Alright, I'm going to try to live blog this.  I have my glass of Gentleman Jack in hand, so let's see if I can make it through the whole thing.

Question 1: How are you going to bail out the rest of us?

Obama - Failed Bush policies of the last 8 years caused this.  Yeah, sing me a new song.  He also brought up the AIG junket I blogged about today.  We also need a tax cut.  That will save the rest of us.  Then fix health care and energy.  Where is the money going to come from?  He doesn't, and never says.

McCain - It's our job to fix this problem.  The solution is... energy independence?  WTF?!  Stop the spending spree in Washington.  How much do we spend every month on the Iraq War again? As President of the Unite States, he would buy up bad mortgages and force the terms of the loan to be renegotiated?!  Wow.  McCain really is a socialist.

Question 2:  Who would you appoint to his new Treasury Post?

McCain - Warren Buffet?  Meg Whitman?  She knows how to create jobs, through eBay.  It has to be someone we trust.  Silly me.  I thought we created this country with a Constitution where no man would be in enough power to need that kind of trust.

Obama - Need someone who knows that its not enough to help at the top, but help the middle class.  Going back to class warfare and mentioning "trickle down economics" a lot.  It's like I've time traveled to 1984 again... in more ways than one.  And welcome to the NSA who just started reading this as I type.

Question 3:  How is this bailout going to help us all?

McCain - I suspended my campaign (and then barely did anything) to make sure that certain oversight was done.  Obama, the Democrats and his cronies were in bed with Freddie and Fannie, and stopped oversight against the two several years ago, and got lots of campaign contributions.  Obama got the second most money from both of them in history.  It's not enough to shore up this institutions, but we also have to stabilize home values.

Obama - The credit markets are frozen up, so small and some large businesses can't get loans. This is pretty bogus since very few small businesses depend on short term loans to make payroll.  Obama is saying he wrote to the Treasury last year, and tried to regulate more, and nothing happened, while McCain did nothing but deregulate.  This is the beginning of the process.  We're so fucked.

Interim Question: Are things going to get worse before they get better?

Obama - No, he's confident in the economy.  Really?  Watched CNBC lately?  We have to change regulations.

McCain - It depends on what we do.  Repeated that people need a new mortgage at the new value of their home.  And what happens to the principle that is lost on that loan?  What bank will give me a mortgage if they are strapped with huge losses due to a reworked mortgage, or the threat that a judge could rewrite the terms of a loan?

Question 4:  How can we trust either one of you with our money when you both caused this?!

Great question...

Obama - We had surplus when George Bush came into office.  He spent a ton of money.  Too true.  Nobody is innocent.  Are you saying that as a Democrat, you would have spent less?  No, he would spend money on the key issues.  So Obama's plan isn't to spend less, but rather to simply spend it on different things.  Who the hell are you people?!  But he claims that he will cut more than spend.  I'll believe that when I see it.

McCain - The system is broken.  But John McCain is a reformer.  OH MY GOD - He mentioned McCain-Feingold!  This situation cries out for bipartisanship.  Of course, when both parties work together, the government only spends more as a result, not less.  Most independent monitoring agencies rate McCain better than Obama.  Of course, they're both bad, but somehow McCain is less bad.  Then he brings up earmarks again.  Then he brings up energy independence, which of course is a pipe dream and will do nothing to help the economy.

Question 5:  What is your highest priority - Health Care, Energy, Entitlement Reform

McCain - You can work at all three at once!  Talk about a cop out answer.  McCain can reach across the aisle, and then mentions two of the most liberal Senators in Congress (Feingold and Kennedy).  He keeps coming back to $700 billion dollars that gets sent overseas with oil.  You can't drill that much.  Isn't it amazing that this $700 billion just happens to match the bailout bill?

Obama - We have to prioritize.  You pay too much for energy, so we have to deal with this now.  Mentions Russia and Venezuela because they benefit.  Have to spend $15 billion to get independent of Middle Eastern oil in 10 years.  By the way Barack, neither Venezuela nor Russia are in the Middle East.  Secondly he'll go after health care, and then entitlement reform.  Then he pulls out the tired line of going through the budget line by line.  Do you know how long the budget is?  It gets sent to the White House in multiple boxes!  It'll take you 4 years to go through the first year's budget!

Question 6:  What sacrifices are you going to ask of the American people to get out of this?

McCain - We have to cut some programs.  Then he talks about getting rid of corrupt projects in defense spending.  Earmarks will have to be eliminated and scrutinized.  We'll have a spending freeze, except on defense, veterans affairs and "other vital things".  In other words, freeze everything but 90% of the budget.  Yeah.  That's real sacrifice.

