Candidates Unite in Criticizing Bush

But if the leading candidates avoided going after one another, NBC anchor Brian Williams asked them probing questions about their own past statements and records, with Edwards quizzed about whether his campaign should have paid for $400 haircuts and about his role as a consultant to a hedge fund.

Edwards quickly agreed that having the campaign pay for the haircuts was a mistake that had been corrected, but he shifted the question to a potential conflict between his lifestyle and his advocacy of antipoverty programs. "If the question is . . . whether I live a privileged and blessed lifestyle now, the answer to that's 'yes,' " he said. "A lot of us do. But it's not where I come from. And I've not forgotten where I come from."

Obama was asked about contributions from a donor indicted for demanding kickbacks on business deals. Obama said, "I have denounced it, but I have a track record of bringing people around this new kind of politics, since I was in the state legislature."

Noting a poll showing a sizeable portion of the public holding an unfavorable view of her, moderator Williams asked Clinton why so many Republicans seemed eager to run against her.

"I take it as a perverse form of flattery, actually, that if they weren't worried, they would not be so vitriolic in their criticism of me," Clinton replied. "Because I believe that the country is ready for change."

In a lighter moment, Biden was asked about his propensity for putting his foot in his mouth and his well known verbosity. Could he assure the American people he would not embarrass the country on the international stage?

The normally voluble Biden gave a one word reply: "Yes." Then he stopped, to laughter from the audience.

The debate came hours after the Senate voted 51 to 46 for a war funding bill that includes language on withdrawing troops from Iraq, which has drawn a presidential veto threat. The candidates used the forum to denounce the war as a grave mistake.

"This war is a disaster," said Richardson. "We must end this war."

Obama argued that if Bush goes ahead with the veto Democrats should seek additional support from Republicans to override it. "When I listen to mothers and fathers all across America," he said, "they are telling me it's time to come home."

The sharpest exchanges came between Kucinich and Gravel on one side and Obama on the other. Kucinich challenged Obama for saying he would take no option off the table in dealing with Iran, saying the Illinois senator was setting the stage for war.

"I think it would be a profound mistake for us to initiate a war with Iran," Obama replied. "But, have no doubt, Iran possessing nuclear weapons will be a major threat to us and to the region."

A few minutes later Gravel picked up the attack, "Tell me, Barack, who do you want to nuke?"

"I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike, I promise," Obama said to laughter in the audience.

Thursday's debate was sponsored by the South Carolina Democratic Party and held on the campus of South Carolina State University. It was aired nationally on MSNBC.

The South Carolina State campus gained notoriety in 1968, when protests and clashes over a segregated bowling alley led state highway patrol officers to open fire on students, killing three, an incident now know as the Orangeburg Massacre.