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(CNN) – Former Solicitor General Ted Olson will endorse John McCain Friday, a source close to the Arizona senator tells CNN.

Olson, who had supported Rudy Giuliani's White House bid, is a well respected conservative, particularly with respect to judicial appointments. He's a member of the highly regarded Federalist Society - an organization that promotes the teaching of state's rights and a limited federal government in the nation's best law schools.

Olson also helped steer the 2000 Florida recount effort on behalf of President Bush, and served as member of the Reagan Justice Department.

The endorsement will be a welcome one for McCain, who continues to face distrust from many of his Party’s most conservative quarters. Olson has connections to many of the Arizona Republican's harshest critics, and is likely able to make inroads with some of them.

– CNN's Dana Bash

Voters reacted to Thursday night's debate in real time.

(CNN)—Thursday night’s CNN/LATimes/Politico Democratic debate was a historic event not only because the field has narrowed - leaving a choice of an African America or a female Democratic nominee - but because Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appeared to have called a truce. The two seemed to combine their efforts and threw their punches at the Republican Party.

Immigration, healthcare and the war in Iraq took center stage at the Kodak Theatre. All the while, a group of undecided male and female Democratic voters reacted in real time to the candidates’ responses.

The red line graph represents voter approval or disapproval of their responses as the debate progressed.

Overall, 60 percent of the undecided voters weighing in thought Clinton showed more strength Thursday night than Obama. However, they did feel Obama did best on the topic of Iraq.

People meter: Watch Obama and Clinton battle their healthcare packages

People meter: Watch Obama discuss his plan to curb illegal immigration

People meter: Watch Clinton discuss her Iraq war strategy

People meter: Watch Obama pitch his plan to handle foreign threats

Related: CNN's Erica Hill reports undecided voters had the strongest response over criticism of the Republicans

–CNN's Emily Sherman

LOS ANGELES (CNN) – CNN announced Thursday that it will partner with the Ohio Democratic Party and the Ohio Republican Party for back-to-back presidential debates at the end of February.

With the race for each party nomination likely to extend beyond the February 5 Super Tuesday contests, it’s increasingly possible the critical battleground state of Ohio – which holds its presidential primary March 4, along with three other states - could very well determine the 2008 Democratic and Republican nominees.

"Ohio will once again decide who wins the White House,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern. “The Ohio Democratic debate is important because it will allow the next President of the United States to address the issues most important to Ohioans."

Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine also highlighted the state’s potential kingmaker status. "No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio,” said DeWine. “It's a critical battleground state in November that could play a deciding role on March 4. We're proud to partner with CNN on this debate in advance of what could be a decisive primary election in the Buckeye State."

The Democratic debate will take place Wednesday, February 27, while the Republican debate will follow on Thursday, February 28. The network said further details will be released soon.

She’s arguing that she supported the threat of force as a means of avoiding conflict. That’s a complicated case to make – and it still leaves the question: why did she think President Bush had the same judgment she did?

But here’s a new angle she hasn’t used before in these debates: that she would never have contemplated an invasion of Iraq. It’s another way of trying to draw a distinction between her views and the president’s. She’s running from the past.

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Former President Clinton campaigned for his wife in New Jersey recently. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Hollywood loves the core of Obama’s answer on the sex and violence in media issue: don’t blame producers, blame the parents. He doesn’t let them off the hook, but he does argue their case somewhat.

Meanwhile, Clinton’s having trouble with a tougher question – and a unique problem for her. Obama doesn’t have to deal with the specter of a former president in the White House alongside the new commander-in-chief. There’s a lot of evasiveness in her response.

Related: Hillary Clinton says she's running for president–not Bill

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Schneider: Obama is using Iraq to demonstrate his judgment.

The Republican argument makes an appearance: the surge is working, let’s stay the course. And Obama makes the counter-argument – and does it very well, questioning the measure of progress. How much has really been made? His message: The longer we stay, the more our security is threatened. He really gets this issue.

The heart of his pitch has been his judgment vs. her experience. It’s very powerful, and on this issue, their differences are clear. Meanwhile, she sounds like a typical politician.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Obama’s given a great answer on Iraq. If he’s the nominee, this issue will likely prove the biggest contrast with his Republican opponent. Clinton’s playing catch-up on this issue.

