Kick the Anthill

Just setting this thread up now.  Currently, it’s very hard to type, as I have a very wiggly, very awake baby boy in my hands.  OH GROSS.  Just give me a minute now.  He’s just spit up all over me and the handrest of the laptop.  I’ll be back in a minute–hopefully before it starts.

OK back.  Read below, and I’ll update as it goes along.

 So, while we’re waiting, who pushed Christina down the stairs?  (Sorry, for those of you who didn’t see Ugly Betty tonight…)

Shut up Charlie, George.  You too, Im-in-Obamas-back-pocket-moderator.

There she is!  Miss America!

And the doofus.  Cute.  She asked if she could call him Joe.  GO SARAH!

Was this the best of Washington or the worst?  Talking about the half-passed bail-out bill.

Biden:  Talking about Obama, saying we need to talk to Main Street, blah blah blah, the same things Obama said last Friday night.  “We’re going to fundamentally change the focus of the economic policy.”

Palin:  Talk to Soccer Moms, etc. and you’ll hear fear–sending kids to college, hiring people, etc.  Our economy is hurting, and the feds haven’t provided the oversight.  McCain is representing reform–he did it two years ago with F&F, but people in the Senate didn’t want to listen to him.  Fortunately, he suspended his campaign, put the country first, and reached across the aisle to work to resolve the issue.

Biden:  Works with people across the aisle, too.  Two weeks ago, McCain said everything was good.  Until 11:00, and then we had an economic crisis.  He’s out of touch.

Palin:  McCain was talking about the American workforce.  They’re a team of change.  They get the job done.  96% of Obama’s votes have been party-line.  McCain has put the partisanship aside.  Americans are craving something new and different, and it comes from reform with the Maverick from the Senate.

Who was at fault for the risky loans?

Palin:  it was the predator lenders.  $300,000 house when they could only afford $100,000.  McCain and Palin will follow through on getting rid of corruption.  We need oversight.  We need to take responsibility, and Americans can learn lessons and say that we will never be taken advantage of again.

Obama Biden:  It’s McCain’s fault.  John wants to deregulate, but Obama wants more.  John wrote he wants to deregulate medicine like he did for banking.  It’s because of the oil crisis.

Palin:  Tax increases.  Yes, we need tax relief.  Biden and Obama voted for largest tax increases in history.  94 times, he voted to raise taxes or not cut them.  We need to keep more of what we produce.  Gov’t has to learn to live lean, so that we can reign it in.  Obama supported increasing taxes on $42,000-income providers.

Biden:  Not true.  McCain voted same way (so is it true?).  Did not raise taxes.  McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes.  Bogus status.  Palin didn’t answer about deregulation (ran out of time, IMO).

Palin:  Still on the tax thing–to correct him.  Talking straight to American people.  As mayor, she did reduce taxes.  Eliminated small-business and personal taxes.  As for McCain on deregulation, that’s another thing he’s known for–tobacco, campaign finance reform.  Ran out of time.

Taxes is the question now.

Biden:  Fairness.  Middle class is struggling.  McCain’s proposals, taxes will raise.  95% of the people making less than $150,000 will get a tax break.  When you do well, America does well.  John wants to add $300 billion in tax cuts for corporate America and giving nothing to middle class.  They deserve the tax breaks, not the ultra-wealthy. 

Palin:  Issues with re-distribution of wealth.  Obama’s tax increase?  Will also include the millions of people who own small businesses.  That will lose jobs.  It’s not patriotic to pay taxes.  Gov’t is the problem.  Lessen tax burden on our families, and let them thrive.  Obama’s proposals will increase taxes.

McCain proposes a $5,000 tax credit so they can purchase their own health coverage.  Doesn’t cost gov’t anything, unlike Obama’s, which will force gov’t to take over healthcare.  McCain wants to allow people to go across the lines to get the insurance they want.

Biden:  Redistribution isn’t giving ExxonMobile a tax break.  Owners of small businesses make less than $250,000 a year, so they won’t be taxed.  McCain wants to tax as income a healthcare plan, so that he can give the $5,000 plan.  It’ll have to replace the $12,000 plan, because 20 million will be dropped, with the $5,000 plan–ultimate Bridge To Nowhere.

