Now this is what followers of the 2008 Democratic Party presidential campaign have been awaiting for months: Real no-holds-barred stuff between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the most potent sparring partners the party has produced since ... well, a long time. Plus, we're getting regular cameos from Mr. Media himself, Bill Clinton.

Most excellent was the tit-for-tat Monday night in South Carolina wherein Obama reminded viewers that Clinton was a member of the Wal-Mart corporate board at a time when accusations of sweatshop manufacture were levied hardest at the company, while Hillary shot back with accusations of providing legally defense for alleged Chicago slumlord Tony Rezko. The crowd broke into, if not Springeresque reaction, at least hearty "oooooohs."

Now this is why you watch campaigns!

Two days later, the former prez, in being asked a few questions by reporters in South Carolina, attempted to dis Obama for playing "race cards" and the media for willingly taking it. Clinton said, in part, that the Obama campaign was "feeding" the media fake controversy "because this is what you want to cover. ... What you care about is this. ... You are determined to take this election away from ['the American people'], and that's not right."

Surely Clinton, the media-savviest of the media-savvy, was recalling MPR's Rule of Campaigning no. 1: When in doubt, attack the mass media.

If anyone was paying attention, the big winner here may have been good ol' Earnest John Edwards. Be sure to watch both of the links provided above to the end. Edwards manages a nice couple of minutes at the end of the 10-minute Hillary/Obama tangle, making a nice folksy point about rising above the fray, talking about "the times when you're gonna run outta money," and sardonically remarking, "Lord knows you let them go on forever."

And in the CNN clip of Mr. Clinton, watch for the begrudging acknowledgement of Edwards for standing up for the common man's interest. "That's one of the things John Edwards was right about in the debate," said Clinton.