Debate

Americans watched the debate, featured to the right, just like I did. Note the pictures taken from my computer. Here's my notes throughout...

Financial Crisis:

McCain: I want to emphasize one point...this is the end of the beginning.... We've got a lot of work to do.

Obama: I do think there is contstructive work going on out there... the question we have to ask ourselves is how did we get into this situation in the first place?

Obama: we need more responsibilty... but not just when there's a crisis

So far it's like they are giving mini speeches.

As the moderator said: I'm just trying to get you two to talk to each other.

McCain: we've got to fix this system... We have a long way to go, and obviously stricter interpretation and consolidation of regulatory agencies that weren't doing there job. But i have a fundamental belief in the american worker... I still believe under the right leadership our best days are ahead of us.

FUNDAMENTAL differences

McCain: get spending under control. We spend $3 million to study bears....I'm going to veto every single spending bill that comes across my desk- WOW sounds familiar.

Obama: Let's be clear ear marks account for 18 billion dollars, but mccain has propposed a tax cut of 300 billion....We've got to grow the economy from the bottom up.

McCain: Sen. Obama suspended those pork barrels after he started running...I was called the sheriff by one of the members in the appropriations committee. I want to cut taxes and keep spending low.

Obama: I dont know where John is getting his figures.... health care... stop jobs going over... back to the original point. And when I'm president... eliminating earmarks alone is not going to get the middle class back on track.

McCain: A lot of people might be interestied in Sen obama's def of rich

mccain: this is an example of walking the walk and talking the talk. You've got to look at our records.... Who has been the person who has tried to keep spending under control.




RESCUE PLAN:

Obama: We have to have energy independence so that in 10 years time we have become independent from independent oil....We have to fix our health care system which is putting an enormous burden on families. We have to do that now because it will actually make our businesses and families better off. We have to make sure that we are competing ... that our children our keeping pace. And we have to make sure that college is affordable. And improve our infrastructure. There are some things that we've got to do structurally to compete globally.

McCain: No matter what we've got to cut spending. Sen. Obama has the highest spending record. I think that we have to return, particuarly in defence spending,... we now have defence speding that is completely out of control. Need fixed costs contracts. We need to understand that defense spending is vital. I saved the tax payers 6.8 billion dollars ... "We fixed it and we killed it and people went to federal prison...

McCain: spending freeze

Obama: problem is you're using a hatchet when you need a scalpel.

McCain: The fact is that we can create 700,00 new jobs by creating nuclear power plants.

Obama: the only point i want to make is this is that if im going to have to make those tought decisions we need to know what our values are...i want to make sure we aren't shortchanging our long term values.

McCain: i want to make sure we arent handing health care over to the federal government.

Obama; John, it's been your president who you said you agreed with 90 percent of the time who increased spending...

WAR




McCain: it's well known that I have not been elected Ms. Congeniality...


McCain: we will win in Iraq and we will come home with victory... we are winning in Iraq.

Obama:The first questions is whether we should have gone into this war to begin with. Six years ago I opposed this war..... We hadn't finished the job in Afghanistan... I wish i had been wrong for the sake of the country and they (bush and McCain) had been right.. We took our eye off the ball. Not to mention we are still spending 10 billion a month when they have 79 billion surplus....John you like to pretend like the war started in 2007.... you said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were, you were wrong...

McCain: I'm afraid sen Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy. Sen. Obama did the incredible thing of cutting off the funding for the troops

Obama: Sen. McCain opposed funding for troops that had a timetable...We had a difference on the time table not over funding the troops...The war on terror started in Afghanistan and it needs to end there... We need to bolster our efforts to capture and kill Bin Laden.

McCain: Petraeus and Bin laden have one thing in common, that Iraq was central....if we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory it will lead to a larger war.

Obama: Yes we need more troops.... we had the highest fatalities in US troops since 2002... I would send 2 to 3 extra brigades... Here's what we have to do comprehensively press the Afghan government and make sure they are dealing with their people...

McCain: First of all I don't want to repeat my mistake... ignoring Afghanistan - we have to wash our hands of history...I'm not prepared to cut of aid to Pakistan, so I'm not prepared to threaten it. Sen. Obama said he's prepared to launch strikes. You don't do that, you don't say that out loud.

Obama: Nobody talked about attacking Pakistan....If Pakistan is unwilling to act we should take them out. Presidents have to be prudent in what they say, coming from you someone who has threatened extension of North Korea...

McCain: Mother asked him to wear bracelet of her son who died ... mother said... I want you to do everything in vain that my son's death was not in vain. I know what it's like to be in defeat. I know how hard it is for an army and a military to recover from that. And it did.

Obama: I have a bracelet too... No US soldier ever dies in vain... because they are following the orders of our commander in chief

McCain: we cannot allow a 2nd holocaust...

McCain: wants to create a league

Obama: thinks Republican guard in Iraq are terrorists....


MORE TO COME FROM THE DEBATE... AND COMMENTARY TO COME....

Debates over Kissinger's point of view and Putin

Notable quote.... McCain:

"I looked into Putin's eyes and I saw a K a B and a G"