Presidential Debate Live Blog From Yale Law School

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I'm live blogging the debates from Yale Law School at an event co-hosted by the Yale Law Democrats and Yale Law Republicans. Please refresh the page for updates..

10:34: McCain and Obama both head for the corwd, now joined by Cindy. Michelle is now going through the crowd as well.

10:34: Brokaw: "You're in the way of my script." A weak finish if there ever was one.

10:32: McCain: "What I don't know is what all of us don't know. What is going to happen here at home and abroad. . . . There will be challenges around the world that are new and different. What I don't know is what the unexpected will be. I have spent my whole life serving my country." "I know what it's like in dark times, I know what it's like to have to fight to keep ones hope going through difficult times. I know what it's like to have to rely on others . . . " A strong close here with an implicit comparison to his Vietnam captivity. "I am asking the American people to give me another opportunity." "Times are tough, we need a steady hand at the tiller, and the great honor of my life was to always put my country first."

10:32: Obama: "We're going to have to have the courage, the sacrifice, and the nerve."

10:30: Obama: "Here's what I do know: I wouldn't be standing her if it weren't for the fact that this country gave me opportunity." "Despite all that, I was able to go to the best schools on earth. I was able to succeed." "Are we going to pass on that same Aerican dream to the next generation. A strong move by Obama here at the end. "We can't expect that if we do the smae things we've been doing over the last eight years we are going to have a different outcome."

10:30: Obama "My wife Michelle is there, and she could give you a much longer list than I do"- a good humanizing touch- the first real laugh from the audience of the night.

10:29 Brokaw: The last question from Amherst, New Hampshire: "What don't you know and how will you learn it."

10:29: The last question.

10:29: Obama "We've got to try to have talks."

10:28 Obama: "A tough, direct messgae to Iran- if you don't change your behavior, there will be dire consequences."

10:28: Obama: "If we can prevent Iran from importing the gasoline they need, . . . that starts putting the squeeze on them."

10:27: Obama: "We cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon. Not only would it threaten Israel, it would also create the possiblity of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. We will never take military options off the table." "It is important for us to use all the tools at our disposal to prevent the scenario where we have to make those kidsn of choices." He's not near the questioner though- not as personal as McCain was.

10:26: McCain: "What would you do if you were the Israelies and the President . . . calls your country a stinking corpse." McCain on his "League of Democracies" which he discussed in the first debate. This is a strong answer. "You know what it's like to serve. You know what's like to sacrifice. We can never allow a second holocaust to take place."

10:25 McCain "Thank you my friends, thanks for serving" A strong line emphasizing his service- he actually went over, shook hands, and patted the man on the shoulder. It will be interesting to watch how Obama starts his answer.

10:24; Question: "Would you be willing to commit troops in support of Israel or would you wait for approval from the U.N. Security counsel."

10:24: McCain: "I think we can deal with it. They've got to understand they're facing a firm United States of America."

10:24: McCain: "Maybe. If I say yes, we're reigniting the old cold war."

10:23 Obama: "I think they engaged in evil behavior."

10:22: Brokaw: "This requires a yes or no . . . . Do you think Russia is an evil empire?"

10:20: Obama "We can't just provide moral support. . . We've also got to provide them with financial and concrete assistance to rebuild their economies." "We've got to see around the corners. We've got to anticipate some of these problems ahead of time"- an analogy used by Biden in the previous debate.

10:19: McCain: "I looked into his eyes and I saw three letters, a K, a G, and a B"- a line used in the last debate and beforehand. "Putin has Ukraine in his sites." "We've got to make the Russian's understand there are penalties for this behavior."

10:19: To answer an earlier question from a viewer in Marks' comments: I'm watching this on C-Span (I think it provides the best straight coverage to watch without interference."

10:17: McCain: "General Patreus has just taken a position of repsonsiblity" "It is the same overall strategy, of course we have to do some things tactically. We

10:17: Interestingly, not that much on the economy - lots of foreigh policy.

10:16: Obama "We are going to have to put some additional troops in Afghanistan. . . . The commander in Afghanistan is depserate for more help."

10:16: Brokaw: "Can I get a quick response form the two of you on dvelopments in Afghanistan." "How do you reorganize Afghanistan's strategy."

10:15: McCain: My friends: 13. "I know how to do it. I know how to get him, but I'm not going to telegraph my intentions."

10:14: McCain: "Not true. Not Ture. I have obviously supported those efforts where the United States had to go in militarily. I understand what's it like to send veterans into harms way. I was joking with an old veteran friend."

10:13: Obama: "Senator McCain suggests that I'm green behind the ears, and just spouting off, and he's somber and responsible."McCain: "Thank you very much." that didn't come off very well. Obama: "He said 'bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."

10:13: Brokaw: "I'm just hired help here."

