Clinton, Obama spar in debate

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A debate among the three Democratic presidential front-runners Monday turned personal as the candidates jousted in advance of the South Carolina primary.

The two-hour debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., featured rivals Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois sparring over Obama's voting record. Caught in the middle was former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Obama, who trails Clinton in the polls, countered by challenging her on charges she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have levied against him, USA Today reported.

"This is one of the things that has happened in the course of this campaign. There are a set of assertions made by Sen. Clinton, as well as her husband, that are not factually accurate," Obama said.

Clinton pointed to comments Obama made last week, saying, he "really liked the ideas of the Republicans" over the last 10 to 15 years.

"Now, I personally think they had ideas, but they were bad ideas. They were bad ideas for America," Clinton said. "They were ideas like privatizing Social Security, like moving back from a balanced budget and a surplus to deficit and debt."

Edwards interrupted, saying bickering between Clinton and Obama is getting little done, in the long run.

"Are there three people in this debate, not two?" he asked. "How many children is this going to get healthcare. How many kids are going to be able to go to college because of this?"