Her answers on Iraq are very complex and indirect. The core of this debate in the general election will be this: Democrats are arguing that, despite Republican claims, that staying in Iraq endangers far more than leaving ever could. That’s a very good argument – and he’s prepared to make it. Her answers aren’t as clear, and don’t play as well with the base. On this issue, she appears very political and calculated. And the question lingers: why did she ever trust President Bush?

Still: he’s not using their differences to score points – clearly, neither is spoiling for a fight.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Schneider: Clinton is vulnerable on the issue of Iraq. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

It took more than an hour for Iraq to make a real appearance, other than Obama’s brief mention earlier. Once again, Clinton is pointing out their similarities – but this time, it’s a necessity. She’s vulnerable here.

Among Democrats, Obama always wins on this issue. His position is clearer, and he has far less baggage.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Former presidents Bush and Clinton attended the funeral of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin together in 2007.

The question of the past vs. the future keeps raising its head – this time in a question that raises the dynastic concerns in the minds of many Americans: nearly three straight decades of a Bush or a Clinton on the presidential ballot.

Clinton turns the question on its head, repeating a pithy campaign trail formulation that always resonates with Democratic audiences: it takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.

The happiest man this evening? Howard Dean. So far tonight, the Democratic party is the big winner. This debate clearly beats last night’s debate. But if you’re trying to use the forum to decide which candidate to support, you might come away more uncertain than ever.

Related: Watch Hillary Clinton take a dig at President Bush

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Clinton’s trying to say she can match Obama Kennedy for Kennedy – but in this Kennedy family feud, Obama’s got the edge.

So she tries to steer the argument back to stronger turf: the ability to fight. She’s been through the wars, she’s saying - she can withstand anything the Republicans throw her way.

Obama counters with his strength: bringing in new voters. And framing the choice as the past vs. the future. He could use this question - about the 90s – as an opportunity to bring up the Clinton Wars of the 90s. He isn’t – in part because he wants to preserve the evening’s conciliatory tone.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Sens Obama and McCain participate in a Senate hearing together in 2006.

(CNN) - John McCain has received some unwelcome praise over the last couple weeks - at least as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination.

First he was endorsed by The New York Times, a newspaper often criticized by conservatives. Then, former President Bill Clinton said wife, Hillary, and McCain are 'very close.'

Now Barack Obama is getting in on the applause. At Thursday's debate, he lauded McCain for originally voting against the Bush tax cuts.

"I respect McCain who in the first two rounds of Bush tax cuts said it is irresponsible that we have never before cut taxes at the same time as we are going into war," Obama said.

McCain voted against Bush's tax cuts in both 2001 and 2003, but he is now supporting the extension - a fact Obama went on to take issue with.

"But somewhere along the line, the Straight Talk Express lost some wheels and now he is in favor of extending Bush's tax cuts that went to some of the wealthiest Americans who don't need them and were not even asking for them," he said.

– CNN Producer Alexander Mooney

On the issue of experience, Obama’s trying to say “me, too.” On the issue of unity, Clinton’s trying to say “me, too.”

Both have a tough time making their cases. For Clinton, it’s especially difficult: Despite her Senate record of working with Republicans, she’s known as a tough partisan – he’s viewed as a consensus-builder. But now people want what they thought President Bush would be – a uniter, not a divider. It’s very tough to imagine a Clinton bringing people together.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Sen. Obama looks on as Sen. Clinton answers a question on Thursday night.

They’re both turning their fire on Republicans, not on each other. The most striking thing is the way they’re minimizing their differences - contrasting themselves with the GOP, not with each other. They’ve both gone to the edge recently, and realized that approach wasn’t working. The Clinton campaign has been trying to get the point across that Barack Obama doesn’t have enough fight – that’s he’s too amicable to fight the Republicans in the fall. They were trying to use Bill Clinton to paint Obama as a wuss. But that created more of a problem for them than for him.

Obama always comes across as eloquent, and speaks in a language that people identify with more readily – Clinton comes across as more polished and knowledgeable. You see her policy skills, and his people skills. That’s why this is such a tough choice for Democrats. The toughest choice in politics comes between politicians who are basically in agreement – it comes down to trivialities. It’s easier to decide when the differences are deep and profound – and the polls reflect that. Most of their supporters could go either way.