10:13: McCain : "If we're gonna have followups, I want followups"

10:12 McCain: Interesting that he's advocating that he is more peaceful and Obama is more beliccose.

10:11: McCain: "General Patreus had a strategy, the same fundamental strategy that succeeded in Iraq. That is to get the support of people."

10:11: McCain: "Talk softly and carry a big stick. Senator Obama likes to talk loudly."

10:10: Obama "If we have Osama Bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistanit Government is unwilling to take him out, we will act."

10:09 Obama quoting Gates on Afghanistan "That's where the war on terrorism started, that's where it will end"- the response to McCain's "Patreus and Bin Laden agree on one thing- the war is in Iraq" line.

10:09: Obama: "That's the central front on terrorism."

10:09: Obama: "We have a bad situation because . . . we got distracted, diverted resources, Bin Laden escaped, and set up a base in the mountains of Afghanistan."

10:08: Question: "Should the United States respect Pakistani sovereignty and pursue Al Qaeda there or ignore their borders and pursue our enemy like we did in Cambodia?

10:07: McCain "The security of fine young men and women serving in the military are my first priority after the security of the nation."

10:06: McCain: "It has to be tempered with our ability to affect the situation. That requires a cool hand at the tiller." "We ended up trying to be peacemakers, and we ended up having to withdraw." McCain playing an interesting line given Iraq, "You need to temper your decisions." "I know those situations, I've been in them all my life."

10:06: McCain : "Senator Obama would have brough our troops home in defeat. I will bring them home with honor."

10:06: McCain: If we had set a date of withdrawal "we would have had a wider war."

10:05 Obama: We can only stop Darfur if we set up internaitonal cooperation.

10:04: When ethnic cleansing is going on and we stand idly by we have to intervene.

10:04: Obama If we could have stopped the holocaust, "Who among us would say we did not have a moral obligation to go in?

10:04: Brokaw is doing his best to ask his own questions and geld the town hall format.

10:03: Brokaw: "Can we establish the Obama doctrine and the McCain doctrine."

10:02: Obama now unloading on Iraq (as we thought he would on this question two minutes ago." "It's put an enormous strain on our troops, and we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude."

10:01 McCain: "We don't have time for on the job training, my friend." My Friend: 12.

10:00 Expect Obama to unload on Iraq in the followup.

10:00: McCain: "The Challenge is to know when to go in and when not. When American military is worth the expenditure of our most precious treasure." That can be done "only by someone with judgement."

9:59: McCain: " The fact is America is the greatest force for good in the history of the world." My Friends: 11.

9:59: Question for McCain: "How will the recent economic stress affect our ability to act as a peacemaker in the world?"

9:58: Obama: A race to the bottom argument. "That's how it works in banking. Everyone goes to Delaware." A gaffe. In fact, everyone locates in Delaware for corporation, not for banking setups, which have other stricter rules and cannot switch by locating in other states.

9:58: You can see cards in the hnads of those in the audience who have pre approved questions, ready to go.

9:57: Obama: "It is absolutely true that I think that governemnt should crack down on insurnace companies that are cheating their customers."

9:56: Obama:" If you've got a healthcare plan you like, you can keep it."

9:56: Obama: "for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life arguing with insurance companies, that's fundamentally wrong."

9:55: Obama "It should be a right."

9:55: Brokaw: Is health care a privilege, a right, or a responsibility? McCain: "I think it's a responsibility in that we should have affordable healthcare to every citizen."

9:54: McCain "Like hair transplants. I might need one of those myself." that's a dud.

9:53: McCain "Of course it's okay to go across state lines." "If you do the math, those people who have employer-based health benefits, if you put the tax onit, and you add $5000, do the math, 95% of the American people will have increased funds to buy the insurance of their choice."

9:52: McCain "Put health reacords online. Lets have community health center,s lets have walk in clinics. Lets do a lot of things to impose efficincies." Interestingly, you can see the lines around the chairs they are supposed to stay in- maybe that's only on when the other person is getting asked question.

9:52: McCain: He seems to be limping a bit on his way across the room.

9:52: Obama "just today, business organziations like the Untied States chamber of commerce said this would lead to the unraveling of the employer based health care system."

9:51: "What one hand giveth, the other hand taketh away."

9:51: Obama "If you don't have health insurance, you're going to be bale to buy the same insurance Senator McCain and I enjoy."

9:50: Obama "We have a moral imperative"

9:49: Question: "Should health care be treated as a commodity?"

9:49: McCain "And I'll stop and you didn't even waive."

9:48: McCain: "You know who voted for it? That one. You know who voted against it? Me." that was not a good line by McCain. "That one." Seems impersonal and mean spirited, particularly after the no-looking issues in the first debate.

9:48: McCain: My friends: 11.

9:48: Brokaw: Manhattan project or garage funding?

9:47: McCain "Waive like that and I'll listen to you."

