but if they want to they will. >> it's the only reason we remember rick lazio. because he was in hillary's face. that's the only reason we remember him. >> . >> but we don't remember senator rick lazio. >> let's have more on this, and i want more. >>> democratic strategist, christie pellosi joins us now, and looking forward to it. i know you're looking forward to tonight's debate, because you love this exercise in democracy, but specifically, what are you looking forward to seeing and hearing tonight? >> well, tony, thank you for having me. first, obviously our condolences to the people of israel, such a tragic day, and in that spirit, i would say this debate tonight for president of the united states is the biggest job interview there is. it's for commander in chief and leader of the free world. so i think that the events in israel weigh heavy tonight on the debate. and the events that you just reported on, in terms of the ukraine, they weigh heavy tonight. and this is first and foremost, the job of being the commander in chief of the united states military. an

we've seen before, when republicans are partially questioned hillary clinton before and i think of rick lazio when she ran for senate and he approached her on the stage. >> right, right. >> he went from being even with clinton to losing that race by 15 points. there's a danger if you're trying to get in somebody's face and being snarky as you might describe some of the republicans in the last round of questions. >> ok, thank you. let's take a break and come back with more right after this. this is aljazeera america. >> one is the way in which it deals with spending caps and the way it deals with this legislative fix for increased spending in the pentagon. there are sense there are back doors to caps, but there's a -- there's a deeper reason for this. inside the bill, there is the ban on transfer from anyone in guantanamo to the united states. this of course is -- has been a problem for obama since the beginning. >> it was one of his campaign promises, his attempt to close guantanamo. >> it stands in the way of closing guantanamo, stands in the way of any kind of military commission that might

remember when rick lazio tried to hand her the piece of paper. you know it's very hard when you're debating a woman, to not appear to be a bully and i think that's the challenge for all of them. i that i think is the problem they're facing in debate prep as to how to handle them. >> you think bernie could be a bully? >> yeah. i think he could come across as a mad scientist bully. >> is that a halloween costume? >> dressing up as mad bernie from brooklyn. but you're right, someone is going to have to go after her. >> a person who could come from a national security perspective. this guy won a navy cross, he was in vietnam. he was a reagan appointee. he's got -- now sanders. >> but in the democratic primary, he's to the right of her national security and that doesn't help. >> however, sanders is going by this idea of being an outsider, he's been running for office for 40 years. he hates big business, but his big business is government. he is, he's a crony communist. is there such a thing? he's a crony communist. >> that's a thing. >> there you go.

it works for her in 2000 when she was debating rick lazio.hould look at this is a prime opportunity for her to reset or campaign it, but she also can afford to make any mistakes. perfect,e has to be she has to come out perfect in order to keep that frontrunner status that she has right now. do we have that photo? you may not be able to see this, but there is a photo out there about podium number six. joe biden is going to do the crazy and come out on stage, and joined the debate. there is the photo. vp biden debate podium. even if he doesn't jump on stage , aren't they going to kind of be debating biden himself, just in case he does join at some point? michael: it goes to clinton and how important tonight is for her. a strong performance tonight from clinton can take biden out of the conversation. if she can get some momentum, the argument for a biden candidacy diminishes. same with sanders tonight as well. he needs to show that he is actually a viable candidate, and a viable alternative to clinton. remember, sanders is doing very well in the

her opponent is a republican congressman rick lazio. ploy to catch hillary clinton off guard and it backfired miserably. let's play that moment. >> let's get this deal done right now. >> mrs. clinton? >> let's sign it. this is is a new york freedom from soft money pac. i signed it. we can both sit down together. get all the media in here. >> i admire that. that was a wonderful performance and -- >> why don't you sign it? i'm not asking you to admire it. but to sign it. sign it right here. i want your signature. everyone wants to see you signing something that you said you would sign. >> it seemed that he was badgering, he was trying to get her to sign this clean campaign pledge. of course that campaign ended with hillary clinton winning by ten points. it wasn't just because of that moment. but that was a moment that did not look good for lazio. again, it illustrates this is a complex question for these candidates up on stage with hillary tonight. depending on how they seize that opening, there could be blow back for that. >> as a woman,