WASHINGTON — How much can Hillary Clinton help or hurt Democrats in the 2008 election year? Will a Republican presidential candidate emerge to solidify the traditional socially conservative Republicans? Pundits attempted to answer these questions and more during a Power Breakfast hosted by National Journal and CUNA.

"Today's event will result in broad exposure for credit unions, and CUNA, before a vital audience in the nation's capital: The Washington insiders who play important roles in helping to develop policy," CUNA Senior Vice President of Political Affairs Richard Gose said. "By participating in today's event with the panelists–including Pulitzer Prize finalist Ron Brownstein–that CUNA helped bring together, these insiders from Capitol Hill and in the Washington lobbying community are seeing credit unions in the thick of the political process." He added that the XM Satellite Radio broadcast of the event would bring credit unions as part of the political process to the public.

For the Democrats it seems Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is the one to beat and after months without mishap, the recent Democratic debate may have revealed a chink in the armor. "Obviously she did herself some damage in the following way…she's opened up the area of candor," National Journal Contributing Editor and National Journal on the Air Host Linda Douglass commented. Voters may be led to wonder by her responses on vital issues like Iran and Iraq how forthcoming she might be as president, she explained.