CARSON CITY, NEV. — Democrats divided over Iraq and the pace of a U.S. pullout as the West on Wednesday hosted the first major candidate exchange of the 2008 presidential campaign.
The locale, with the snowy Sierra as a backdrop, was intended to steer the discussion toward regional issues, such as water and land use. But it was the war that dominated nearly two hours of talk by the Democratic hopefuls.
The candidates' determination to air their differences -- despite a cumbersome format and their repeated calls for a positive campaign -- underscored the unusually early and intense nature of the race.
The sharpest split involved how best to exit Iraq. While Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina discussed a phased pullout, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack drew cheers from the audience by calling for Congress to immediately cut off funds.
The war must "be ended now," he said. "Not six days from now. Not six months from now. Not six years from now."
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware offered his rejoinder later. "Everybody wants to get out," he said. "What next?"
Biden said a precipitous withdrawal would escalate violence in Iraq and spark a regional war that would draw future generations of Americans into combat. The solution, he said, was to build an international consensus for a plan to divide Iraq along sectarian lines, quelling violence and allowing a troop pullout.
The format, with contestants appearing one after another, was not a debate. Eight speakers -- all the announced candidates except Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois -- took turns giving set remarks and answering questions. Many were submitted by members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which hosted the forum.
The closest public encounter between participants came as Clinton swept out of the Carson City Community Center to a clatter of camera shutters while Edwards stood talking to reporters about 10 yards away. Neither could see the other.
As the front-runner, Clinton drew perhaps the closest scrutiny, in particular over her 2002 Senate vote to authorize the war. Unlike others in the field, she has not apologized or called the vote a mistake.
Asked about that, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut said Clinton "will speak for herself," then mused on the difficulty public figures have acknowledging ignorance or error.
