U.S. Democratic presidential candidates clashed over Iran Tuesday during a live radio debate from Iowa.
The debate, sponsored by National Public Radio (NPR), comes just one month before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, at a time when polls show a tight three-way race between Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
Responding to a new intelligence report that says Iran stopped work on its nuclear weapons program in 2003, Clinton said she is relieved by the intelligence findings and called on President George W. Bush to pursue diplomacy with Iran.
"I think we do know that pressure on Iran does have an effect," she said.
Obama took issue with the Bush administration's claim that nothing has changed with the new intelligence assessment, saying the administration was putting ideology ahead of the facts.
Iran has been a source of friction between Clinton and Obama since Clinton voted in September for a Senate resolution calling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.
Obama says that vote gave Bush a "blank check" to go to war against Iran.
Clinton defended her vote in the debate Tuesday, saying it was non-binding and did not authorize the president to take any action against Iran.
Edwards noted that Clinton is the only one of the Democratic presidential candidates who voted in favor of the Senate resolution.
Tuesday's two-hour debate comes at a critical time in Iowa.
With just 30 days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses, polls show a tight race, with Obama, Clinton and Edwards in a virtual tie.
More than half the Iowa voters surveyed by pollsters say they might switch their allegiance when the caucuses are actually held.
Clinton still holds a lead in national polls, so rivals see Iowa as the best opportunity to slow her momentum.
Obama, who has been gaining in Iowa polls, could get a boost later this week when he campaigns to sellout crowds alongside celebrity endorser Oprah Winfrey.
All of the eight Democratic presidential candidates took part in Tuesday's debate except for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who was attending a funeral.
Republican candidates are not as single-minded about Iowa as the Democrats are, but a close race is shaping up there as well.
A new poll found former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee edging ahead of longtime Iowa front-runner Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.
Source: Xinhua
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