CARSON CITY

Oh to be the first.

Wednesday's Democratic presidential candidate forum wasn't just the "first, first in the nation," as AFSCME President Jerry McEntee put it. It was also the beginning of the real race to come -- with three major candidates scratching and clawing for every dollar, endorsement and vote, and two governors likely leading the way in the veepstakes.

It's hard to believe there's still 11 months before the Nevada caucus and 20 until the presidential election. At the forum, the gloves came off -- and the fire wasn't just directed at George W.

The day began with Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign demanding that Sen. Barack Obama denounce unflattering comments his supporter David Geffen made about the Clintons to Maureen Dowd in The New York Times. Asked about the flap, Clinton demurred as only she can.

"I sure don't want Democrats, or the supporters of Democrats, to be engaging in the politics of personal destruction," she said. "I believe Bill Clinton was a good president and I'm very proud."

With one fell swoop she made the only Democratic candidate who didn't bother to show up seem sleazy for launching an attack through a surrogate. And she brought up her crowd-pleasing better half for good measure.

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who followed her, was a few seconds late taking the stage. "I was just saying hello to Senator Clinton," Vilsack said, establishing himself as the race's nice guy.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson joined with Clinton in a different way, as he made the rounds with media in the "spin room." "I do believe Mr. Geffen should apologize," Richardson said. Later, he declined to answer a question about Obama's absence from the forum, saying the race is getting nasty already.

But it was former vice presidential nominee John Edwards who fired off the most pointed criticism of Clinton.

Shortly after he reiterated his "I was wrong" apology for his 2002 vote authorizing force in Iraq, the former senator from North Carolina quoted Martin Luther King's "silence is a betrayal" speech, given during the Vietnam War.

So awkward was the transition from King's message about war to Edwards' statement that the silent betrayal in America today is the large number of people without health insurance, it was pretty evident he was really trying to hit Clinton for not apologizing for the 2002 vote.

Edwards had the benefit of speaking after Clinton and hearing her promise health coverage for all Americans "by the end of my second term."

"I don't want to wait six or eight years to have universal health care," Edwards said.

He also had barbs to cover the four sitting senators in the race: Clinton, Obama, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden.

"It is not enough to debate, give speeches and pass non-binding resolutions," Edwards said. "It is time for us, the leaders of this country, the leaders of the United States Congress, to stop George Bush's escalation of this war. ... This is not about political calculation, this is about political courage. This is about men and women who are losing their lives in Iraq."

Edwards also warned the audience about candidates who propose universal health care without admitting that tax increases would be needed to pay for such a system, a position both Clinton and Vilsack had just taken.

Meeting with the press after his speech, Vilsack defended his position on financing universal health care by advocating that we shift funding from other parts of government in addition to improving efficiencies in the country's health care system.

"You fund your priorities," Vilsack said. "Today in our nation's capital, Iraq is the priority. ... I don't think you have to raise taxes for health care if health care is a priority."

Clinton didn't go to the spin room for media availability. She left shortly after speaking to catch a plane to Las Vegas for an evening speech to the teachers' union.

Edwards ended his opening statement at the forum with an assault on Bush that he clearly hoped would remind voters of his criticism of Clinton's war stance.

"We've had six years of a president who will take no responsibility for what he's done," Edwards said. "Six years of a president who is incapable of admitting he was wrong; incapable of admitting that he has made a mistake. It's time for a different kind of leadership in this country."

The crowd of 740, mostly green-shirted members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, gave standing ovations to welcome both Clinton and Edwards to the stage and stood and cheered when both left.

The other candidates got polite welcomes and impromptu applause for anti-war or pro-union comments. Many in the crowd also stood after both Vilsack and Biden spoke and to welcome Richardson.

Nice and steady will get some votes. Biden's substantial foreign policy experience and Richardson's diplomatic experience will win others. But candidates who are really in it to win it don't mind getting nasty.

And they did it here first.

Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.