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Sporadic live debate blogging:
McCain seems much more dated, aged this week. His economic ideas sound really like recycled Reagan ones. Tax credits. While people are losing their homes? Their pension funds have crashed? Companies can't get credit? 40 million people don't have health care? Does he realize the enormity of what's been happening the past few weeks?
A commission for Medicare. (Ok, I guessed I missed his proposal to buy bad mortgages or didn't get it).
Obama: We can't simply drill our way out of the problem. ... We are going to have to come up with alternatives.
McCain: "That one"? (He can't stand looking at Obama).
Midway thru sense: This is not a good night for McCain. ....
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(Humanitarian intervention, Obama v McCain doctrines):
McCain: My record opposing going into Lebanon, supporting intervention in Kosovo Bosnia and Iraq .... shows my judgment is good.....and Obama was wrong.
Obama: McCain suggests I don't understand. I don't understand how we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 while al Qaeda set up base camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said we'd be greeted as liberators in Iraq. He was wrong. ... Enormous strain on our budget. Sen. McCain and I do agree that this is the greatest nation on earth. Never saw a nation in history of world saw ecnoomy decline and saw its military power maintained.
Obama: when genocide happening and we stand idly by, that diminishes us. We have to consider it in our national interest intervening when possible. ....
McCain: if we had done what Sen. Obama had wanted done in Iraq, it would have led to withdrawal on a timeline. ... Sen. Obama would have been brought our troops home in defeat, I will bring them home with honor.
(McCain): US is greatest force for good in world. But requires person who knows limits. Somalia --started as peacekeepers, became peacemakers, had to leave in disgrace. In Lebanon, I stood up to Pres. Reagan my hero and said Marines shouldn't be there. Realize send America's most precious asset into harm's way. I've been in that situation all my life.
McCain: my hero is a guy named Teddy Roosevelt. TR said talk softly and carry a big stick. Sen. Obama talks loudly. Sen. Obama says he wants to attack Pakistan.
Obama: I want to be very clear about what I said. Nobody called for invasion of Pakistan. What I said today was that if Pakistan is unable or unwilling to hunt down bin Laden and take him out, then we should. That has to be our policy because they are threatening to kill more Americans. Sen. McCain suggests I'm green behind ears and he's somber and responsible, this is the guy who sang bomb bomb bomb Iran, and who called for the annihilation of North Korea. This is not talking softly . This is the guy who said midway thru Afghanistan, next stop, Baghdad. ...(he is sounding more forceful).
[...]
McCain gets Ukrainian American vote. He's quite fluent and coherent on Russia. Says we won't have a new cold war. Moral support. etc. etc.
Obama: basically supports McCain on Russia stuff. Need to see around corners. Tend to be reactive.
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Questioner: If Iran attacks Israel, would you wait for UN SC approval before aiding Israel?
(I know the answer. NO!)
McCain: Obama wants negotiations with Iran without preconditions. I want to have Bush policy of joining with our friends in league of democracies to pressure Iran to change its behavior. But at end of day my friend we can never allow a second Holocaust to take place.
Obama: Terry, first of all we honor your service. We cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon. It would be a game changer in region, not only would it threaten Israel, our strongest ally,but also create possiblility of nuclear weapons to fall into hands of terrorists. And we will do everything in our power to prevent it... It is important to use all tools at our disposal to prevent scenario where have to make that kind of choices. If we can work w/ other countries to tighten sanctions on Iran, reduce our energy consumption so Iran has less money, Iran imports gasoline - if we can prevent them from importing refined petroleum, that starts putting squeeze on. It is true that I believe we should have direct talks not just with our friends but with our enemies, to communicate that if you don't change your behavior, there will be dire consequences, if you do change your behavior, .... (better relations). We have got to try to have talks understanding that we don't take military options off the table.
Update: David Brooks: not a great debate. If had to pick edge, edge went to Obama. Obama seemed more confident, more at home in the times.
Mark Shields: I don't think gloves came off.