Live blogging the debate - heraldblog

Live blogging the debate

Gwen Ifil is explaining the rules. Why are there so many rules? And does it bother anyone else that the audience is supposed to be silent? What's the point of having an audience? Or that supposed to be a metaphor for this election?

First question: Did we go into Iraq with enough troops? Cheney goes first. He starts off by linking Saddam to the "overall war on terror." Nuance. Cheney says the administration started by assuming that Iraq was the nexus between al Qaeda and WMD.

Edwards goes on the attack: "Mr. Vice President, you're still not being honest." Split screen. Cheney pretends to write something so he doesn't have a Bush/Tourettes moment.

Cheney responds by saying we've made significant progress in Iraq. Well manned, well underway,

Back to Edwards: There's no connection between al Qaeda and Saddam.

Cheney's first lie!

Well, for tonight anyway. Or since 8 pm, CST. "The senator has his facts wrong. I have never said there is a connection between Saddam and Sept. 11." Time to pour a beer, this is going to be fun.

Now Cheney is talking about the wonderful progress in Afghanistan. He's trying to avoid responsibility for letting Osama live.

Now Cheney's drawing a comparison between El Salvador and Afghanistan. "I was there 20 years ago." Killing nuns, no doubt.

The global test

Edwards is on the defensive now, explaining that a global test is not the same as letting the Russians determine US foreign policy. Ifil is getting a little pissy: "What is a global test if not a global veto?" I think she's reading the RNC's talking points.

Cheney is calling Edwards on the phony $200 billion claim for the cost of the war. Why is it even necessay to exaggerate? Cheney is comfortable with a $120 billion figure. That makes me feel better. What a bargain.

Another Cheney lie!

"Senator Kerry voted against a number of weapon systems that were crucial in winning the cold war." Yeah, the same systems you were dissing.

Edwards zinger: "A long resumé is not the same as good judgement."

Cheney: "Well Gwen, I think the record speak for itself." Is this guy for real? What does that mean? If that were true, we could just wheel the record on stage, and everyone could shut up and go home.

Counting Iraqis

Cheney says Edwards is demeaning our Iraqi allies by not counting Iraqi casualties when he says that the US has born 90 percent of the war's casualties. Is Cheney counting all the Iraqis we greased during the invasion?

Cheney is unusually snarly.

Israel

Edwards is taking a hawkish stand on the Palestinian situation. Good. Israel has a right to self defense.

Cheney attacks Edwards for missing so many senate votes. To paraphrase: "I am president of the US Senate, and the first time I have ever met you is when you walked on the stage tonight."

Cheney: "I think his records speaks for itself." Good one. He shoots he scores. How will Edwards ever recover from... oh, wait, Edwards just recovered.

Cheney now says Kerry has voted for tax increases 98 times during his Senate career. I thought it was 325 times?!?

My daughter, the lesbian

Now Cheney is defending discrimination against gays. And it's the fault of (gasp) liberal judges in Massachusetts!

Edwards is back on tax cuts now, and Cheney is smirking. He thinks he's not going to have to talk about gay people anymore. Ohhh, no such luck. Edwards says it's wonderful that Cheney and his wife can hug their gay daughter. Ewwww! Now Edwards is attacking the FMA as divisive. And all Cheney can do is to thank Edwards for his kind comments about his daughter. He's obviously uncomfortable with the line of questioning, and Edwards is respecting Cheney's privacy. Hmmmm.

We're coming up on the 70 minute mark, when fatigue sets in and candidates start sounding like George Bush. We'll see what happens.

AIDS

Ifil: What should the governments role be in ending AIDS in America? (Cheney voted against AIDS research funding in the 1980s.) Blah blah blah. Cheney thinks AIDS is bad, and he's proud of the Bush Administration's record.

Edwards is losing his mojo. It's the 70 minute curse! Cheney is looking dour and troll-like. That has nothing to do with the 70-minute curse. It's just fun to write.

Now Edwards is telling us about the KE agenda. He says he wants to find terrorists and kill them. I'm not buying that line. Edwards is too bright and sunny to go around killing people. It's like hearing Papa Smurf say "I'm going to cut you up, sucka." It just doesn't work. Maybe Edwards needs a new verb. "We're going to find terrorists and rip their still beating hearts out of their chests." Cheney doesn't have to say he's going to kill someone - you can see it in his eyes.

Closer

Edwards: He's proud of his dad, the millworker. "I grew up on the bright lights of America, but that light is flickering tonight. The President and Mr. Cheney don't see it."

Cheney: Sept. 11. Threat. Leadership. "The only viable option for winning the war on terror is to use military power." My God, one side of his mouth starts clear up by his ear. The mother of all smirks. He has a face meant for radio. He'll win debate points just for looking at the camera.

6.10.04 03:08

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