Liveblogging The Presidential Debate, Part II

(Note we did some liveblogging at Texas Kaos a few minutes ago).

8:02: Obama: Senator Clinton mentioned two specific areas where we have some differences (FINALLY, he doesn’t just agree with whatever she says). He says he now wants universal healthcare. 95 percent of our plans are similar. We both want to set up a system that is as good as members of congress, subsidize those who can’t afford it. Apply technology to improve quality…reduce cost for those who already have health insurance. Catastrophic reinsurance plan to reduce costs by $2,500 per family per year. “Senator Clinton believes that the only way to achieve universal healthcare is to force everyone to purchase it and my belief is that the reason that everyone doesn’t have it is because they can’t afford it. My plan does more than anyone’s to reduce costs.” Says there are legit arguments for why she has called for a mandate. The notion that he is leaving 15 million ppl out is wrong. If we don’t change politics in washington, neither of our plans will happen. AND IT IS TO COMMERCIAL.

7:59 p.m: Clinton: “Lifting entire passages from someone else’s speeches is not change you can believe in, it’s change you can Xerox.” MAJOR point for Clinton. There was a HUGE spike here in the press room. “When I proposed a univeral healthcare plan…I knew I took a risk because it is fairly controversial.” Notes that Obama didn’t do that and also said her moratorium on home foreclosures wouldn’t work, even though now even BUSH thinks it might. “When I took on universal healthcare in ‘93 and ‘94, it was against a firestorm of opposition from special interest.” Notes she wants a health plan that doesn’t leave anyone out. CHEERS and whistles from the crowd.

7:57: Question to Obama about plagiarized speeches. Says it isn’t a “lot of speeches” and that it is only two lines. AGAIN he calls the name of Barbara Jordan. “How are we going to provide jobs for the American people… What I’ve been talking about is not just hope and not just inspiration, it is a $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for national service…change tax code so working families can get relief.”) Memo to John Sharp: Did he plagiarize your tuition plan from 2002?

7:56: Thunderous applause for Obama. What the hell? Did the TDP give tickets to every Obama supporter in Austin?

7:53: Obama says he has a record of the last 20 years in public service and that there is a fundamental difference between the two in how change comes about. Says that the 20 million people involved in his campaign are not dillusional. Says every major newspaper in the state of Texas has endorsed him (yeah, look at who else some of them have endorsed….how can you be proud of endorsements from newspapers where those endorsements come from the corporate offices and not the real editorial boards?) Says he and Clinton share a lot of policy positions. “Gridlock and non performance” in Washington. Says he is running to do something about that suffering.

7:53: Clinton mentions the Kirk Watson gaffe and I couldn’t tell if it came from the debate audience or the press room, but there was a VERY noticable, “ohhhhhhhhhh” making it clear Clinton scored a serious point.

7:51: CLINTON: Notes both care about the people, etc. but that there are differences. “In our efforts to draw those contrasts and comparisons, we let voters know how we see the world differently. I offer solutions.”

7:50: Asking Clinton about something she said, “My opponent gives speeches, I offer solutions.” “The Where’s The Beef Question.”

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