Related: Watch Obama and Clinton discuss their differences

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Clinton is smart to steer the blame for immigration woes to employers – it’s a great political strategy for addressing this thorny issue.

The core of the immigration debate is the naturalization process Clinton described tonight – is that amnesty? She’s appealing to emotions; Obama’s going for the logical arguments. It’s tough for Obama to argue to people that they’re not seeing what they think they’re seeing – that immigration itself isn’t the problem.

Obama has a big problem with the Latino vote. The problem isn’t Latino racism – it’s that Latinos have strong ties to the Clintons. This is where his stronger views on the issue – in favor of drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, and other measures – can help him gain credibility with the base on the issue.

Another path to the Latino vote: Ted Kennedy’s support. Obama’s raising Ted Kennedy tonight the same way his Republican counterparts raised Ronald Reagan’s last night – in hopes of roughly the same results.

Obama’s also using the issue to point attention to one of Clinton’s biggest perceived weaknesses: her reputation for political calculation.

Still: they’re spending more time calling attention to their similarities than they are to their dofferences – a huge contrast with the Republican field.

Related: Watch the candidates debate immigration

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Sens Obama and Clinton are avoiding the rancor of the recent Democratic debate in South Carolina. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The tone of this debate is far more sophisticated and grown up than the debate last night – perhaps in part because they realized that debate didn’t do any favors for the Republican candidates’ reputations.

They are aiming their attacks at the opposing party – not each other.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Both candidates are offering an eloquent Democratic defense of taxes. Their answers are very similar – they’d pay for them by raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Where Democrats have gotten in trouble in the past is, Republicans say the rich are first and the middle class is next.

But Clinton and Obama clearly feel that the Bush experience has changed everything – they can feel confident talking tax hikes without fear. The taboo is off tax talk – it’s no longer the third rail.

–CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Obama is very clever, to mention Ted Kennedy early in the evening – and follow that reference with a reminder of his bi-partisan credentials. This is a very important point: no major policy initiative in the United States can be passed without bi-partisan consensus. That’s the way our system was designed, and he understands that.

Meanwhile, Clinton is seizing universal health care as her issue – saying, in a very subtle way: I’m for universal health care, and he’s not. This is a core Democratic issue

She also takes a much more conciliatory view of insurance companies – we have to work with them instead of fighting them. That may not be a view that resonates with Edwards supporters.

Related: Watch the candidates debate health care

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Sens. Obama and Clinton greet the audience at Thursday's debate.

Obama’s being more critical of Clinton’s positions, and more explicit in spelling out their differences. But he’s doing it in a way that isn’t very personal – it’s all about the issues. They’re both trying to avoid reprising last night’s tawdry tangle between Romney and McCain – or their own testy face-off at the South Carolina debate.

Their argument on the idea of health care mandates is a substantive and sophisticated one. There’s a good argument to be made for forcing people who don’t want to buy health care to pay into the system, and share the risk.

It’s not clear how the idea plays among voters. But people don’t like to be forced to do anything. Some of them would rather buy cars or vacations to Hawaii. It’s a very complicated argument, and it’s not clear voters will necessarily buy into Clinton’s position.

Still, Clinton has learned from her bitter experience in 1993 - and people have accepted it. Her failure has not discredited her. People believe that she learned something from it.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Hillary Clinton’s opening statement was pitch-perfect. She aimed her remarks not against Obama, but against the Bush administration. She’s making the case against Republicans, not her rival, and that will resonate with the Democratic crowd.

But raising health care early is a smart way to draw a distinction between the two of them. Their approach on that issue may well be the single biggest policy difference between them. Still, notably, she didn’t use the opportunity to criticize his position – instead, she advertised her own.

Related: Watch Hillary Clinton's opening statement

Related: Watch Barack Obama's opening statement

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Former senator Edwards signed a campaign placard Wednesday after announcing the end of his presidential bid.

John Edwards' name makes an early appearance in Obama’s very first sentence on-stage tonight. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be looking to attract John Edwards supporters tonight – watch for how often they mention poverty.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider