Twenty-six minutes in, Kucinich gets called on by Stephanopolous. I can’t stand these no-hope time-wasting no-shot candidates, but if you’re going to invite them to a debate, you might as well let them talk. This is insulting.

Kucinich goes to hit Fortress – was that a subtle whack at Edwards? I don’t think he mentioned John Edwards’ work there.

ABC gives us not one but two shots of ultra-hottie Mrs. Kucinich.

Biden’s got a deeply personal ad talking about riding in a C-130 returning from Iraq that includes a flag-draped coffin. “That coffin turned that cargo plane into a cathedral.”

Richardson keeps repeating, “get all the troops out, all the troops out.” Hear that U.S. embassy workers? No Marines at the gate! Later Steph saves Richardson by saying he would leave embassy protection, but I don’t remember the Governor saying that.

Biden says his rivals are starting to come around to his plan.

Richardson: Many generals agree we can complete this withdrawal in six to eight months.

Hillary: We need to do three things. Remove troops carefully and responsibly. I’ve been pushing the Pentagon to make sure they’re actually planning. Second, we need more pressure on Iraqi government. And third, of course, we would have intensive regional diplomatic effort.

Hillary notes the Turks are not willing to let U.S troops go out through their territory if they aren’t willing to let U.S. troops go in through their territory. I’m not so sure.

Gravel goes on to say this is American imperialism. Blah blah blah.

Edwards accuses Steph of wanting to start a fight. And he follows by saying, “Any Democrat will end this war… The Republican candidates are George Bush on steroids.”

Richardson accuses Hillary of wanting to remove combat troops while leaving unprotected non-combat troops. During his discussion, he says after we leave, “they’ll turn on each other” — I’m sorry, is that a feature of his plan? More ethnic and sectarian violence? Then he says he would urge Turkey, Jordan and Egypt to form an all-Muslim peacekeeping force. Good God, Governor, I’ve got no diplomatic experience, and even I know that won’t happen.

Biden passionately lays out the stakes. Makes the comparison to the Balkans.

God, Biden is such a grownup. Richardson tries to interrupt and if I didn’t know better, I would think Gravel was heckling.

Obama: I wish everyone on this stage had asked these questions before getting in. (Hillary reaches for a glass of water.) I hear a lot about experience, and nobody had more experience than Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney. I would begin an orderly, phased withdrawal… there are no good options. George Bush drove the bus into the ditch. There are only so many ways to get that bus out of the ditch.

Kucinich points out that Democrats controlled the Senate when the war was authorized. Goes after the votes for funding the war.

Steph offers a question about personal prayer, and whether the power of prayer

Hillary says she can’t hear the question. Then she says that if she hadn’t been a praying person before she went into the White House, she would have been after about three days.

They all say they pray, but don’t pretend to understand the comprehend the power and wisdom of God.

Edwards mentions all the tragedies in his life.

After forty-five minutes of Iraq, it’s an oddly personal question.

Richardson: If I’m president, I won’t wear my religion on my sleeve.

I can’t paraphrase Biden’s answer, but it was strikingly personal. Obama manages to bring in references to children’s health care and ensuring levees are strong.

Kucinich: I’ve been standing here for forty-five minutes praying you were going to call on me. (good, good line!)

Question from a not-so-small-looking small farmer, asking how the candidates will help small farmers. In short, “what’s in it for me?”

Dodd wants antitrust enforcement.

Edwards says trade agreements have been built to help the profits of big multinational corporations. Hits the Chinese for currency manipulation.

Hillary: I’m an advocate for small farms up in New York, because they get lost in the shuffle. Hits “big agribusiness… We’re being taken advantage of by other countries.”

Obama: Our Congress subsidizes these big corporate farms… Globalization is here, and I don’t think America is afraid to compete. What we have to make certain is that we are hard bargainers. Bush gets taken to the cleaners in a lot of these negotiations.

Funny, Senator, that’s kind of how some of us feel about you negotiating with dictators…

Abrupt commercial break cuts off Richardson.