Final Democratic debate in Iowa steers clear of controversy

IN A state that doesn’t respond well to political aggressiveness, the final Democratic presidential debate in Iowa on Thursday took a rather cordial tone.

Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton and former senator John Edwards are in a tight race in this state. They played safe by sticking to rehearsed lines and steering clear of attacks.

As in Wednesday’s Republican debate, the country’s financial woes weighed heavily on the debate but unlike the Republicans, Democratic candidates called for higher taxes on the highest-paid Americans and on corporations to help offset the mushrooming federal budget deficit.

The federal budget ran a surplus of $127 billion the year President George W Bush took office before reaching a deficit of $413billion in 2004 and declining to $162.8billion in 2007.

“We are not going to be able to dig ourselves out of that hole in one or two years,” said Mr Obama.

Authorities estimate the Iraq war is costing $10billion a month, money the Democrats say could be spent on education and healthcare or deficit reduction.

Ms Clinton, who is losing her national lead, tried to portray herself as the candidate most able to bring about change. She proposed restoring the tax rates of the 1990s during her husband’s presidency, before people felt like “they’re standing on a trap door”.

Mr Obama, who has Oprah Winfrey on his side, has steadily chipped away at the New York senator’s lead.

During the 90-minute debate, Ms Clinton and Mr Obama remained composed until he was asked how he could offer a new type of foreign policy since several of his advisers once worked for Bill Clinton. Ms Clinton laughed and said: “I’m looking forward to hearing that.”

But Mr Obama got the last laugh when he replied: “Hillary, I’m looking forward to you advising me as well.”