Dems Clash Over War Retreat

According to the AP:

Democratic presidential hopefuls flashed their anti-war credentials Thursday night, heaping criticism on President Bush's Iraq policy in the first debate of the 2008 campaign.

"The first day I would get us out of Iraq by diplomacy," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, one of eight rivals on the debate stage.

"If this president does not get us out of Iraq, when I am president, I will," pledged Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

"That's what I just said, idiot," said Richardson. "Plus, I said I would do it on the FIRST day. It would take you, like, two or three weeks."

Clinton said that the assertions made by Richardson were false, and that while he would get the U.S. out of Iraq on the first day, she would do it "within the first two hours."

"I don't want to get caught up in this childish argument," said Sen. John Edwards, "but since we've gone there, I would get us out of Iraq as soon as they announced me as president. I mean the very second. I promise to have the phone up to my ear with my fingers on the buttons so as to minimize the time from when I become the president to when I call off this war."

Sensing that Edwards had gained the lead in the quickest withdraw from the war, Sen. Clinton conceded the point with, "Why are you even here?"

She then recommended that instead of calling off the Iraq war, Edwards should use the phone to call his "mamma."

Edwards refused to respond to what he says is both a weak attempt at stifling debate and at trying to make a funny 'yo mamma' joke.

"Call my mom to do what? asked Edwards. "It didn't make sense."