Obama - Many of you remember 9/11.  Many?  We as a country came together, and Bush even did some smart things, but his call to service to "go out and shop" was not good.  We're apparently hungry for leadership not just in government, but outside of government.  I don't trust you to reform government.  What the hell makes you think I trust you to reform anything outside of Washington?  Then he mentions other alternative energy items.  Then he wants to give un incentives to be more energy efficent.  He also wants to double the Peace Corp, and also create other Volunteer Corps.  Because by giving the Federal Government a cheap slave force, government spending will decrease?  Nice try.

Question 7:  We got drunk on spending.  How do you reign that in?

Obama - We have to reign in federal spending, to encourage other people to decrease spending.  Obama finally mentioned that earmarks only account for $18 million in spending.  It's a drop in the damn bucket!  People don't feel like they're sharing the burden.  Why do I need any burden?  You gave me my burden!

McCain - Obama wants to raise taxes during tough times.  The last President to do that was Herbert Hoover, and he also practiced protectionism.  Obama's secret is that his tax increases will hit 50% of small business revenue.  Small businesses will be seriously hurt because of his tax policies.  He's not in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy.  He's in favor leaving tax rates alone, and of doubling the tax credit from $3500 to $7000.  Well, I don't have kids, so I'm screwed I guess.  Don't get any ideas Ally.

Wow - Brokaw is really being a stickler for time.

Question 8:  How are we going to handle entitlements?

Obama - We're not going to solve Social Security and Medicare unless we understand our tax policies.  95% of Americans will see their taxes go down.  And he corrected McCain on small businesses, and give them the ability to buy health benefits for their employees.  McCain wants to give a tax cut to the wealthy, and to CEO's on Wall Street.  Neither one of these guys are talking about anything that will do any good to solve any of the real problems.  This is all window dressing.  And people will buy into it.

McCain - Social Security isn't that tough of a problem to fix.  All we have to do is sit across the table form each other!  He doesn't mention what they'll say at the table, but somehow it'll magically get fixed by just sitting down.  Medicare is tougher.  To fix that, we need a commission of the smartest people in the middle (like those smart guys on Wall Street?).  Obama has voted 94 times to increases taxes or vote against a tax cut.  He ran for the Senate on a proposal to cut taxes for the middle class, and never proposed one.

Question 9:  Senator McCain - Congress moved fast, and I want to know what you'll do to make Congress move fast on the environment.

Gee... I wonder if she's a liberal.  That was the first question directed at McCain by name.

McCain - He worked with Lieberman to work on the environment.  We need nuclear power.  I was on Navy ships that had nuclear power, and it was safe.  Obama opposes it.  And then mentions a laundry list of buzz words of things.  And it will get our economy going creating jobs!  Wahoo!

Obama - It's not just a challenge, but an opportunity.  We can create 5 million new jobs with a new energy economy!  Who the hell are you people?!  Computers were created by government scientists?  I know some university and garage geeks who have issue with that idea.  McCain has voted 23 times against alternative fuels.  Who the hell cares?  Why is it governments responsibility to do any of that?  This isn't the USSA dammit!

Question 10:  Do we need a Manhattan project, or 10,000 garage projects?

McCain - We need government scientists to figure it out, and then hand it over to the private sector.  You mean like SynthFuel?  Who wants to vote for John McCarter?  If we drill off shore now, it can have an effect on prices today, even if a drop doesn't flow for 10 years.  And economically, that's correct.

Question 11:  Health Care has been a profitable industry.  Should it be a commodity

Obama - This is the single most important issue among people in this country.  If you have a plan you like, you can keep it.  And he'll work with your employer to lower costs, through prevention and computerizing paperwork.  Otherwise, you can buy into the same pool that Obama and McCain get.  And, don't worry about pre-existing conditions.  McCain will tax your benefits!  And he wants to keep states from regulating.  Even though, but allowing you to buy health insurance across state lines, it will actually lower prices by making states be competitive again!

McCain - We need to put health records online, because Amy Kant will tell you, your records online are totally safe from hackers and identity thieves.  Let's have community health centers and walk-in clinics.  Obama wants to fine you for buying your own insurance?  McCain will give you a refundable tax credit of $5000 which will be a net gain so you can shop around.  He doesn't explain the ability cross state lines well at all.

Is Health Care a Privledge, a Right or a Responsibility

McCain - A responsibility.  And McCain is afraid of government mandates, except for the $700 billion dollar mandate to buy mortgages and renegotiate down the principle of course.  That mandate is just fine.

Obama - It's a right in a country like this.  Then he brings up his mother who died of cancer at 53.  Then he basically gives a laundry list of all sorts of things he'll do to give you money, and insurance, and pie in the sky ideas.  Obama is making up shit about buying insurance across state lines.

McCain - Did we hear the size of the fine?

Question 12:  How will this crisis keep us from being a Peace Maker in this world?

