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…and the debate is over.

The final question was about how each candidate would make their case to the superdelegates at the Democratic National Convention this summer if the election ends up being decided by superdelegates.

“I’ll say to them what I’ve said to voters — we need a fighter in the White House,” Clinton said.  She spoke about wanting to make everyone “a part of the American family again,” and said she would urge them to look at her track record in order to see that she’s the best candidate.

Obama talked about the process of involving Americans in change in Washington, saying, “change doesn’t happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up.”

After almost two hours of intense debate (though barely an hour of discussion of actual issues — the first 45 minutes were spent talking about various campaign missteps), it’s finally over. We’ll have to wait to see what the pundits say and what the voters think…

Update: Gibson: “How are you going to make the case to Super Delegates at the convention in Denver?” Well we’re back to electability.

Update: Affirmative action, a hot button issue, especially for students I think, and somewhere where our generation of Democrats doesn’t really agree with the mainstream.

Obama: “I don’t think it can be applied without looking at the whole person.” Should be for people who are locked out of opportunity. What exactly does that mean?

Clinton: “In favor of more student loan aid, not these outrageous student loans.” Cited a 28% interest rate. I don’t know anyone paying 28% but I suppose it could be possible, and it is true that student loans are very tough right now. Didn’t really answer the affirmative action question though.

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Well, they’re talking about Philadelphia and crime now, so that’s an improvement.

National Constitution Center, Philadelphia -

I’m here at the National Constitution Center in downtown Philly where Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are about to take the stage and debate for the first time in 50 days.

Both have a lot riding on tonight’s debate. Hillary Clinton must prove that she can continue to run a strong campaign,despite polling data showing her lead slipping in PA (her last stronghold) and national numbers showing her popularity weakening.

But she can definitely still win Pennsylvania on Tuesday, along with its 188 delegates at stake. By pulling in large swaths of the state, she would demonstrate her ability to win PA in a general election (a traditional swing state).

Barack Obama would also need to do well tonight. He must (and will be expected to) address his recent comments on “bitter” voters who “cling” to guns and religion. He must also address his ability, in a larger sense, to bring in white working-class voters in the general election to the Democratic Party.

Here they go…

Stephen Colbert’s lineup for a series of shows to be taped on campus next week includes John Legend, Chris Matthews, Ed Rendell, Michael Nutter and Patrick Murphy, according to the NYT politics blog The Caucus.

The “Colbert Report” is filming at Penn’s Zellerbach Theatre from April 14-17, in the days leading up to Pennsylvania’s April 22 primary. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama, the two candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, is expected to appear on the show as of now.

Look for an interview with Colbert in today’s DP to find out what he thinks of the candidates and why he’s coming to Penn.

Update: Michelle Obama is expected on the show for Tuesday, and Hillary Clinton will be a guest on Thursday’s show.

Bringing you the latest updates in the candidate’s schedules. Hillary Clinton will be at Drexel University Friday.

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As I was walking back to SEPTA from the Sheraton in Center City, where Illinois Sen. Obama spoke at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention this morning, I happened to pass by Obama’s motorcade. On the sidewalk next to several Secret Service agents and police cars, a group of about 20 or 30 elementary school-age kids stood facing the Sheraton, cheering, “O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!”

That in and of itself was pretty cute. But when, only a few minutes later, Obama came out of the building and stopped to talk with the kids before getting in his car, I couldn’t help but say, “Aww….”

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At an avail with members of the press after her speech at the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention this morning, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton entered looking somber.

“This has been a very hard fought race,” she said. “We need to do something so that our party and our people can make the right decision.”

She almost looked like she was going to cry. Is Hillary dropping out of the race, I wondered?

She then said she had a solution to the problem: “today I am challenging Senator Obama to a bowl-off. A bowling night right here in Pennsylvania. Winner take all. I’ll even spot him two frames.”

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is a lot like Rocky Balboa — or so she said in a speech to the AFL-CIO downtown this morning.

Responding to the calls for Clinton to drop out of the race in order to end the Democratic primary, Clinton used the famous scene at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as an analogy for her continued fight for the nomination: “Could you imagine if Rocky Balboa had gotten half way up those Art Museum steps and said, ‘Well, I guess that’s about far enough?’”

“Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing the fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common,” she continued. “I never quit. I never give up. And neither do the American people.”

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