Neither answered the question.  What promises have you made to the people that you can’t keep because of the economic bailout bill.

Biden:  Don’t use the existing tax proposals.  Not support the 300 billion tax break for ultra-wealthy and the big businesses.  We can’t afford to hold up whole idea that provides affordable healthcare.  Stumbles over “characterized”.  $100 billion tax dodge that allows people to move post office boxes offshore.

Palin:  McCain doesn’t tell one thing to one group, and tells another thing to another group.  Energy plan–Obama voted for in ‘05.  That’s what gave the oil companies the big tax breaks!  Obama gave it to them!  Palin told them “no” in Alaska.  ConocoPhillips isn’t a big fan of her, but she’s broken the monopoly in Alaska, and it helped the people in Alaska.  She turned around and undid the tax break for Alaska.  She hasn’t promised to do anything in the last five weeks, unlike others who have been at it longer.  McCain hasn’t made any promise he hasn’t been able to keep.

Biden:  obama voted for it, because it had real support for alternative energies.  McCain is adding $4 billion for ExxonMobile in tax cuts.  Palin stopped the windfall tax cut, and was able to give back money.  McCain won’t support that, but Obama wants to.  He wants her to get McCain to support Obama’s ideas.

 Would Palin have agreed with the bailout?

Palin:  Yes, and we have McCain to thank for warning people.  (Biden’s breathing heavy!)  The crisis is a toxic mess on Main Street, and it’s affecting Wall Street.

Biden:  Voted for it, even though Obama voted against it.  Mortgage holders didn’t pay the price–only 10% did.  Obama saw it as half-empty, Biden saw it as half-full.  Obama pointed out 2 years ago about the sub-prime mortgage crisis.  McCain was “surprised” about the crisis.  Bankruptcy courts should be able to adjust the principal that you owe and the interest rate on your home.  (SCARY!)  Bush and McCain doesn’t support that idea.

Palin:  That isn’t so.  QUick answer, so she wants to talk about energy, because it’s important.  When we talk about energy, we have to talk about the need to do all we can that allows the nation to become self-sufficient.  We rely on foreign countries, because they won’t allow us to drill here in Alaska.  We could drill here, and bring in tens of thousands of jobs.  Energy independence is the key to national security, and keeping us strong.  It’s the key to America’s future.

Climate change:  What is true and what is false about the causes?

Palin:  Alaska feels and sees the effects more than other states.  Man’s activities are to blame, as well as cyclical changes that happen.  She doesn’t want to argue about the causes.  We have got to clean up the planet, so that we can counteract the effects.  She was first governor to create a subcommittee to deal with climate change.  We need to be energy independent to help the climate, too.  We allow foreign countries to pollute more than what we would allow here.

Biden:  It’s all manmade.  If you don’t understand the cause, then you can’t get a solution.  Ice caps are melting because of man.  It’s because of oil.  McCain has voted 20 times against alternative energy sources.  They would stop the way greenhouse gases are created.  China’s polluting the west coast of the US, because of their dirty coal.  McCain wants to drill.  It’ll take ten years before one drop of oil comes out after we start drilling. 

Palin:  McCain does support alternative energy resources.  “Drill baby, drill!” is the correct chant.  Alaska has billions of barrels of oil, and hundreds of trillions of natural gas.  Pipeline is terrific.  Obama and Biden has said no to everything that would help with this–called it raping the environment.  Biden said that there’s no such thing as clean coal. 

They both support emissions caps.

Biden:  Didn’t say that about clean coal.

Do you support granting same-sex benefits to couples?

Biden:  Yes.  Obama/Biden admin says there’s no difference between same sex and hetero couples.  Joint ownership of property, insurance, etc.  It’s only fair.  Visitation rights, etc.

Palin:  Alaska already does this, but we won’t support if it redefines marriage.  But she IS tolerant of homosexual couples–even though dear friends don’t agree with her on her stance.  She does not support defining marriage as anything more than one man and one woman, the traditional definition.

