It’s over, it wasn’t as bad as the Republican debate in terms of the boring factor. If the Republican debate was a 9 on the 1-10 boring scale. This one was an 8.

Here are some short clips in a playlist courtesy of Hot Air:

Here’s a report from CBS News:

(AP) Democratic presidential rivals called for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans and on big corporations Thursday and said any thought of balancing the federal budget would have to wait.

“We’re not going to be able to dig ourselves out” of Bush-era deficits in the next year or two, said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, one of six Democratic rivals sharing a debate stage for the final time before Iowa’s leadoff Jan. 3 caucuses.

Asked about the importance of eliminating deficits, several of the Democrats responded by mentioning higher taxes on the wealthy and on big corporations.

“I want to keep the middle class tax cuts” that Congress passed during President Bush’s tenure, said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. But she said she favors raising taxes for the wealthiest income-earners and corporations.

The Democrats fielded questions on the same stage that Republican White House hopefuls held on Wednesday, the second half of a debate double-header sponsored by The Des Moines Register.

The opening moments of the event underscored the gulf between the two parties on economic issues. Republicans called repeatedly on Wednesday for elimination of the estate tax - which falls principally on the largest of estates - and reduction in the income tax on corporations.

More updates and some video clips to come shortly.

Also, we’ll have the entire debate video online in a few hours.

Update

Here’s video of the Frank Luntz focus group after the debate courtesy of Hot Air:

To be honest, I thought Hillary did alright. I though Obama took it more on the chin, especially over the “How do you expect to lead us since you have little foreign policy experience?” question. Everyone seemed to agree that Obama took the day and Hillary sort of floundered. If other Iowans think the same, I think Obama may be on his way to a win in the Iowa caucuses.

I thought Hillary did seem overtly scripted. It was as if she just rambled off the set answer for the question, not really seeming to think about it as much.

Edwards also performed well. However, he managed to work in to every answer something about “corporate power” and how that’s the root cause of all evil. It got a little rhetorical.

Update

Here’s the entire debate video:

Video: 12/13 Des Moines Register Democratic Debate From Johnston, Iowa