ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- There were plenty of fun one-liners tonight coming from the Democratic candidates, far too many to list here.

But here are some of the best:

"I'm the senior statesman on here, and I was beginning to feel like a potted plant standing over here." -- former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska)

"I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike, I promise." -- Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), after Gravel asked him who he would nuke with nuclear weapons

This exchange got the most laughs:

MODERATOR: "Senator Biden, words have, in the past, gotten you in trouble, words that were borrowed and words that some found hateful. An editorial in the Los Angeles Times said, 'In addition to his uncontrolled verbosity, Biden is a gaff machine.' Can you reassure voters in this country that you would have the discipline you would need on the world stage, senator?"

BIDEN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

MODERATOR: Thank you, Sen. Biden.

"Joe Biden did himself proud," Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), smiling, after the debate.

"There's no such thing as one sentence with this crowd." -- NBC's Brian Williams, the moderator, on how so many of the candidates went over the alloted time for their answers.

Check back with Fishwrap for more on the debate.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times