Hillary Clinton's effort to paint Barack Obama as a flip-flopper in last night's Democratic debate came back to bite her, as another rival suggested that the attack was the product of Clinton's electoral vulnerability.

"I didn't hear these kind of attacks from Sen. Clinton when she was ahead," former North Carolina senator John Edwards said. "Any time you speak out for change, this is what happens."

In past Democratic presidential debates, Clinton was the target of criticism. But newly embattled after a third-place finish in Iowa's caucuses, Clinton was quick to strike in last night's debate at Saint Anselm College, describing Obama as a gifted orator who lacks the record to back up his rhetoric.

"Let's have sort of a reality break for a minute," Clinton said, after Obama talked about uniting American voters in an effort to enact change. "Words are not action. And as beautifully presented and passionately felt as they are, they are not action."

Obama countered by describing the power of oratory. "Words do inspire," he said. "Words to help people get involved. . . . Don't discount that power."

The debate was the first since Thursday's Iowa caucuses, which upended the Democratic field. Obama won a decisive victory in that contest, the first presidential nominating event. The results - Edwards barely eked out a second-place finish - prompted Clinton to change her strategy in New Hampshire. Since arriving Friday, she has dispensed with her usual stump speech in favor of long question-and-answer sessions.

Although Clinton hasn't criticized her Democratic rivals by name in recent days (she has made numerous veiled critiques), she didn't hold back last night. Obama, meanwhile, largely shied away from launching overt attacks on his opponents for the Democratic nomination, focusing instead on what he described as the inspirational powers of change

The debate was feisty from the start, with Clinton citing an Associated Press report to cast Obama's record as inconsistent. Obama "could have a pretty good debate with himself, because four years ago, he was for single-payer health care," Clinton said. "Then he moved toward a rejection of that, a more incremental approach. Then he was for universal health care. Then he proposed a health care plan that doesn't cover everybody.

"I think that what we're looking for is a president we can count on, that you know where that president is yesterday, today and tomorrow," she said.

Obama dismissed Clinton's attack: "I think the Associated Press was quoting some of your folks, Hillary," he said. "I have been entirely consistent in my position on health care. What I said . . . is if I were designing a system from scratch, I would set up a single-payer system." But given the existing health care system, such a change would be impractical, he said.

But Obama also received a helping hand from Edwards. Describing himself and Obama as "powerful voices for change," Edwards implied that Clinton is part of the "status quo."

"To say that Sen. Obama is having a debate with himself from some Associated Press story I think is just not - that's not the kind of discussion we should be having," Edwards said, casting Clinton's attack as part of a politics-as-usual strategy. "I think that every time this happens, what will occur - every time he speaks out for change, every time I fight for change, the forces of status quo are going to attack."

The pointed exchange gave New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the only other candidate on stage, an opening. "Well, I've been in hostage negotiations that are a lot more civil than this," he said, to laughter from the crowd.

"Look, what we need is change. There's no question," Richardson said. "But, you know, whatever happened to experience? Is experience kind of a leper?" Richardson proceeded to rattle off his own accomplishments, suggesting that he is best prepared for the Oval Office.

Clinton also touted her experience, saying that she's "offering 35 years of experience making change and the results to show for it."

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