Hillary Clinton showed she knows how to use the roughhouse tactics of the political boys club.
Two weeks after a rocky presidential debate performance where she appeared at times both defensive and evasive, the New York senator came into Thursday's Democratic forum poised, confident and ready to rumble.
Regaining her footing during a boisterous Democratic debate, she said her rivals were "throwing mud" as Barack Obama and John Edwards sought to portray her as evasive and fence-straddling.
Moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the at-times rowdy, hooting and clapping audience added a Vegas show element to the heated seven-way debate, hosted by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Clinton, the front-runner, came to the stage after suffering the toughest two weeks of her campaign, triggered by a poor performance at the last debate Oct. 30 in Philadelphia. Clinton then complained the "boys" were piling on.
At one point, Clinton denied playing the gender card: "I'm not exploiting anything at all. I'm not playing, as some people say, the gender card here in Las Vegas.
This is Vegas, baby, the real Sin City, the mob's 'ol desert mirage, where A-bomb tests once lit the horizon and the slots never stopped.
Here America's id is represented as real estate, a long strip of unspeakable acts, worn faces and flashing lights.
Everything has its price. And tonight, on a lonely stage, the Democratic primary slate will appear -- Hillary and the six bully boys.
Are you ready? CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the debate's host, can't contain himself. "Welcome to the Cox pavilion," he says, in his boring voice. "We're at the University of Nevada."
Not only has the host already killed the mood, but he also forgot to bring the candidates. The stage is empty. The Blitz explains that this is CNN's idea.
He wants to show America what a photo op looks like. He says this seriously. "We thought, You know what? We're going to bring that to you as well tonight," says the Blitz.
So one by one, he brings out the candidates. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has a little strut. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is dressed in a tweed coat the color of television static. Delaware Sen. Joe Biden trots.
A photo op happens. While the candidates pose onstage, the Blitz blows hot air with some of his correspondents about what America can expect -- if the debate ever begins.
On average, less than 1 percent of Americans watch these things. Now we know why.
There should be a law that limits the length of these debates. Life is too short. The candidates can only memorize so many zingers and jokes. But the whole spectacle keeps going, like a bad dream.
The candidates all say they want to protect Roe v. Wade, or at least the right to privacy, with their Supreme Court picks. Obama talks about working with Republicans.
Biden mentions Bosnia. Richardson talks about adjusting Israel's 1967 borders to broker a peace deal with the Palestinians. Kucinich says, "A president has to be a healer."
The last question from the audience goes to Clinton. "Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?" Of course, everyone already knows Clinton's answer. "I want both," she says.
It's over. Finally. Over. "And that wraps up our debate tonight," says the Blitz. But don't worry. They are still in Vegas. There is a whole world out there. Real pleasure. Real fun. You never know. Even the Blitz might hit the tables.
Hillary Clinton regained her front runner status in the Democratic race during a two-hour debate in Las Vegas tonight marked by renewed personal squabbling.
Clinton needed a good performance to make up the ground she lost in the last debate on October 30 when her main rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, ganged up on her.
Obama and Edwards again renewed the personal attacks on Clinton and the three engaged in the biggest row since the 2008 presidential campaign got underway in earnest earlier this year.
They swapped jibes in a quickfire, 10 minute burst, at the start of the debate.
But Clinton, who spent the previous two days locked away preparing for the debate, was ready. She joked she had come along prepared: "This pants suit, it's asbestos tonight."
Clinton is well ahead of Obama and Edwards in the polls nationally but the three are tied in Iowa, where the first real test of public opinion will be held in a caucus on January 3.
There was signs from the audience in Nevada today of impatience with the personal attacks, with groans from some in the audience when Obama and Edwards crticised Clinton.
Within seconds of the opening of the debate, Obama accused Clinton of refusing to give clear answers to questions such as social security and drivers' licences for illegal immigrants.
"What the American people are looking for right now is straight answers to tough questions, and that is not what we have seen from Senator Clinton on a host of issues," Obama said.
Dropping the politeness that marked the early debates, Clinton immediately retaliated, accusing Obama of failing the test when it mattered, noting that he had not voted on universal health care.
Edwards joined in, also keeping up his attack on Clinton, bringing up her vote for the Iraq war and claimed she was part of the Washington system, unwilling to tackle what he described as a corrupt system.
Responding to Edwards, Clinton said: I've just been personally attacked again. I don't mind taking hits on my record on issues, but when somebody starts throwing mud at least we can hope it's accurate and not right out of the Republican playbook."
Edwards countered: "There's nothing personal about this." After that, the debate settled down into a general one that covered issues that included immigration, Iran and Pakistan.
Obama and Edwards may have decided that further, sustained personal attacks on Clinton could be counter-productive.
There was some evidence of that when Edwards made a brief mention of Clinton's links with Washington lobbyists. The criticism brought a groan of disapproval from the audience.
A journalist gave Clinton an opening by asking her how she felt about male-dominated Washington, "the boys' club".
Clinton, referring to the way Obama, Edwards and others had ganged up on her on October 30, said: "I am not playing the gender card. I am playing the winning card."
She added they were not attacking her because she was a woman but because she was ahead. It was a good line, even if sounded well-rehearsed, aimed at women.
Obama, in the first hour, often sounded muddled and hesitant. He appeared to warm up in the second half but it was too late.
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