7:52pm – I’m going to live blog the first presidential debate being held in Oxford, MS starting in about 8 minutes.
8:01p – Finanical recovery plan
Barack Obama – forgeting that this mortgage mess was initiated by the Clinton administration, but Bush is culpable too.
McCain – Lauding bipartisan work on financial crisis. A lot of work to do. This is just the beginning. Bringing oil independence into the debate – good.
8:08p – Obama – two years ago said something about this? I know McCain warned about the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae problems a long time ago.
McCain is highlighting that now.
8:09p – McCain we need greater accountability, called for the resignation of the SEC chair. People will be held accountable.
8:11p – Obama – tax policy has been a problem.
McCain – this is broken, the regulatory agencies weren’t doing their job.
8:12p – McCain – spending is completely out of control. “We Republicans came to change Washington, and Washington changed us.” Bringing up the shame of earmarks – he will veto earmarks.
8:14p – McCain – earmarks – Obama – 900 million for Illinois.
Obama – “I suspended earmarks.” Yeah, this year. When he was running for President!
8:15p – Obama – taxcuts for 95% of population. Let’s raise taxes on those who provide jobs!
8:16p – McCain calling Obama on his “Johnny come lately” attitude on earmarks.
Cut spending, keep taxes low.
8:17p – Obama – “I don’t know where John his gettting his info.” – um his congressional record!
8:19p – McCain – 2000 earmarks in an upcoming bill.
8:20p – McCain – the worse thing we can possibly do is raise taxes on anybody. What’s Senator Obama’s definition of rich?
8:21p – Obama – anyone over $250,000 are rich. Do you realize that this would also include small businesses? Self-employed people? He’s going to kill, kill small business.
8:22p – McCain – walking the walk, not just talking the talk. I voted against earmarks, Senator Obama hasn’t.
8:23p – McCain – has voted to increase taxes on those who are under $250,000 – check out the congressional record.
8:24p – discussing what are you going to have to give up in your priorities as a result of this “rescue plan”.
Obama – not answering the question. “We’ll have to delay some things.” No cuts in his spending! He can’t answer this simple question. Programs that don’t work? Which ones?
McCain – Look at everything. Eliminate ethanol subsidies. Fixed cost contracts. Talking about Defense contracts – his experience shows through.
8:30p – Obama – I seem like I’m the most liberal because I’ve been opposing this President’s wrongheaded policies – like abortion… and ESCR, etc. Yeah real wrongheaded. Life is a wrongheaded I guess.
8:31p – Obama – wants to increase early childhood education. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Not the Federal government’s job! How about encouraging parents to actually parent when their children are young.
8:33p – Are you willing to acknowledge that this economic crisis will effect the way you govern.
Obama – it will effect our budget – really? He didn’t list any. We have to know what our values are – which for him is income redistribution.
McCain – want to make sure we aren’t handing the healthcare system over to the Federal government. We obviously have to cut spending. Obama has $800 billion in spending programs.
8:37p – Obama – McCain voted 90% with Bush – Bush hasn’t been wrong all of that time.
McCain points out that he has stood against his own party on a number of occassions.
8:38p – Talking about Iraq
McCain – was in favor of surge – we will come home with honor. Consequences of defeat – increase of Iranian influence, sectarian violence, and wider war.
Obama – I stood up and oppossed this war – when he wasn’t in the U.S. Senate. Like that was really a risky move on his part. Please!
Obama basically has nothing to say about how to handle Iraq NOW. All he could say was “we shouldn’t have gone in.”
McCain – the next President won’t have to deal with whether we should have gone there. The next President will need to figure out how to withdraw, and how to win.
Obama – “Senator McCain was right about the surge.” LOL! I bet he hated saying that!
8:43p – McCain – “Senator Obama obviously doesn’t understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy.” McCain sounds like a Commander-in-Chief. Obama doesn’t.
8:47p – Obama is excellent with his hindsight. No foresight though.
