* Hillary Clinton, according to the reporting of the NY Times' Adam Nagourney, came under withering attack from the rest of the Democratic presidential field last night in a pitched two-hour debate that her opponents used to challenge her candor and electability and to portray her as enabling President Bush to prepare for an invasion of Iran.

* The central point of the debate was Hillary's refusal to answer Tim Russert's question about whether or not she supported NY Governor Elliot Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal - that's ILLEGAL - aliens.

* According to New York's Newsday newspaper: At the debate, Clinton appeared to both endorse and oppose Gov. Eliot Spitzer's controversial plan to give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

* According to the Fox News website, after all the candidates were asked if they supported Spitzer's plan, only Sen. Christopher Dodd said he disagreed. He then pressed Clinton on the issue and argued against the plan, saying: "A license is a privilege, and that ought not to be extended, in my view."

Clinton responded: "Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do."

Dodd then quickly interrupted Clinton before she could finish, seizing on the apparent discrepancy. Moderator Tim Russert then tried to elicit an answer on whether she supported the plan or not, but she avoided offering specific support for the plan.

* On Wednesday, according to Newsday, "the campaign issued an unusual clarification, saying she now supports the plan's concept without commenting on specifics."

* But that's not all. What the campaign did was to claim that the seven male candidates (plus moderator Tim Russert) had ganged up on Hillary thus claiming that she was - once again - a female being victimized by the men in her life.

* This was a very successful tactic when she ran against Rick Lazio in her first election for US Senate in 2000.

* But it will not be so successful in 2008 running for President. In fact, the Clinton campaign has placed itself squarely in a political box which may have long range effects.

* Americans may be perfectly happy to have a female President, but they probably do not want a female President who is going to be shattered by being put upon by men.

* Especially if the men she is being shattered by happen to run countries like Iran and Cuba and North Korea and China. Continued...