prior question asked of others about how he would respond to an attack on U.S. cities, saying he would respond militarily.

As for Castro, he then said the U.S. has to find ways to deal with a coming Democratic Cuba. He also said he would change some policies about family visits between Americans and Cubans.

“The reality is we should be planning for a post-Castro Cuba,” he said, stressing the need to reconsider the embargo and prepare to push Democracy there.

Update, 6:28 p.m. Obama and Kucinich are arguing over using military force and nuclear weapons. They’re going back and forth. Gravel is now taking a turn. Clinton, who is in between the three, is looking calm and cool and not jumping into what is an emotional fray.

This has been the only emotionally charged exchange of the debate.

Update, 6:30 p.m. Biden jumped in a few moments later and accused the peace-making Kucinich and Gravel of “happy talk,” saying war is sometimes justified.

The debate is over. I’ll have analysis later tonight.

Update, 6:33 p.m. While other candidates are being joined on stage by spouses, I don’t see Barbara Richardson. I see the governor’s campaign manager, Dave Contarino.