Liveblogging The Presidential Debate, Part I

The debate is now underway and we will commence liveblogging. (Newest first after the jump, click on the read more)

7:39: Obama: Says he and Senator Clinton almost entirely agree on this issue. Want some order to the process. Can’t do these things in isolation. Must deal with problem of constant influx of undocumented workers.

7:37 p.m. We missed the followup question Senator Clinton got while trying to check our email. She’s talking about the eminent domain actions against municipalities and landowners and that it makes no sense. She’s hitting on areas of SIGNIFICANT importance to the Rio Grande Valley.

7:36 p.m. Clinton says: “There is a smart way to protect our borders and a dumb way to protect our borders. What I learned last night is that the University of Texas at Brownsville would have part of its campus cut off. This is the kind of absurdity we’re getting from this administration.” Says she would say “wait a minute” and that when they voted for it, it was to be done only in limited areas where appropriate and that the administration has gone off the deep end. Review, listen to the people on the border.

7:35: Border fence. This will be a hot issue. Notes BOTH FOR THE FENCE. Asked if he’ll finish it or stop it?

7:32: OBAMA: Says he has worked on it extensively. Group of senators who helped move it through but it was a political football. Critical that we tone down rhetoric. Undertone that has been ugly & directed at Hispanic community. “We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants and we can reconcile those two things.” Repeats Hillary Clinton’s crackdown on employers exploiting the undocumented. “We also have to make sure it is done in a way such that people with Spanish surnames aren’t discriminated against. Mentions paying BACK TAXES, SIGNIFICANT FINE, and going to the BACK OF THE LINE. Fix legal immigration system; backlog that means years for people that apply legally. Have to improve relationship with Mexico (did he want to go second so he could mimic everything Hillary Clinton says? Is Barack Obama the new parrot?)

7:30: CLINTON: Would consider it. Talks about kids coming home from school, babies being left and parents deported: “That is not the America I know, that is not American values.” “Tougher more secure borders, of course, but let’s do it the right way. Cracking down on employers who exploit illegal immigrants and force wages lower. Work with neighbors to the south to help create jobs for own people (That’s foreign policy no president has mastered in three decades). If crime, deported. Otherwise, path to legalization, introduce in first 100 days of presidency.

7:29: Immigration. Talks about federal immigration raids on homes, businesses, “would you consider stopping these raids until comprehensive immigration reform can be done?”

7:26: CLINTON: she is asked about the “day one” relating to economy and what different than Economy. Says she agrees w/ many of Obama’s things, including getting rid of loopholes. Begin to get tax code to reflect needs of middle class families. “The wealthy and well-connected have had a president for the last eight years and I think it is time for a president for the rest of America.” Trade “time out”—look and see what is working and a trade prosecutor to enforce what we have before doing more. Mentions contaminated products into our country. Addresses foreclosure crisis. Calls for moratorium on home foreclosures. 90 Day moratorium, interest rate freeze for five years. CONCRETE ANSWERS. GOOD POINTS: Mentions crumbling infrastructure and George Bush’s war on science. “We’ve got to get back to being the innovation nation!”

7:22: OBAMA: goes into a discussion of how bad the economy is. Restore sense of fairness and balance to the economy. NO tax breaks to jobs shipped overseas. Still not highlighting why it is a DIFFERENCE. Close tax loopholes. On trade deals, must engage in trade, but not through lenses of Wall Street but also Main Street, environmental and safety standards. Mentions lead paint and gets applause. Opportunities in our economy around creating a green economy. Priority for President to overcome special interests. Says he and Senator have a slight difference there, but essentially sounds like he thinks there are no other differences.

7:21: Question on the economy by John King: Tell us as specifically as you can how would a President Obama be different than a President Clinton in managing the nation’s economy.

7:20: Obama again. Important precisely because Bush admin has done such damage to American foreign relations, president needs to take a more active role in diplomacy.

(Sidenote: When are we going to get some questions related to Texas, and why is there a double point-counterpoint on a question about CUBA?)

7:19 p.m.: Back to Clinton: I think we should look for ways that we can possibly move countries that are adversarial to us…into the international community. Notes difference between her and Obama when and whether president should offer meeting. Clinton says not offered in the beginning because it undermines what we can ultimately do. Quotes (paraphrases) President Kennedy. “I would get back to very vigorous diplomacy.” “I want to send a very clear message to the rest of the world that the era of unilateralism…. of the Bush Administration is over.”

