Every year, South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, the first black elected to Congress from SC since Reconstruction and the new House Majority Whip, puts on a fish-fry in Columbia that has become a traditional social gathering for SC Democrats (it coincides with the state party convention). This year, a few out-of-staters crashed the party, as Chis Cillizza of WaPo's The Fix reports:

Edwards gave a mini-stump speech of sorts, insisting that "we bear a responsibility when it comes to issues of race and equality."

Clinton asked the audience whether they were "ready for a change in America," a "question" that drew loud applause.

But, it was Obama who seemed most at home on the stage. He delivered the best line of the night about the candidates on the stage: "We're all trying out for quarterback but we're on the same team." And he used his brief remarks to push the message of change and transforming politics that has served him so well up to this point. It didn't hurt that he was the final speaker.

Most of the candidates ducked out soon afterwards. But Biden stuck around (and stuck around) -- enjoying the focused press attention accorded to him since the bigger names weren't around.

Read his whole entry at the link above. A short video composite of the candidate entries and speeches is HERE.

The video offers several interesting moments. For one, Obama needs better on-the-ground help. Someone hands him a piece of fried fish, and at such events, you pretty much HAVE to eat whatever you are given. Those of us who have been to fish fries, though, know enough to get a piece that's been out of the oil for a few minutes and had time to cool. I felt sorry for Obama as he bites into the too-hot fish. He recovered pretty well, especially for a guy with a scalded mouth and tongue.

Hillary sounds very hoarse. We expect candidates to be hoarse in late October as they have campaigned for nearly a full year before an election. It's pretty early to be getting hoarse. Hillary obviously lacks her husband's political gifts, though. She had the crowd cheering loudly for "change," but couldn't resist going on about details and stepping on her own applause.

Edwards was utterly shameless in pandering to black South Carolinians. Blacks do make up nearly half the Democratic primary vote in SC and, while they gave Edwards his margin of victory in 2004, Hillary and Obama are drawing most of their votes in early polls for 2008. What's even more interesting is the enthusiastic reaction his racial drum-beating receives.