It was clear form the onset of last nights Democrat debate that the co moderators was going to attempt to do exactly what they had been advertising all evening in the pre debate run up. The co moderators Tim Russert and Brian Williams came loaded with question designed to influence attacks from the other candidates against Hillary Clinton. Mr. Russert acted as though he had a personal bone to pick with the Clintons. Mr. Williams wasn’t quite as bad because he did direct some of his questions to the other candidates. After Mrs. Clinton would give her answer, the moderators would turn to Mr. Edwards and Mr. Obama as to say, here’s your chance attack her.

 Mr. Edwards and Mr. Obama a little out of control and immature in their actions, it caused Governor Richardson to bring to the attention of the moderators that policy difference is one thing, but instead of a debate it was becoming an attack on Mrs. Clintons Personal integrity. Senator Biden said it best when he said and I quote “I’m not running against Hillary I’m running to be the leader of this country”. Debates are supposed to be a venue for the candidates to air their policy differences not personal attacks.

 Now let’s examine what the moderators were actually attempting to do via their questions. The question on whether she would ask President Clinton to go ahead and release all papers showing any communication and advice given to him while she was first lady, was silly and unnecessary. The fact is as she stated the papers pertaining to the Healthcare plan debacle are already public. What they were attempting was to give to the public the impression she can’t be trusted. Now lets be honest if they released all communication between the then First Lady and the president, it would only lend to the media a false debate over the next 8 months. They would search far and wide to try and find something to bring back whitewater, Vince Foster and Monica Lewinsky. She should be heralded for not allowing the media to turn such an important election into another witch-hunt.

 Her Iran vote could be seen as one that was on the wrong side of the debate in the Senate. However what all the pundits left out of their post debate analysis was the remedy that she proposed. Mrs. Clinton asked all the Senators on the Debate stage to join her in bringing legislation to the Senate floor to send clarify to the Bush Administration that they in no way have been given the authority to attack Iran. We should all begin to request that of the senate. Mr. Webb, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Obama should welcome such a resolution with open arms.

 Shows like Chris Matthews are once again trying to wrongfully influence people’s votes. He acted as though she had proposed the legislation on illegal immigrants getting drivers license, instead of saying she thought that Mr. Spitzer believed it to be a good starting point to address the illegal’s on our Highways problem. Many other states have already adopted that measure. Maybe it will work, or it maybe it won’t, but it’s a states attempt to do something to remedy the problem. Mr. Matthews stated he’s going to stay on this one because it’s a major issue. He said they could use the license to takes flights (The 911 high jackers had phony drivers licenses) when doesn’t help to support his fear of the policy at all. This is an attempt to be able to track someone not to give them a phony license. And Mr. Matthews have no fear there are many proposal coming to make it mandatory to use passports as the main source of ID to use when traveling home and abroad. Mr. Matthews remember what you did to Mr. Gore in later part of 1999 going into the 2000 election season, declaring him to be a pompous liar, always talking down to people claiming he invented the internet. Well almost 7 years later it has proven out to be George Bush that was lying with his fuzzy math.

 It is not the job of the media or any moderator to try and level the playing field for candidates. The debates are about asking questions and giving the candidates the opportunities to express their policy. All the candidates deserve that opportunity, not just the so called front runners and top tier candidates. Maybe if given the opportunity one of the lower tier candidates could move to the forefront. The media has a role in electoral politics, but it’s not to sway opinion.