Here are the top quotes from the speeches the Democratic presidential candidates delivered tonight before a crowd of about 1000 Iowa Democrats gathered in Cedar Rapids (in the order in which the candidates spoke):
"You give people like me a chance…to be heard," said Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd. "…You have a habit of proving the pundits wrong."
"I plan to spend so much time in Iowa I’ll be able to caucus for myself before it’s over," said New York Senator Hillary Clinton.
"Now is not the time for careful. It is not the time for cautious. It is not the time for political calculation.
It is the time for strength. It is the time for backbone…and the place that that begins is on the war in Iraq," said former North Carolina Senator John Edwards.
"There is no validity to this war especially at a time when the American people are saying: ‘No,’" said New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
"I want John Edwards to know I wish my hair was worth $400," Delaware Senator Joe Biden said, and the crowd started laughing. "I’ll tell you what, I wish it was worth it. Now if I get more hair in there, I’d spend it, but I’ll tell you what I hope some day I can afford it, too."
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
I was looking around on the candidates’ websites and it is interesting to see the Hillary campaign was the only campaign to have an online presence at the dinner. They had a live blog during the event which profiled their efforts at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/iowa.