8:16pm: Now Dodd and Biden weigh in on the same recent Senate vote that some are calling a "de facto declaration of war" (Clinton voted for it). Biden says the Prez had the ability to do everything the resolution called for without Congress passing it.

8:18pm: Obama says we shouldn't even be talking about attacking Iran right now, because it represents a kind of foreign policy that rejects diplomacy. "We should be reaching out aggressively to our allies but also talking to our enemies," Obama said. Says recent Iran resolution sends the wrong message and weakens our ability to influence Iran.

8:19pm: This is Clinton's third time to talk, no one else has gotten this many chances. Not that I'm counting or anything.

8:20pm: I miss Mike Gravel. (Not invited!)

FUN FACT: Gravel is across the street from the debate live blogging all his answers to the debate questions.

8:21pm: AW MAN! Williams goes to Hillary AGAIN!

8:23pm: Richardson gets a question for the first time, and says he would negotiate with Iran. Calls Senate resolution "saber-rattling"... touts his experience as UN Ambassador, but makes no reference to Roswell.

8:26pm: Kucinich calls for impeachment for the first time tonight...

8:29pm: Biden says the bigger problem could be an "out-of-control Pakistan", and that he doesn't want to get caught thinking in an Iran vacuum. Dodd agrees the more immediate problem is Pakistan and their growing nuclear capabilities.

FUN FACT: Joe Biden referenced the case of Pakistan, whose efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon years ago prompted fears of Armageddon brought about by "the Islamic bomb." Here's a history of said bomb.

8:32pm: What? Did Richardson really personally rescue people from Abu Ghraib?

8:33pm: AWKWARD two-shot of Kucinich standing next to Richardson. That's all I'm sayin' about that.

8:36pm: Here we are back on the Iran resolution. Obama uses it as a way to distinguish himself from Clinton, but he himself was not present to make this vote; he was campaigning in New Hampshire.

8:39pm: Are we breaking any new ground tonight? Props to Biden for his wonky answers, but what are voters learning here?

8:41pm: FIRST COMMERCIAL BREAK. Brian tells us there will be two or three breaks tonight. I'm relieved because this gives me and my FUN FACT checker some time to refill our plates of cheddar cheese.

8:45pm: And we're back. Am anxious to see whether Edwards is less shiny now that he's had a chance to get his makeup fixed.

Clinton gets a question about her electability. Says Republican's "constant obsession" with her is a sign of her strength.

8:47pm: Now Russert asks Clinton a question. This is the Hillary Clinton show.

8:48pm: Obama raises his hand and gets to chime in on a question. Is this how tonight's debate works? You raise your hand and you get to talk? No WONDER they didn't invite Gravel.

8:50pm: Finally, Obama takes a strong swipe at Clinton, saying the reason Republicans are obsessed with Hillary is because it's "a fight they are used to having"... that she isn't representative of change. And then Edwards piles on, saying Clinton's too-much part of the Washington system, and that the GOP "wants to run against" Clinton.

8:52pm: This is really interesting. Obama began calling out Clinton... but Edwards steals the moment. He brings in his points about how she's too close to lobbyists,etc etc. Nothing new, but rhetorically, it sounds/looks like Obama got the assist for Edwards' goal.

"I believe in Santa Claus and I believe in the tooth fairy but I don't think that's going to happen," Edwards said, referring to whether Clinton, the candidate who's raising the most money from entrenched Washington interests, can bring about change.

8:57pm: More of the Hillary Clinton show. First all candidates must address Clinton's vote on the Iran resolution, now, as we head into the second hour, the-candidates-who-aren't-Hillary must address her electability.

9:01pm: Okay, not to harp on this Gravel thing, but how come every other Democrat, including Kucinich, gets to take part and Gravel does not?

9:02pm: Biden adds some life to this debate! He's incredulous about Giuliani! "He's the most under qualified man to be president since George W. Bush. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence - a noun, a verb and Nine Eleven!" The crowd laughs. That was a great moment for Biden. He probably wins the "most fun to have a beer with" contest.

9:05pm: The Associated Press gets a shout out as we head into the phase on Social Security.

9:08pm: Okay, so let's see what has emerged here. If you could run for VP and cabinet positions, it's clear that Richardson's running for VP (agrees with Clinton more than the rest of the folks), Biden's positioning himself for Secretary of State (look at all his EXPERIENCE in foreign policy!), and Kucinich wants a piece of Health and Human Services.

9:11pm: Clinton supports bipartisan commission on solving Social Security solvency issues. Obama says she's not addressing the issue head-on by talking up "fiscal responsibility"...

9:15pm: Commercial break time.

9:17pm: Changing the rules in the middle of the game. Suddenly respondents only get thirty seconds to answer questions.

9:19pm: Biden, who is known in Washington to love nothing more than the sound of his own voice, has to answer a question about energy independence in thirty seconds? OMIGOSH, he SUCCEEDS!