Biden:  Obama/Biden do not support redefining what constitutes marriage.  That’s a faith-based thing.  Glad Palin agrees with him.

Palin:  doesn’t support gay marriage.

Iraq:  Both have sons there or on their way there.  What’s the exit strategy?

Palin:  McCain and Petraeus are awesome, and it’s working!  Obama voted against the funding of the troops, and she respects Biden’s calling him out on it.  We’re at pre-surge numbers in Iraq, so more can go to Afghanistan.  We can’t afford to lose.  But we’re getting closer and closer to winning.

Biden:  Obama wants to shift it all to Iraq in sixteen months.  McCain voted like Obama against funding of troops.  Difference was over the timeline–if there is one vs if there isn’t one.  That’s what determined how they voted.  Iraqis now have an $80 billion surplus (not true–they only have $65 billion).  McCain says there’s no end in sight for the war.  Obama will end it.

Palin:  Obama’s is a white-flag of surrender in Iraq, which is not what the troops need to hear.  We’ll come out when Iraq can support its people, and we’ll rely on our people there to help us decide that.  Biden supported a lot of these policies–and he’d be honored to run with McCain on this.  Biden also said Obama wasn’t ready to be Commander-In-Chief.  She respects his family and him for the honor he shows the military.  Not true with Obama.

Biden:  McCain voted against funding for the troops.  Over a billion dollars.  Why?  It had a timeline to end the war, and he didn’t like it.  Cheney and McCain said there would be enough oil to pay for this, and he’s been dead-wrong about it all.  Obama’s been correct.

Which is the greatest threat?  Unstable Pakistan or nuclear Iran?

Biden:  Pakistan has nukes, and they can hit Israel.  Iran getting them would be destabilizing, even though they’re close to it.  McCain’s policy is that the front of the war is in Iraq, but it’ll come from Al Qaeda from the hills in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  A stable gov’t there needs to be established, and we need to help them with their economic well-being (raise taxes!!!!).  We can take on terrorism there.

Palin:  both are extremely dangerous.  Petraeus and Al Qaeda said that Iraq was the focal point of war on terror, not McCain.  Nuclear armed Iran is so dangerous that we cannot allow it.  Israel needs to be protected.  Ahminajihad said they were a stinking corpse that needed to be removed from the planet.  All the dangerous dictators are the ones Obama said he’d meet with, which is poor judgement.  Downright dangerous.  They shouldn’t be met with without pre-measures taken first.

 Diplomacy with dictators who hate us

Palin:  Those who would try to destroy what we stand for cannot be met with.  It’s beyond bad judgement to say we would do it. 

Biden:  Not true about what Obama said!  (yes, it is).  Five former sec’s of state said we should meet with them.  (not true).  McCain would go along with an agreement, but won’t sit down.  How do you do that?  Our allies want us to sit down with them.  McCain said he wouldn’t sit down with the gov’t of Spain (NATO ally).

Palin:  (on Israel).  A two-state solution is the solution.  we’re trying to do that currently, under the Bush administration.  We’ll continue it under a McCain/Palin administration.  We will always support Israel, and will build our embassy in Jerusalem (YESSSSSS!!!!!!!)  We’ll see success there.  That commitment is there to work with them.

Biden:  No one has been a better friend of Israel than Biden.  He wouldn’t have joined Obama, if he thought Obama would not be a friend of Israel.  Bush made a mistake with Gaza.  Biden said to move NATO forces in, but we didn’t, so Hezbollah moved in and now controls it.  Bush’s administration is an abject failure.  We’ll change that policy with letting Israel negotiating their own stuff.

Palin:  No, it’s not an abject failure.  Glad that Biden loves Israel, too.  We can’t look back.  There’s been huge blunders, as there are with all administrations.  Too much finger-pointing to make us believe that we’re moving forward.  We’ll learn from the mistakes that have been made, and we’ll move forward.  That’s what McCain has been known for.  Biden has respected McCain for that.

