Dem Hopefuls Pile On Clinton

The knives were out for Hillary Clinton in the seventh and most confrontational of the Democratic presidential debates last night. John Edwards and Barack Obama led the attack on the frontrunner, criticizing her positions on Iran and illegal immigrants, and questioning her credibility and electability, the New York Times reports.

Obama made good on his much-publicized promise to toughen his rhetoric against Clinton, but it was Edwards, the Times notes, who was the most withering: "If people want the status quo, Senator Clinton's your candidate." Her other antagonist for the night: moderator Tim Russert, whose pointed questions surprised her. At one point Gov. Bill Richardson had to step in to dissuade his colleagues from personal attacks.