Round One for the Democrats For months, reports about the Democrats' chances of retaining the White House have centered on Hillary Clinton's personal emails while she was Secretary of State. During the party's first debate last night, Bernie Sanders had a surprise for political commentators, the audience at a Las Vegas casino — and Hillary Clinton. The Vermont Senator said he was sick of hearing about Clinton's emails, so the candidates found other points of difference. But the biggest contrast was between their polite, sometimes pointed, discussion of issues and the relentless political combat displayed recently by Republicans. Nobody had expected that kind of conflict, but last night's event drew a massive audience — giving three also-rans the chance to make themselves known. We look at some of the moments that are setting the stage for the party primaries and the general election beyond.

Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was sentenced today for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents. After 3 years of legal wrangling and a a court martial that lasted for months: it’s 35 years in prison. Michael Scherer is the Washington Bureau Chief for Time.

The Last Debate: Foreign Policy, with Just Two Weeks Remaining In last night's final debate , it wasn't the challenger who went on the offensive as much as the incumbent.  President Obama called Mitt Romney "wrong and reckless," and tried to associate him with policies of the past. Romney said US influence is "receding" around the world, but blamed the economy. On foreign affairs, he was all about peace, in both style and content, but he did not offer policies much different from those of Obama. Was he intimidated, inexperienced or reassuring voters he would not be a warmonger? Was Obama aggressive out of desperation? Did the world learn much last night about how the US might deal with crucial issues over the next four years?

After Iowa: What's Next for the GOP Race? The Iowa caucuses failed to produce a clear winner, and it’s on to New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida before the end of this month. Rick Santorum came within 8 votes of 1st-place Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul was not far behind. But nobody got more than 25% of the vote. A dismal finish drove Michelle Bachman out of the race—but Rick Perry may still be a contender. Newt Gingrich says he’s not ready to quit.

President Obama and the American Jobs Act President Obama challenged Congress last night to shut down the "political circus" in Washington and work together--before next year's election. He said everything in his American Jobs Act had been approved in the past by both Democrats and Republicans. He told them to pass it no less than 15 times.  He asked Americans to demand action and today — as promised --he took his $447-billion program out on the road. The first stop is Richmond, Virginia,in the district of the Republican minority leader in Congress, Eric Cantor. Is it "bold" enough for Democrats to rally behind it?  Is there any chance for support from the GOP?  Will voters decide that the "circus" is still going on?

Republican Candidates: the Ins, the Outs and the In-betweens The Iowa Straw Poll drew a tiny minority of that state's voters to a Republican fundraiser on Saturday, but the results were disproportionate to the turnout. Texas Governor Rick Perry , who wasn't there for the straw poll is in; Tim Pawlenty is out. Is Michele Bachmann leaving enough room for Sarah Palin ? Is Mitt Romney still the front-runner? What about Ron Paul ? Meanwhile, President Obama begins a town-hall tour of swing states. We hear how his possible opposition is shaping up.

General McChrystal Is Relieved of Command General McChrystal is out as commander in Afghanistan , replaced by General David Petraeus, one of America's best-known military leaders. By trashing the President , McChrystal and his team spotlighted ongoing dispute over the War in Afghanistan. In the White House, in Congress and on the battlefield, one side supports a troop surge followed by economic development and government reform. Can Petraeus implement the President's strategy?  What about those, including Vice President Biden, who warn against bogging down in an unwinnable war?

Big Numbers and the White House Budget Introducing his $3.8 trillion budget today, President Obama first said he inherited a massive deficit run up by the Bush Administration. Then he laid out what he called a plan that's "more efficient and more effective.”  While welcoming new ideas from either party, he rejected outright "the same old grandstanding when the cameras are on and the same irresponsible budget policies when the cameras are off.” Michael Scherer is White House correspondent for Time magazine.