In election news, the eight leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination held their first debate Thursday in South Carolina. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards opened with criticism of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s refusal to join him in apologizing for voting to authorize the Iraq War.

John Edwards: “Senator Clinton and anyone else who voted for this war has to search themselves and decide whether they believe they’ve voted the right way. If so, they can support their vote. If they believe they didn’t, I think it’s important to be straightforward and honest.”

That was former Senator John Edwards. Senator Clinton said she has already taken responsibility for her vote.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: “If I knew then what I know now, I would not have voted that way. But I think the real question before us is: What do we do now? How do we try to persuade or require this president to change course?”

Meanwhile, Ohio Congressmember Dennis Kucinich explained why he’s the only candidate to support the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich: “I took an oath to defend the Constitution. My colleagues have spent a lot of time talking about Iraq tonight. This country was taken into war based on lies. Mr. Cheney must be held accountable. He’s already ginning up cause for war against Iran. We have to protect and defend this Constitution. … The American people should know there is at least one person running for president who wants to reconnect America to its goodness, its greatness, its highest principles.”

And former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel challenged what he called the military-industrial complex.

Mike Gravel: “We have no important enemies. What we have to do is to begin to deal with the rest of the world as equals, and we don’t do that. We spend more as a nation on defense than the rest of the world put together. Who are we afraid of? Who are you afraid of [Moderator and NBC News anchor Brian Williams]? I’m not. Iraq has never been a threat to us. We invaded them. It is unbelievable. The military-industrial complex not only controls our government lock, stock and barrel, but they control our culture.”