9:22pm: Ding! Kucinich mentions impeachment for the second time.

9:25pm: Dodd says everyone agrees on using more alternative energy and reducing carbon emissions, but on top of that, calls a corporate carbon tax. That would SO not fly in Texas.

9:27pm: Okay, Edwards has been answering a question for about ninety seconds. There was supposed to be a rule change that limited answers to only thirty seconds. Now Edwards gets unlimited time. The rule ostensibly doesn't exist if it's not enforced.... (Why am I the time police? I honestly don't know. Something about innately wanting some order.)

9:33pm: This is a pretty schizophrenic debate, we were talking about tax structure, but just when I was getting into it Russert switches to hedge funds. This is painful.

9:35pm: And that makes THREE. Kucinich brings up impeachment for the third time.

9:37pm: Lighting Round time. But Williams has lost all time-keeping credibility with me. I'll just do the answers to the lightning questions with numbered bullet points.

FUN FACT: The Lightning Round was among the first bonus rounds on a television game show, Beat the Clock, which appeared on ABC.

Should we extend school day?
1.) Richardson says yes. Williams fails to limit Richardson to his thirty seconds.
2.) Kucinich calls for universal Pre-K and tuition free college.
3.) Obama says yes, and fed govt should help public schools more. Also says US should make math and science jobs more attractive so students are more interested in those subjects.
4.) Clinton says families must better prepare children for education, expand pre-K.
5.) Edwards comes out for Pre-K, dealing with nutritional and health needs, a national teaching university, incentive pay for teachers... and he's out of time.
6.) Biden one-ups everyone by saying that he proposed extending the school day back in 1987. Gotta love Biden and his one-upsmanship.
7.) Dodd bloviates with his first ten seconds. He's out of time before he actually answers the question.

9:47pm: Back from another commecial, Williams promises to be "tougher in our time enforcement". THANK YOU, Brian.

How to attract people to go into medicine?
1.) Dodd says insurance shouldn't cost so much that it turns people away from going into the profession.
2.) Biden says help people pay off their bills... and points out that he has stayed inside his time. (Biden knows Biden loves to talk).
3.) Edwards says we should expand our nursing schools and encourage nurses to go to underserved areas
4.) Clinton agrees with everyone so far and calls for stopping insurance companies from denying coverage
5.) Obama says universal healthcare will free-up dollars to better reimburse doctors, expand national service to include getting young people to go into professions like medicine
6.) Kucinich wants a not-for-profit healthcare system a la European countries
7.) Richardson wants to get rid of middlemen in the healthcare system and deal with reimbursements

9:53pm: Suddenly the lightning round is over, though that wasn't made clear to me. Then Obama gets a question about how air travel is getting worse in this country. Obama says this requires leadership in transportation.

9:54pm: Oh wait, it IS a lightning round, but not the kind where everyone gets the same question. Obama even calls out Williams, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was a lightning round." The graphics person didn't either, because he/she dropped the countdown from the screen. This is so confusing.

Should illegal immigrants get a drivers license?
1.) Dodd says it's a privilege that should NOT be extended to undocumented workers.
2.) Clinton says "What are you going to do with all these people who are already here?"
She defends a partial privilege for drivers licenses for the undocumented. "It makes a lot of sense," she said. "Do I understand the sense of real desperation on this? Yes. We want people to get out of the shadows, we should have passed immigration reform," she says.

9:58pm: Now Edwards calls out Clinton for her answer, accusing her of the same "double talk" he's been pointing out. He's not sure whether Clinton's for drivers licenses for illegal immigrants or against them.

9:59pm: Obama thinks licenses for illegal immigrants are a good idea.

10:00pm: Russert: Did you see a UFO?
Kucinich: Yes, I did. It's an unidentified flying object, okay? It's unidentified.

FUN FACT: 14% of Americans have said they have seen UFOs.

10:01pm: Obama does a good job answering a question about whether there is life beyond Earth by saying "what I do know is that there is life here on Earth, and we should do a better job of taking care of the people here on Earth."

10:02pm This debate is an ADD-afflicted person's dream. We just went from UFO's to decriminalizing marijuana to imported toys from China within the last sixty seconds. This is a total free-for-all.

Suddenly, Biden to Kucinich: "Where's Rudy when we need 'em? He could have helped you on this, on the UFO's."

10:04pm: Now Obama must decide what he's going to dress up as for Halloween? Obama says he's thinking about wearing a Mitt Romney mask.

And we end on that note. I'm pretty glad they had to end the debate right there, because in another few minutes we would have been talking about Goldfish crackers and perhaps Ethan Embry's role in the film Empire Records and whether Clinton thinks Sedona , Arizona is beautiful in the fall...

THANKS for reading, and THANKS to our secret FUN FACT checker!