Hillary shines, Bonds hits it

I watched the Democratic candidates debate last night, and all I can say is, "Damn, Hillary's good." Not once did she trip over her own tongue. To me she stood taller than the six men she was debating. Talk about grace under pressure.

Several of the candidates sidestepped questions asked of them, with no worse example than Joseph Biden. When asked about protection of miners by the widow of a man who perished in the Sago mine last year, he acknowledged that he, too, knew the pain of losing a spouse, but then went off topic, addressing Iraq. He didn't even answer the poor woman's question.

Barack Obama also did a little sidestepping. I personally didn't appreciate the moderator's (Keith Olbermann) asking Barack Obama if he would receive Barry Bonds at the White House if he were President, then, after Barack's response, prompted, "Was that a yes?" Olbermann did not remind Joe Biden that he hadn't addressed the question asked of him (which was a hell of a lot more serious). Asking about honoring Barry Bonds struck me right off as a question reserved for Barack because of his race. I thought it was inappropriate.

Speaking of Barry Bonds, he hit home run #756 last night in San Francisco. I haven't really followed this controversy, not being a baseball fan, but I always wondered, if he failed a steroid test why not just disqualify him? But from what I've read, Barry never failed a steroid test. So why isn't he left alone? Why all the speculation and doubt surrounding him?

I'm curious to see how much controversy will surround the next guy to approach the new record . . . especially if he's white and never failed a steroid test.

But another curiosity will be settled much sooner than that. Barack Obama is not the resident of the White House, making Olbermann's question moot. But will Barry be invited to the White House by its current occupant?