Important debate tonight foe the Democratic candidates in a newly important early state: Nevada. The Dems are in Vegas for a real showdown in a rough-and-tumble battle for the Silver State. Polls are indicating the race for Saturday’s caucus is very close, with only a few points separating the three top candidates. Even John Edwards is still in the NV race. Imagine what a win for Edwards would do to the campaign: Dear God… But a victory from JRE is possible given the major union presence in the state.

Let’s focus on this evening, however. Here are a few things to watch for during the debate. Moderated by Brian Williams with Tim Russert, t’s broadcast live on MSNBC at 9 PM Eastern.  You can also watch online.

•  The biggest news coming out of Vegas pre-debate is the judge’s order forcing Dennis Kucinich into the debate lineup. NBC had initially decided to keep Kucinich out of the event and focus only on the remaining contenders with actual chances at the nomination. But a petulant DK went to court, sued NBC, and got the order making him a part of the proceedings. On a side note, this development helps Edwards tonight. Without Kucinich, JRE would have faded into the background as the weakest candidate on stage. Everything would be focused on Hillary vs. Obama. With a candidate further down the primary totem-pole, Edwards gets a boost and will be able to get out his message as a major candidate.
• How will the truce between the two frontrunners hold up during the debate? Will the Nevada heat (okay - mild warmth) cause the old enmities to resurface and force Hillary and Obama into a two-hour death match? Nothing much in the way of animosity between the campaigns so far today;no more than a minor tussle over whether or not Hillary was trying to campaign in Florida via email. Sounds bad, considering that our overdeveloped oasis is off limits per DNC order. But a few mild memos sent to the media is the extent of it for now. No vitriolic conference calls, etc. Will it carry over to the cramped debate floor? The only thing to watch tonight…

Look for our Nevada Democratic debate liveblog to begin at 9…