Dems play nice in last pre-caucus debate

The Democratic presidential candidates followed their Republican rivals’ lead Thursday, refraining from engaging the rest of the field in their last debate before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.

In a repeat of Wednesday’s GOP debate, the Democratic candidates, largely restricted by The Des Moines Register’s format, stuck to their talking points on lesser issues and there were little to no fireworks despite the closeness and intensity of the race.

{mosads}All of the Democratic candidates agreed that they want to raise taxes on the top 2 percent of the wealthy and end the war in Iraq as two ways to pay for healthcare and other programs.

As was the case in debates early this year, President Bush was the common enemy of those on the stage.

With three weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation caucuses, the candidates were given a chance to offer Iowa caucus-goers their stump speeches on issues ranging from balancing the federal budget to dealing with education.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), who is locked in a dogfight with Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), took one of few swipes at her rivals.

In the 30 seconds each candidate was given to address caucus-goers, Clinton said that while every Democrat wants change, “Some believe you get change by demanding it; others think you get change by hoping for it.”

The first part of her remark was a veiled shot at Edwards while the second appeared to be aimed at Obama.

Other than that, there was more laughter on the stage than rancor throughout the debate.