Prez debate #2 a short review

I actually took notes last night so this will be more detailed than the previous debate blog. I'm not sure anyone came out the winner. No one undermined themselves. But no one made a knockout punch either. As in most debates at this stage, they are trying so hard to be at the center that their differences are not pronounced.
1st topic: Current economic crisis
McCain - Government needs to take on more debt by purchasing bad mortgages as well as moving toward energy independence.
Obama - Take to task CEOs who go on junkets in the midst of the crisis, read AIG.
subtopic: Next Treasury Secretary
McCain - Warren Buffet or Meg Whitman
Obama - Buffet maybe but whoever it is needs to focus on the little guy
2nd topic: What's in the bailout package for the little guy
McCain - Insulted the questioner by telling him he had probably never heard of Fannie Mae before. Stabilized markets help you and buying crummy mortgages could help you and Obama was pwned by Fannie Mae
Obama - The bailout package keeps the payrolls rolling. McCain was against regulation so it's his fault, while Obama was for more regulation before the feces hit the fan.
subtopic: Is the worst yet to come?
McCain - Depends. Housing market needs to be stabilized. McCain sounded an alarm as well with a letter that Obama didn't sign.
Obama - No. We need new regulations and international coordination.
3rd topic: Can we trust you with our money?
McCain - It's the special interest groups' fault. It's Obama's liberal spending votes that are to blame.
Obama - It's Bush's fault. He will invest in energy independence and college.
subtopic: How will you prioritize these pressing needs; health care, energy, and entitlement programs.
McCain: Can do all simultaneously, but cuts are coming to the entitlement programs.
Obama - 1)energy 2) health care 3) education [he didn't mention entitlements at all]
4th topic: What sacrifices will Americans have to make?
McCain - Good earmark projects. A government spending freeze across the board.
Obama - Save energy. Offer energy saving tax incentives. Double the size of Americorps. Freeze only some programs.
subtopic: How can America recover from its economic drunkeness?
McCain - Not with Obama's ever changing economic plans. Hoover was last president to raise taxes in an economic crisis. Obama will tax half of all small businesses.
Obama - Need to reign in Government spending, eliminate earmarks, and tax the rich.
5th topic: What will you do about the entitlements economic timebomb?
McCain - With a can-do bipartisan attitude. Medicare needs a smart team to give Congress a plan they can only vote up or down. Obama never fulfilled his state campaign pledge to lower taxes.
Obama - He won't attempt it in the next two years. He'll only tax those making over 250K. McCain will ease tax burden of CEOs and big business.
6th topic: How fast will you move on environmental issues?
McCain - He was ahead of Congress with the first greenhouse gases bill. Time for more nuclear plants and America is the best.
Obama - Green tech tax incentives will creat 5 million new jobs. McCain voted 23 times against alternative energy. Domestic oil drilling is not enough.
subtopic: Should green tech be developed by the government, ala Manhattan project, or by private sector?
McCain - Manhattan project. Drilling now bridges gap to green future.
Obama - ? [Perhaps they should consider the Pickens plan]
7th topic: Is health care a commodity?
McCain - Put medical records on line. [!!!!!!!] Provide more community clinics. Obama will fine businesses without health insurance for their employees. 95% of taxpayers are left with more money now with his $5000 tax credit
Obama - Central storage of medical records. [!!!!!!!!!] Keep your current plan but with lower premiums. Invest in prevention. If you don't have a plan get the federal plan.
subtopic: Is health care a privilege, right, or responsibility?
McCain - Responsibility
Obama - Right. In his plan small businesses get 50% tax credit to provide health care. McCain voted against a recent child health insurance bill (SChIP). Need to crack down on insurance company fraud. In McCain's plan insurance companies will move to states with loosest regulations in the same way that financial companies move to Delaware. [The worst self-defeating statement of the night since his VP nominee represents Delaware.]
8th topic: How does the financial crisis affect our role as international peacekeeper?
McCain - ?
Obama - Iraq is bleeding us dry to the tune of $10 billion a month. He will make it possible to assist in Darfur.
subtopic: How will you respond to a humanitarian crisis that is not in our national security interest (e.g. Rwanda)
McCain - Withdrawal deadline of Obama's was a bad idea. Somalia and Lebanon were disasters he warned about at the time.
Obama - Shouldn't we be involved in Holocausts? [??????] Ignoring issues diminishes us. We need to involve our allies.
9th topic: Should we respect Pakistan's border or will we treat it like Cambodia during hte Vietnam war?
McCain - Teddy Roosevelt said to Speak softly and carry a big stick. Obama talks loudly. He won't telegraph his punches. We need a good relationship with Pakistan and we need to win the hearts of its citizens.
Obama - Cross the border. If Pakistan won't get Bin Laden then we need to.
subtopic: Response to British despair over current Afghanistan war methods.
McCain - Double size of Afghani army. Streamline command structure. Make Afghan citizens feel secure.
Obama - Get out of Iraw and redeploy to Afghanistan. Exhort Karzai to be responsive to his citizens.
10th topic: How will you pressure Russia on its humanitarian issues?
McCain - Show moral support to oppressed border states and invite them into NATO.
Obama - Show moral support and give financial support [Aren't we on the verge of a depression?] Anticipate 21st century problems. Energy independence [The U.S. is not a major consumer of Russian fossil fuels]
subtopic: Is Russia the evil empire again?
McCain - Maybe, our response could force their hand.
Obama - They do evil things.
11th topic: If Iran attacks Israel will you act unilaterally?
McCain - Yes. In order to prevent that we need to impose tough sanctions. We will not allow a 2nd Holocaust.
Obama - He won't allow Iran to attain a nuclear weapon. He will do everything in his power to prevent an attack. He will have direct talks with Iran or any enemy.
Last topic: What don't you know and how will you know it?
McCain - Doesn't know the future.
Obama - Has courage to move in different direction.

jpu analysis...
I'm disturbed that they want centralized medical records.
As usual Democratic plans sound better but they never seem affordable which results in either lame programs or programs that start out fast and hot and die quickly.
I'm disturbed that they feel free to spend any money in our current economic climate. I wish they'd wake up and smell the napalm.
Make sure you read the fact check articles including this one.