After twenty minutes of Tim Russert, Natalie Morales and Brian Williams focusing solely on race and gender issues, and twenty minutes of the three candidates BEGGING to be asked difficult and substantive questions, someone finally stood up. A lone protestor shouted “these are race based questions” and yelled at the moderators to stop focusing on them.

The mood is terrible thus far on the debate. Morales chimed in with a question to John Edwards about being a white male that was one of the dumbest things I have ever heard on one of these.

As they seem to work in the background to take care of the man shouting, I hope the moderators get the point and start asking questions that actually have some substance.

Brian Williams and Tim Russert will moderate and the even will be broadcast on MSNBC at 9 pm ET. Two hours, lots of fireworks expected and it may or may not include Dennis Kucinich.

A large area of discussion in the Republican debate last night centered around Pakistani president Musharraf’s unwillingness to hunt al Qaeda with his forces despite hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the country. Also up for discussion was the leaders unwillingness to allow the United States itself to go in and fight terrorists along its border with Afghanistan. Many of the candidates spoke of the need for Musharraf to either get tuff and use the aid to accomplish the task or face pressure from their potential administration to let America in.

Today Musharraf warned the United States that it would be regarded as “invaders” if any attempt was made to cross the border into Pakistan to hunt al Qaeda. From the Associated Press report:

The New York Times newspaper reported last week Washington is considering expanding the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency and the military to pursue aggressive covert operations within the tribal regions.

Mr. Musharraf told the Straits Times that U.S. troops would “certainly” be considered invaders if they set foot in the tribal regions.

“If they come without our permission, that’s against the sovereignty of Pakistan. I challenge anybody coming into our mountains,” he said in the interview in the garrison city Rawalpindi.

“They would regret that day.”