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Events on the world stage don't necessarily translate into the American political process but they can have a big impact. In December of 2003, Howard Dean appeared headed toward an easy walk to the Democratic nomination. That month, U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein, a major development in a war Dean had based his candidacy on opposing. When Dean claimed that Hussein's capture had "not made America safer," a comment that drew criticism from his primary opponents who wondered aloud about the risk of nominating a governor from Vermont with little foreign policy experience and even less restraint.

A month later, voters in Iowa agreed with those criticisms and sent Dean into a tailspin with a third-place finish. Dean's remarks on Hussein weren't the only reasons for his campaign meltdown of course, but events did contribute to it. It's worth looking at how campaigns handled the news of yesterday's assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto – especially two Iowa front-runners.

Mike Huckabee, who vaulted into a strong lead in the caucus state last month, spent part of the day explaining what he meant when he first responded to news of the crisis. As CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports, Huckabee expressed his "sincere concern and apologies for what has happened in Pakistan" – a statement that led to questions about what exactly he was apologizing for. The Huckabee campaign clarified his remarks, saying that the candidate "intended to extend his deepest sympathies to the people of Pakistan when he used the word 'apologies.'"

And, when voicing his concerns about what may happen in Pakistan as a result, Huckabee indicated that he was worried about whether martial law in the country will be "continuing" despite the fact it has been suspended for almost two weeks. The campaign again responded, saying, "Governor Huckabee firmly believes that emergency rule/martial law in Pakistan, as a practical matter, should not be viewed as having been completely lifted until the restrictions imposed during that period on the press and judges are removed." It's a lot of parsing, perhaps, but in the last week of the campaign, nearly everything a front-runner says will be under a microscope. For a candidate with little foreign policy experience and almost no policy advisors, those words will be even more finely parsed.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, seemed to say all the right things. As he has throughout the campaign, he said that the war in Iraq has diverted the nation's attention to the dangerous situation in Pakistan. "It’s an indication that we are in a dangerous world," he said, "right now that we have to apply good judgment in our foreign policy." But Obama advisor David Axelrod took that argument a little further as it applies to Hillary Clinton. "I think people need to judge where these candidates were and what they've said and what they've done on these issues," Axelrod told reporters. "She was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, which we would submit, was one of the reasons why we were diverted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaeda, who may have been players in this event today, so that’s a judgment she’ll have to defend."

Axelrod later told CBS News' Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder that he was "in no way" implying that Clinton's position had anything to do with the assassination. "All I’m implying is [about] the policy that the war in Iraq that Obama said in 2002 was going to distract us from Afghanistan and Pakistan and Al Qaeda, and that they would regenerate themselves and that they would become more powerful and influential. He exercised good judgment. She’ll have to explain her position."

Obama himself addressed Axelrod's comments in an appearance on "Larry King Live" last night. "He was asked very specifically about the argument that the Clinton folks were making that somehow this was going to change the dynamic of politics in Iowa," Obama said. "First of all, that shouldn't have been the question. The question should be, how is this going to impact the safety and security of the United States, not how is it going to affect a political campaign in Iowa." He added, "he in no way was suggesting that Hillary Clinton was somehow directly to blame for this situation. That is the kind of, I think, gloss that sometimes emerges out of the heat of campaigns that doesn't make much sense."

Whether it makes sense or not, there are just six days left before Iowans weigh in on this presidential race. A day spent explaining what candidates or advisors meant to say isn't the most efficient use of that time.

Plus: Clinton, Huckabee lead in latest Iowa poll, Obama and Romney head fields in New Hampshire; Romney and McCain battle it out over the airwaves in the Granite State; Club for Growth expands Huckabee criticism to South Carolina; Giuliani defends use of 9/11 images in ad and most Republicans indicate they’re still willing to change their minds. In today's Horserace.