The Building and Construction Trades 2007 Candidate Forum is the type of environment where Congressman Peter King, R-N.Y., enters to an electric guitar riff and an entourage of a half dozen guys the size of a tool shed.

The lineup for today is John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Christopher Dodd, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. The program notes that Sen. Chuck Hagel was supposed to address the conference, but had to cancel because of “a legislative work commitment.” Maybe something like explaining why he voted with all the Senate Democrats to establish a withdrawal date for Iraq.

This is the sort of crowd that knows what expanding the Davis-Bacon act means, and applauds. Mickey Kaus, call your office.

8:50 a.m.: A line about cracking down on illegal immigration just got a standing ovation. King: “As long as I’m in Congress, and as long as I’m on the homeland security committee which has a lot to say on immigration, I will oppose any plan that would involve temporary workers getting into the building trades.”

“We have to secure our borders first” (interrupted by applause). “Not to reflect on those who come in illegally, but since Sept. 11, border security has been homeland security. We have to go after employers who hire illegal workers” (Big response!)

More King: “One of the worst things for a politician is to be speaking when Hillary Clinton enters the room. All the heads turn. I could be up here standing on my head and nobody would notice, because they’re all looking at her. Hillary, if you’re out there, stay in the dark for a few more minutes.”

8:53: John Boehner gets the electric-guitar music, and he too enters with the big entourage, only a few of which look like security. Apparnetly the plan is to make all of the speakers feel like professional wrestlers entering the ring as they approach the stage and podium.

Boehner’s comments are brief and generally welcomed.

While I’m waiting for the Democratic candidates, I notice on RedState a link to these striking results in the latest Harris Poll:

Senator Hillary Clinton is still the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States according to recent polls, even as Senator Barack Obama gains ground on her in the race. However, according to a new Harris Poll, half of U.S. adults say they would not vote for Senator Clinton if she was the Democratic candidate, while only 36 percent say they would, with 11 percent unsure. Her own party is not unanimously behind her either, as 21 percent of Democrats say they would not vote for her. In the all-important contest for Independents, 48 percent say they would not vote for Senator Clinton, while 37 percent say they would.

Boehner gets into taxes.

They don’t extend any of the tax cuts. The marriage penalty [relief] does not get extended in this budget The per child tax credit does not get extended in this budget. Incentives for investment not get extended in this budget.

Gets into Iraq. “Nobody wants to talk about it, everybody wants it to go away.” Terrorism started about twenty years before that, mentioning the Marine barracks bombing in 1983. He puts Khobar Towers in 1986, which is a little off on the timing, then continues to the first WTC bombing, embassy bombings, and USS Cole.

Boehner: “Who doesn’t believe that if we leave Iraq, that we won’t be fighting them here on the streets of America?”

Crowd: “Boooo.”

Boehner: “I appreciate the dialogue.”