Biden:  Past is prologue.  How different is McCain’s policy from Bush’s?  We haven’t heard yet.  Everything is the same as Bush’s, because we haven’t heard that it’ll be different.  So far, everything appears to be the same.  Obama/Biden will make significant change, so that we’re once again the most respected nation in the world.

What’s the trigger for pushing the nuclear button?

Palin:  Nuclear attacks.  We have got to put economic sanctions on countries like Iran so that they’re not allowed to proliferate or use nuclear weapons.  Surge principals that have worked in Iraq will be used in Afghan, which isn’t like Bush’s policies. 

Biden:  Afghanistan, facts matter.  Commanding general in Afghan today said that the surge principals in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan.  He said we need more troops, we need more money, etc.  With regard to arms control, nuclear weapons require a nuclear arms regime.  McCain is opposed to amending the nuclear arms treaties.  Obama said we’ve got to do something about keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists.  McCain has been opposed to it.

Palin:  McClellan (it’s actually McKiernan, but points to Biden for not correcting her!) didn’t say that the surge principles wouldn’t work. 

Can’t get it all, because the stupid ABC cut commercials over what Palin was saying.

Biden:  Yes, he did say it.  We spent more in 3 weeks of combat in Iraq than we did in 7 years in Afghanistan.

Can we stomach putting military in Darfur?

Biden:  Yes.  It worked in Kosovo and Bosnia.  He voted for it in Iraq so that we could keep sanctions working.  He doesn’t have the stomach for genocide.  We can lead NATO on Darfur’s behalf.  He’s been to Chad and seen the damage.  We have got to stop the genocide.

Palin:  It’s obvious she’s an outsider.  Biden voted for the war, and now he’s against it.  Americans are craving the straight-talk.  Biden supported McCain’s military strategies and opposed Obama’s strategies before the primaries.  McCain/Palin supports the same thing when it comes to Darfur.  We have a 40 billion savings fund in Alaska, with millions in Darfur, and asked to divest it so that it wouldn’t appear that we were supporting what was occurring there.

Is there a line to be drawn?

Biden:  Yep.  New lines need to be drawn, too, when it comes to genocide, terrorism, etc.  Biden never supported McCain’s strategies when it comes to the war.  McCain was lock-step with Cheney, and the conduct has been wrong from the outset.

Palin:  Disagrees with what he says he supported.  Pundits will prove it, too.  McCain knows how to win a war, and knows what it takes to overcome the challenges.  Can learn from the mistakes that have been made, and will know how to implement strategies.  He’ll take the politics out of this war.

What will happen if you become president?  How will the administration differ?

Biden:  Obama dies?  National devistation.  Horror beyond horrors!  But nothing will be different.  This is the most important election in our lifetime.

Palin: Heaven forbid it happen!  What do you expect?  We’re a team of mavericks, and there will be changes.  He’s never asked her to check her opinions at the door.  She would continue the good work he has started, getting rid of greed and corruption on Wall Street and DC, and bring in what happens in Wasilla and give it to the nation.  Everyday, working class Americans able to tell the gov’t to leave them alone and let them live their lives.

Biden:  I spend a lot of time in Home Depot.  Is there any issue in which McCain differs from Bush?  No.  The people in his neighborhood understand that they’ve been getting the short end of the stick.  Wealthy does well, but middle class doesn’t.

Palin:  Say it ain’t so, Joe!  Let’s look ahead instead of looking behind.  Education is first and foremost, and our schools have got to be ramped up.  Teachers need to be paid more.  Her family is full of teachers.  Education has been accepted to be a little bit lax.  No Child Left Behind isn’t working.  We need to make sure education is first and foremost.  Her kids are public school educated.

VP question–Palin said she didn’t know what a VP did, and Biden said that he didn’t want to be it.

Palin:  They were both lame attempts at jokes, and no one got them.  She knows what the VP does, and makes sure that the PotUS knows what our strengths are, and let them lead those initiatives.  Children with special needs, oil, and that’s where McCain wants her to be.

Biden:  Obama asked him to be the point person for legislative initiatives when it comes to Congress.  He’ll be in the room to give Obama advice when it comes to judgements.  Will be a constructive role to help bring about the change that we need.

