NH Dem Debate Live Blog 1

9:42pm: Joe Biden takes what might be the first shot at a GOP presidential candidate in any debate this year (researches are checking), saying that Rudy Giuliani doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to foreign affairs (the particular topic was immigration).

9:40pm: Forget Iraq, it's Iran that's emerging in this debate as a flash point. Edwards uses the Senate vote branding Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization to go after Clinton. He notes that while both voted for the Iraq war, he has apologized for it, adding that he and Clinton "learned a very different lesson from that. I have no intention on giving" Bush a reason to go to war with Iran. The second time tonight Clinton has been attacked for that vote.

9:20pm: Gravel says he's "ashamed" at Clinton for voting for the Liberman-Iran measure in the Senate today. Clinton responds with her much commented on laugh. That's one.

9:10: Going right after one of the toughest questions for Democratic candidates to deal with – the complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Edwards is trying to put Clinton on the spot by claiming that he would not continue any combat missions at all in Iraq. Clinton responds that she wants only counter-terrorism missions. Edwards says the international community should be rallied to stop potential fallout from a U.S withdrawal. No word on what that international response would be.

8:50pm: Big question of the night: Is this the night that Hillary Clinton becomes the target for her opponents who have yet to stop her dominance in the polls? The conventional wisdom holds that Barack Obama needs to make a move soon if he wants to capitalize on a campaign that has been able to raise plenty of money but has yet to find a way to break through. Likewise, the day appears to be getting late for John Edwards in his quest to become the anti-Clinton candidate and consolidate concerns that some in the party have about her candidacy. As another Democrat once said – if not them, who and if not now, when?

8:40pm: One thing to watch for tonight: How many times Joe Biden points out the fact that his plan to partition Iraq into three separate regions passed the Senate today by an impressive 75-23 margin. Although it was a non-binding amendment, expect to hear plenty about that tonight. In a funny way, Biden's victory today could take a bit of the steam out of the Clinton-Obama-Edwards dynamic that most have been looking for. The winner if it does – Clinton.

8:20pm: Democrats couldn't ask for a much better warm-up act for tonight's debate than Keith Olbermann (both on MSNBC). The major targets of the night for Olbermann have been: President Bush, Rudy Giuliani and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly. Oh yeah, and the latest on Senator Larry Craig and his bathroom habits. Should set the stage nicely.