OK, so that was the McCain shill.  Why is it our job to be a peace maker in this world?

McCain - Short Version: America - Fuck Yeah!

Obama - Short Version: Iraq was a mistake.

What is the Obama Doctrine, and What is the McCain Doctrine when National Security isn't at stake?

Obama - There may not be national security at stake, but there are moral considerations.  By that definition though, doesn't that mean that Iraq wasn't a mistake?

McCain - Obama was wrong to suggest that we pull out of Iraq early in defeat.  McCain will bring our troops home with victory and honor.  We are the greatest force for good, and must do whatever we can.  We also have to understand the limits of our capabilities.  We have to temper decisions.  And as we all know, McCain never ever has angry moments.  *cough*

Question 13:  Should we go into Pakistan without permission?

Obama - We have to consider this question because we went into Iraq and didn't catch Bin Laden.  But he's also not answering the question.  Would he or would he not respect their borders.  He's talking about pressuring Afghanistan more than Pakistan.  We have to crush the Taliban.

McCain - His hero is Teddy Roosevelt.  He likes to talk softly and carry a big stick.  Obama talked his mouth off and threatened them with an attack.  We supported the Afghan Freedom Fighters, who turned into the Taliban.  They're the same group, but McCain makes them sound different.  That's right, we funded them, thanks for the reminder.  We have to help Pakistan work within their own borders, and coordinate with them, not attack them.

Obama - Nobody called for the invasion of Pakistan.  If they are unwilling or unable to hunt Bin Laden, then we should.  That should be our policy.  McCain sang "bomb bomb bomb Iran" and destroying North Korea.  Is that speaking softly?  Well done.

McCain - He understands what it's like to send our men into harms way.  McCain knows how to get Bin Laden.  But he's not going to tell us how.

People on the ground are saying we're losing if Afghanistan.  We need an acceptable dictator.

Acceptable dictator?  Excuse me?

Obama - We are going to have to make the Iraqi government take responsibility so we can shift troops to Afghanistan.  We don't want a dictator there, we want a democracy!

McCain - General Petraeus is now in overall command there, and he's talked to him.  We have to have a streamlines NATO command structure and double the size of their military.  But since Obama wouldn't admit he was wrong on the Surge on Iraq, why would he suggest the same strategy in Afghanistan.  Good counter.

Question 14:  How can we force Russia to be more humanitarian without being in another Cold War?

McCain - Russia being irresponsible, especially for a country as they now are.  He believes he's a KGB man.  We have to advocate for Georgia and the Ukraine's membership into an organization that has to reason for being any more! (NATO).  Still didn't answer the question about what he'd do to prevent a Cold War.

Obama - Can't just show moral support.  We also have to give them money to rebuild their economies, because we have to fix everybody's economy, not just our own!  Spend spend spend!  The situation in Georgia is unsustainable?  Your spending habits are unsustainable!  Not catching Bin Laden has cost us dearly. How exactly?  When was the last time we heard from him?  Yeah, I want him dead too, but he's been pushed to the sidelines.

Is Russia an Evil Empire?

Obama - They have engaged in evil behavior.

McCain - Maybe.  It depends on how we respond to them.  Yes means cold war.  No means we believe their behavior is acceptable.  I think we can deal with them, but we're firm and determined.

If Iran attacks Israel, would you be willing to commit troops to support them, or would you wait for the UN?

McCain - No, we wouldn't wait for the UN Security Council because Russia and China would block.  Iran is a threat to the Middle East, and then having a nuclear weapon would destabilize the region.  Obama wants to meet without preconditions.  McCain wants tough new sanctions, and he wants a League of Democracies.  Is that like a League of Nations?  What a loser idea.

Obama - We can't allow Iran to get nukes.  He will do everything required to prevent it.  We will never take military options off the table.  And we don't give the UN veto power against our interests.  But we have to use all tools we have.  Somehow we have to work with other countries, but never give up our interests.  Hate to break it to you Barack, but those are generally mutually exclusive.  We have to talk directly to not just our friends, but also our enemies.  I think Obama wins on the talking point.

What Don't You Know, and How Will You Learn It?

Obama - Michelle can tell you, and I learn things from her.  Great.  You never get the challenges you expect.  So why are we debating the same tired issues?  This country gave him opportunity.  Poor man story.  Yada yada.  Wow, he's great at not answering a question.

McCain - What I don't know, is that everyone doesn't know.  We don't know what the challenges are?  So basically, we don't know how to fix what we know about, and we don't know what's ahead.  We're fucked.  Great.  McCain also gives his poor childhood story because his dad as at sea.  He's asking Americans to give him another opportunity to serve.

My Closing Thoughts

I have one simple question to close out this debate.  If both McCain and Obama are both running as Socialists, shouldn't they have faced each other in a Primary instead of the main election?