7:17 p.m.: Moderator notes that Obama has changed his answer from what he said in 2003. “Our goal, has to be, ultimately, normalization.”

7:15 p.m.: Cites Obama’s previous answer and says she presumes he would meet with new leadership. Obama says that is correct. “I would meet, without preconditions, although Sen. Clinton is right that there has to be preparations.” Mentions opening press, human rights, releasing political prisoners. Important for U.S. to talk not just to friends but to enemies. As a show of good faith, Obama has called for a lessening of travel restrictions and on money from Americans to families in Cuba (remittances). “Would not normalize relations until we start seeing progress…”

7:13 p.m.: Clinton’s answer: I hope we have the opportunity. Gives Cuban government opportunity to change. She will be looking for those changes like releasing political prisoners. As President, I would be ready to reach out and work with a new Cuban government once it demonstrates it would change that direction.” Good answer. [The Cuban issue is always a touchy one and she has done a good job on this answer.] Said she would create momentum that could lead to a first presidential visit. WOULD NOT MEET W/HIM UNTIL CHANGE IS EVIDENT (response on follow up).

7:13 p.m. Question from Jorge Ramos: After nearly half century in government, Castro resigned. For Clinton: Would she be willing to sit down with Raul Castro, at least just once, to get a measure of the man?

7:12 p.m. Obama tries to one-up Clinton on the Barbara Jordan connection by actually quoting Jordan. Interesting that he tries to one-up her at every turn.

7:08 p.m.: Obama gives opening statement. Honor to share stage with Senator Clinton. “We are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war and our economy is increasingly in shambles.” Clinton gets points for getting to Texas connections first. Obama now mentions a San Antonio couple who is getting screwed by a predatory lending loan. Using personal stories like John Edwards used to on the stump, but, honestly, with less ease and sincerity. Talks about equipment literally being unbolted from factory floors and shipped to China. Got a bracelet in Green Bay, Wis. from a mom whose son was killed by a roadside bomb. Says he never supported the war. Mentions better ways to have spent that money: healthcare, higher education. “Senator Clinton and I have been talking about these issues for the last 13 months and we both offered detailed proposals to deal with them….But I think we both recognize that these problems have to be dealt with and that we have seen an administration which over the last seven years has done nothing.” Washington is a place where good ideas go to die (where have we heard that before? About Austin, perhaps?) Central premise of this campaign is that we can bring this country together…

7:07 p.m.: Wants to tackle the tough issues that face us now. Time to end insurance company discrimination against the sick. Wants to continue work to take care of veterans that she began in Senate. Mentions Walter Reed Hospital. “I offer a lifetime of experience and proven results. I know if we work together, we can take on the special interests.” Talks about $$ to special interests from Bush administration going back to people. Says this is really “your campaign.”

7:06 p.m.: Continuing with opening statement. “For me, politics is about making real differences in peoples’ lives,” Clinton says. 350,000 kids in Texas get healthcare b/c Clinton helped started CHIP. (Of course, the GOP in Texas has tried to kill it but that is another story.

7:05 p.m.: Clinton’s opening statement. Mentions she lived in Austin, registered voters in South Texas (she is talking, of course, about the McGovern campaign in ‘72). She is now talking about shared values among the people of Texas. Talks about Barbara Jordan (good applause, as expected). Today is, as Clinton reminds us, Jordan’s birthday. Also mentions, Ann Richards, crowd goes wild.

7:04 p.m.: Explaining the rules of the debate which are….no rules, reasonable length, stay on topic. Obama elected to go second.

7:04 p.m.: The candidates take their places on the stage and the debate is about to get underway.

7:02 p.m.: The candidates are welcomed to the stage. Clinton and Obama shake hands cordially. The crowd seems pretty excited. This is probably the first presidential debate ever in Texas, so we can all see why. Oops, one of the candidates missed their mark and had to be escorted back (Clinton). Candidates are now having photos taken by local media. I’m not completely sure who the people are getting on stage with the candidates right now, but we’ll see….

7:01 p.m.: Panelists are introduced

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