9:47: Brokaw holding up his hands trying to silence them. "You may not have noticed but we have lights around here."-

9:46 Obama: "We have 3 percent of the words oil and we use 25 percent of the worlds oil. We can't simply drill our way out of the problem."

9:46: Obama: "He voted 23 times against alternative fuels"- a comeback to the 94 times tax cuts.

9:45 Obama- comparing the computer to energy future because it was discovered by a bunch of government scientists trying to communicate. I think he means the internet (a DARPA project)

9:45: Obama: "If we create a new energy economy we can create 5 million new jobs" "It can be an engine that drives us into the computer drove us into growth."

9:44: McCain "I was on navy ships with nuclear power."

9:44: McCain: "Senator Obama says it has to be safe, or it has to be disposable, or something like that." Not a good line. We'll see that on SNL.

9:43: McCain: My Friends: 10.

9:43: McCain "I disagreed strongly with the Bush administration on this issue."

9:43: Question: "What would you do to make sure Congress moves fast" to deal with environment, economic issues.

9:42: Brokaw "I'll stick by my part of the pact." Lots of reference to the MOU.

9:42: McCain: "Lets look at our record. I have foot higher taxes, I have fought excess spending. " "Our best days are ahead of us."

9:41: My Friends: 9. McCain proposing a commission.

9:40: McCain "I'll answer the questions." "We know what the problems are my friends, and we know what the fixes are." My Friends: 8. McCain "I'm not to popular sometimes with my own party, much less his." -a new version of the earlier Miss Congeniality line.

9:40 Obama: "We will have a health care plan that works for you, reduces spending and costs in the long term, social security that is stable and solvent for all Americans, not just some."

9:39: Obama: "Senator McCain wants to give a $300 Billion tax cut, 200 of it to the largest corporations, $100 Billion to the CEOs on wall street. . . That is not fair and it doesn't work."

9:38: Obama: "The straight talk express lost a wheel on that one."

9:38 Brokaw adds a "coda" to the internet quesiton, essentially changintthe quesiton to be about social security. I'm unimpressed with his moderating job. Also, if the Memorandum of Understanding had been released, Brokaw might have a leg to stand on. It's difficult to assail the candidates for not following a document that is non-public.

9:37: Brokaw: "Guys. The rules were established by the campaigns." Obama tries to continue. Brokaw speaks over him.

9:36: McCain: Laying out the specifics of his tax plain- credits for chilren; refundanble tax credit.

9:36: McCain: "Small business across Aemrica will have to cut jobs. Small business will have to cut jobs . . . because of Senator Obama's tax increases." My Friends: 7.

9:35: McCain "The last American to raise taxes in a time of recession was Herbert Hoover."

9:35: McCain "Nailing down Obama's proposal is like nailing Jello to the wall."- a good McCain prepared line.

9:34: Obama: "It's tough to ask a teach to tigten her belt when people making a lot less than her are living pretty high on the hog.

9:33: Obama "It starts with Washington." "It means looking at the spending side but also at the revenue side." "Earmarks account for about $18 Billion of the budget." "McCain's tax cuts give the average Fortune 500 CEO $700,000 in tax cuts."

9:33: Brokaw "How as President would you look to break those bad habits . . . specifically across the board."

9:33: Echoes of the Service Nation forum we liveblogged earlier.

9:32: "I think the young people of America are especially interested in how they can serve. That's why I'm interested in doubling the peace core ."

9:31: Obama on energy: "We're gonna have to explore new ways to get more oil, that includes offshore drilling. That includes telling the oil companies 'use em or you lose em.'"

9:30: Obama "A lot of you remember the tragedy of 9/11 . . . and how all the country was ready to come together. President Bush did some smart things at the outset. One of the opportunities that was missed, he said 'go out and shop' that wasn't the call to service the American people were looking for."

9:30: McCain: "Across the board freeze." by McCain. Significant.

9:30: A dig at Obama's $3 million projector- there's the ready line. McCain: "We're not rifle shots, we're Americans."

9:28: McCain "We're going to have to eliminate those that aren't working. One is defense spending"- this is a prepped response in response to the bad answers by both from the first debate. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a line coming up.

9:28: An internet question. What sacrifices would have to be made?

9:27: Brokaw: "I want to remind you again about time. We'll have a larger deficit than the federal government."- He's very into preserving time.

9:27: "When Senator McCain proposes an additional tax cut, a contiuation not only of the Bush tax cut . . . that's money out of the system" A strong link of McCain to Bush.

9:27: Obama: Energy independence 1; Health care 2; Education 3. A nice answer by Obama- seems to be a straighter answer than McCain.

9:26: Obama "you're paying $3.80 for a gallon of gasoline." A good touch to make him look less elitist. Obama "If the American people make a decision to do something it gets done. "

9:25: Brokaw getting a bit testy. "I'm trying to play by the rules you all established." He's not coming off as good as Lehrer.