8:47p – McCain – General Petreus said Obama’s strategy is dangerous. Obama’s original plan was to pull out before the surge. If we “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” it will result in a wider war.
8:49p – Talking Afghanistan
Obama – need more troops. We’ve got to deal with Pakistan – how? How? HOW? No specifics.
McCain – won’t repeat the mistake we made during the Soviet occupation – don’t abandon that region like we did after the Soviets left.
Not ready to pull aid from Pakistan, won’t launch raids into Pakistan like Obama says – you don’t say that out loud.
Has been to Wazeristan (sp?). He has a much better handle on what is happening on the ground there than Obama.
8:53p – Obama – I didn’t say I would attack Pakistan. Yes he did! He wasn’t prudent with his speech.
8:55p – Obama basically says we shouldn’t supported Mushariff. Don’t think he understands the dynamics of the Pakistani political scene. He brought moderation to the country.
Dang my livestream was interrupted. Missed some stuff.
9:00p – McCain shared a story about a bracelet he was given by a soldiers family. Obama comes back – “I have a bracelet too.” LOL can we say LAME comeback.
9:02p – Out again! Had to restart it.
Talking about Iranians.
9:04p – McCain – have no doubt that the Iranians are moving toward nuclear armments. Also sending IEDs into Iraq. So we are fighting them biproxy already.
We can act, and act with our allies.
9:05p – Obama basically saying we should have kept a brutal dictator in place in Iraq to help keep Iran at bay. I’m sure people tortured under his regime will love to hear that.
9:06p – McCain talking about Obama wanting to talk with Chavez, Iran’s president (can’t spell it, LOL) without preconditions. You don’t talk to men like that without preconditions.
9:10p – Obama will bring world peace with the strength of his tongue!
9:11p – McCain – “I am not going to set the White House vistor schedule, I don’t have a seal yet.”
McCain – Kissenger did not say that we should meet with Iran without preconditions.
9:12p – McCain to have preconditions with North Korea – they have broken every deal we’ve ever made. Go back to Reagan position – “trust, but verify.”
9:14p – Obama getting spanked about his statements on Kissenger. Parsing words.
Onto Russia…
9:15p – Obama – Russia’s actions against Georgia was unacceptable. It just took him several days to figure that out.
9:16p – McCain – pointing out Obama’s naivete regarding Russia. “When I looked into Putin’s eyes I saw three letters – a K a G and a B.” LOL!
Has flown to the region to meet with Georgian leadership. We will support Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.
9:19p – We will work with Russia, but we will expect them to respect their neighbors borders.
Obama – we agree. But I put out a strong statement first – no he didn’t. It was at least three statements before he actually had it right!
Talking energy independence…
McCain – for offshore drilling and the kitchen sink. Obama – the kitchen sink except offshore drilling and ins and outs of nuclear power.
Obama – “I’m not against nuclear waste.” That didn’t come out right.
Regarding Homeland Security…
9:24p – McCain – “An attack on us is less likely. We are safer, but not yet completely safe.” We need to beef up intelligence capabilities. Better trained interigators so we don’t torture.
Involved in getting 9/11 commission together.
Obama – hardening our chemical sites and transportation. Need to focus on nuclear proliferation. Restore our standing in the world. Many of our allies have corrupted governments though – like France before Chirac was out.
9:30p – McCain – we would lose everything we have gained in Iraq with Obama’s policies.
Obama – Bin Landen is still out there – exactly how would he go get them? Oh yeah he would invade Pakistan.
9:31p – Obama – we are spending so much on Iraq we can’t pay for healthcare. Um look at your constitution – which is the role of the Federal government.
9:33p – McCain – Obama is not ready to lead. I know the veterans, I know them well and I will take care of them. I love them and they know I’ll take care of them (which is why he leads in the polls with military families).
Closing: This was McCain’s strong suit. I think that he clearly showed that he had a handle on foreign policy. He knows the issues. He has the experience to lead. He looked like a Commander-in-Chief. Barack Obama did not.