The Triangle

Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News

Democratic Presidential candidates stand on the stage in the Main Building auditorium prior to the beginning of the debate. Before the Presidential hopefuls came out on stage, USGA President Jeff Gardosh and Drexel University President Constatine Papadakis spoke to the audience.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., were criticized for playing a passive role in the past debates, but stepped up to challenge Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., at the Democratic Presidential Debate at Drexel Oct. 30.

Obama called to attention Clinton's change in her position on the North American Free Trade Agreement, torture policies and the Iraq War.

"She voted for a war, to authorize sending troops into Iraq, and then later said this was a war for diplomacy," Obama said. "We need honesty."

Edwards reacted to Clinton's positions with similar criticisms.

"Sen. Clinton says that she believes she can be the candidate for change, but she defends a broken system that's corrupt in Washington, D.C."

Clinton did not directly respond to the criticisms, but focused on her leadership status in the polls, which has made her the conversation topic amongst Republican candidates. Since the last debate on Sept. 26 in Hanover, N.H., Clinton has become the clearfront-runner in the polls and has taken the lead in fundraising, with Obama trailing her.

Clinton defended her Senate vote in favor of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group.

Both Obama and Edwards reacted to Clinton's recent vote in favor of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group. Edwards said he believes that vote gives President George Bush the first step in moving militarily on Iran.

Edwards defended his claim that Clinton engaged in "doubletalk," and later in the debate, he said, "A lot of us on this stage have learned our lessons the hard way: that you give this president an inch and he will take a mile."

Associated Press reports characterize Clinton's responses as evasive to the direct questions. Instead of specific responses, Clinton turned the issues into an argument with President Bush.

Continued...

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