9:25: McCain "We can do them all at once. And we have to do them all at once."

9:25: McCain My friends: 6.

9:24: McCain: My friends: 5. "We are not going to be able to provide the same benefits to future retirees as we provide today." -that's a big move because it's an implicit attack on entitlements.

9:24: McCain asing for the three priorities again. makes him seem a little old.

9:23: Brokaw: "Health policies, energy policies, and entitlement reform. What are you priorities and in what order?"

9:23: McCain "Energy independence is a way to do that. Drilling offshore and nuclear energy are vital." "I know how to fix this economy."

9:22: McCain: My Friends: 4 "Including an overhead projector in Chicago, Illinois"- that's a replacement for the bear DNA line.

9;22: Obama keeping a good smile. That's the right move.

9:21: McCain: "You'll find this is the most liberal big spending recording in the U.S Senate" While gesturing to Obamaa.

9:21: McCain, highlighting his campaign finance reform (Feingold); environment (Lieberman). "Lets look at our records as well as our rhetoric."

9:20 Obama: "Actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending. it will be a net spending cut." "that's mostly lobbyist and special interests. We've got to put an end to that" Taking McCain's angle of attacking special interest and emphasizing independence.

9:20: Obama: "We are mortgaging our childrens future."

9:19: McCain up and standing beside his chair while Obama speaks

9:19: Obama: "Maybe you don't go out to dinner as much. Maybe you put off buying a new car. But I think it's important to remember a little bit of history. When George Bush Came into office we had surplus, now we have a 1/2 trillion debate annually."

9:19: Question: Theresa Lynch: How can we trust either of year when both parties got us into this global economic crisis. She seemed very nervous reading the question.

9:18: McCain: "We're the best exporters and the best importers"- a bit of a gaffe not clear what importing well is.

9:17 My friends count: 3.

9:17 Brokaw with a machine gun speed delivery- "In all candor do you think it will get worse before it gets better."

9:16: Brokaw: "Are you saying . . . that the American economy will get much worse before it gets much better?"

9:15 The lines appear drawn: Obama will argue McCain opposed regulation and let the markets run rampant. McCain will focus on Obama's support.

9:15 Obama: "I never promoted Fannie Mae, in fact Senator McCain's finance chairman's firm was a lobbyist for Fannie Mae."

9:15 Obama: "A year ago I went to Wall street and said we had to re-regulate and nothing happened."

9:15 Obama: "Two years ago I siad we've got a sub prime lending crisis that has to be dealt with."

9:15 Obama: "Here's what's in the bailout for you." "I've gotta correct a little bit of Senator McCain's history, not surprisingly." A little bit of fire from Obama here.

9:14: McCain: "There were some of us who stood up against it. There were others who took a hike."

9:12: McCain: Linking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Obama, and saying that he stood up two years ago to "enact legislation to fix this." That's the attack strategy I speculated he would take. "Senator Obama was the second highest recipient of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac money in history." A strong shot.

9:11: McCain: The first time he's discussed suspending his campaign. You can also see the bracelet on his right hand that drew attention in the first debate.

9:11: McCain: "Bailout, when I believe it's rescue."

9:11: Brokaw: "We're operating under rules you signed off on." However, we've been unable to to read the contents of this memo, so it's hard to see how it's enforcable.

9:10: Obama: It is getting harder and harder to save."

9:09: Obama: Warren would be a good choice. A big support for Buffer, unsurprising given Berskshire's rise over the last week amid market failure.

9:09: McCain names Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) and Meg Whitman (Ebay) as possible Secretary of Treasury. "The Problem with America today, to a large extent, Tom is that we don't have confidence in our institutions."

9:08:McCain: "Not you, Tom" - an interesting joke. I'm not sure it went over so well.

9:08: Brokay: Who would you appoint as Sec of the Treasury?

9:08: My Friends Count: 2.

9:07: McCain: "I would order the secretary of the treasury to buy up those homes and renogtiate."

9:07: McCain is pacing a lot around the room.

9:05: A slight dig from McCain "It's good to be with you at a town hall meeting." McCain is also walking toward to the audience. McCain heading into a discussion of energy independence, pork barrel spending. "This problem has become so severe that we're going to have to do something about home values."

9:04:Obama: "We are in the worst financial crisis since the great depression." Walking effectively toward the crowd and audience. "This is the results or the economic plan . . . of President Bush and John McCain." An early linking of Bush to McCain. That's an effective rhetorical device as we speculated earlier.

9:03: Question: What is the fastest way to help people in these economic conditions?

9:03: Questioners are reading off of cards, just as they did in the 2004 debate. There is also a light system on at the base of the stage.

9:03: McCain doesn't look that comfortable on his seat.

9:03: A joke from Brokaw; perhaps lightening the mood.