Hillary Rodham Clinton energized Iowa Democrats in the most recent leg of the Democratic presidential race — two months after her husband did so in another Democratic rally in Indianola.

About 7,500 Iowa Democrats and hundreds of members of the news media packed Des Moines’ Veterans Memorial Auditorium to see the former first lady and six of the nine Democratic presidential candidates. Clinton, who ruled out the possibility of her own run for president, introduced each of the candidates in a presidential race she called the “most important in decades.”

Clinton was the emcee of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson Day fund-raising dinner. Those attending were Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun.

The event, held in a part-time music venue, was similar to a rock concert. As each candidate took the stage, a complicated light show danced around him or her while a theme song played. Clinton was introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, as the Democratic Party’s “rock star.”

“I feel a little like this is the World Wrestling Federation,” Clinton said. “But we have great fighters up here, and one of them will take back the White House.”

The dinner was a battle of showmanship as well as political savvy. Each presidential campaign attempted to one-up opponents, plastering as many yard signs inside Vets Auditorium as possible. Kerry, Edwards and Dean supporters packed the arena, waving signs and attempting to shout louder than opposing campaigns.

Some candidates were flashier than others. Before the dinner, Kerry’s campaign brought in local drum corps the Isiserettes, who pounded on snare and bass drums to create a battle cry outside the auditorium.

Clinton introduced the field of candidates, calling them “the most accomplished in terms of public service we’ve had since 1960.”

The candidates each spoke for five minutes. They attacked President George W. Bush — not each other — during their speeches. The evening was a friendlier contrast to past confrontational presidential forums.

Gephardt, who associated himself with both Hillary and Bill Clinton, said he was proud to lead the fight alongside Hillary to pass the Clinton Economic Health Care Plan. He promised to restore the economy to its Clinton-era state.

Kucinich, who illustrated his comprehensive peace plan by explaining his planned establishment of a Department of Peace, spoke out against the American occupation of Iraq.

“As the next president, it’s time for America to get out of Iraq and meet the challenges of terrorism by connecting with the world community,” Kucinich said.

Indirect attacks were made at Dean throughout the evening. Edwards said if the Democrats were “the party of anger,” they wouldn’t win — a remark aimed at Dean’s confrontational, passionate campaign.

Kerry made similar jabs at Dean, saying the Democrats needed hope and not anger to win.

He also spoke out to the several firefighters in the audience who showed up to cast their support with Kerry.

“George Bush opens fire houses in Baghdad, but allows them to shut down in the U.S,” he said.

Dean laid out a plan to fund his campaign by collecting $100 donations from two million people.

He said a donation of that size was the same price as a one-way ticket from Washington D.C. to Bush’s hometown of Crawford, Texas.

He also criticized his rivals, Kerry, Edwards, Gephardt and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who voted for the resolution in Congress last year to authorize the war in Iraq.

Moseley Braun — who had few of her own supporters to cheer her on — took the stage, receiving polite applause from the audience.

She said she was the best alternative to Bush because she doesn’t look like him, think like him or act like him.

“When we win, we will take the “Men’s Only” sign off the White House door,” she said.

ISU students also showed up to support their favorite candidates.

Larissa Begley, senior in anthropology, said the three standouts at the dinner were Dean, Kucinich and Moseley Braun.

She said they resonated with the crowd because they focused on their policies, not simply Bush’s failures.

Hannah Schoenthal-Muse, president of the ISU Democrats and senior in liberal studies, said Clinton stole the show. However, she said she disagreed with critics who said Clinton stood out due to the weakness in the current field of Democrats.

“People don’t realize we have the widest variety of candidates imaginable,” she said. “This isn’t Bradley and Gore again.”