Palin:  We’ll do what is best for the American people in that position that VPs have a lot of flexibility to do what needs to be done.  It’s those years of experience as Governor that I’ll be able to do what needs to be done.

Biden:  Cheney is the worst VP ever in the history of the US.  The only authority the VP has is when there’s a tie in Congress, and he’ll need to cast a vote.

On Achilles heels

Palin:  Her experience as executive and governor will be put to good use when it comes to energy.  Her connection to heartland of America.  Being a mom, a special needs child, college, child in Iraq, etc.  The world view that she shares with McCain that says America is a nation of exceptionalism.  We are the beacon of hope.  We are unapologetic, even though we’re not perfect, we represent a perfect ideal.  Those things we stand for that can be put to good use as a force.  A good team is a good ticket.

Biden:  Lack of discipline is his Achilles heel.  He hasn’t changed in 35 years.  He’ll place Obama’s and his record against Palin’s and McCain’s.  He knows what it’s like to be a single parent.  He’s much better off now, but he knows what it’s like to struggle.  Gets emotional.  He understands what it’s like when you don’t know if your child is going to make it.  They’re looking for help, and they don’t need more of the same.

Palin:   McCain is a Maverick.  He knows when it’s time to put partisanship aside, as she has done so.  Taken on their own party to do what it took to get the job done.  We’re diverse, and we can come together and show that McCain is the man we need to lead in these next four tumultuous years.  Partisanship has been entrenched–no matter who was in charge–and it hasn’t worked.

Biden:  McCain is a Maverick?  No.  He voted 45 times for Bush’s budgets.  He hasn’t been a Maverick for healthcare.  He’s not been a Maverick for education, tax cuts, war, etc.  He’s no Maverick.

Can you think of an issue that you were forced to change a long-held view to accomodate change?

Biden:  On presidential appointments of Judges.  Although it didn’t take long.

Palin:  Budgets that she’s caved to so that we could progress, even though she didn’t want to.  But she did because she didn’t have the support.  But on major things?  No.  Why?  They’ve found ways to work together, not caring who has received credit for getting it done.  McCain brings both sides together, and has been known to do so.

How do you change the tone?

Biden:  McCain would acknoledge this.  Biden has been able to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans.  He’s never questioned motive, but he has questioned their judgement on their decisions.  That’s the fundamental change that Obama will bring.

Palin:  You did what I did as governor.  You walk the walk, not just talk the talk.  Her family has all political persuasions.  Policies and proposals have to speak for themselves.  People need to decide if they want to vote for policies that will kill jobs by increasing taxes, etc. that Obama wants, or policies that will create jobs like McCain.

End comments:

Palin:  Enjoyed tonight, without filters of mainstream media.  McCain and Palin will fight for America!  They’ll fight for our freedoms–economic, national security, etc.  Reagan said:  Freedom is always one generation from extinction.  We have to fight for it. 

McCain is the only one who has ever fought for America.

Biden:  This is the most important election you’ve ever voted for in your entire life.  Last eight years has caused us to be put into a very deep hole.  Need a fundamental change across the board.  We don’t measure it by what tax cuts we’ve made.  We measure it by if people are able to send their kids to college and pay their bills.  It’s all about dignity and respect.  It’s about we can do anything we want with our lives.  It’s time for America to get up, because we’ve been knocked down.  Obama is ready to lead us.

That’s it!  Goodnight everybody!

Palin (to Biden):  Thank you so much!  Shakes the moderator’s hand.  Charlie’s running off with the mouth.

My opinion: 

Palin:  A
Biden: A-

I think they did a great job!  It’s great that they’re mingling together now, after the debate is over.  This was (personally) a MUCH better debate over what happened on Friday.  I don’t think this will change any minds, except that I do respect Biden more.  But nothing could stop me from enjoying everything she said.  She’s just awesome!

Updates:  Here’s what HotAir had to say, and what our own Miss Wisabus had to say.  Michelle Malkin agrees:  SARAH ROCKS!