Heads Up!  The ObamaFest Team has brought in Rocky Petralia from HelloRocky.com to Liveblog tonight's (1/21/08) debate from South Carolina (8:00pm Eastern on CNN). - Nate


ROCKY:
Thanks for having me, Nate.  This should be fun.

Wolf Blitzer has put on his game face - and he still looks befuddled.


8:00 (Eastern): Candidates coming out one by one.  Like start of an NBA game.  Where's the Salt n Pepa music?

8:02: Can already tell that the audience will be insufferable tonight.

8:04:  Suzanne Malveaux tells us people are suffering, afraid.  Candidates posing for pictures on stage.

8:05:  Joe Johns says economy and war will be issues.  Do ya think?

8:06: Housekeeping - Candidates should use circadian clocks in keeping answers to "a minute, minute and a half.

8:08:  Joe Johns asks Clinton, "How much money would your stimulus plan put in pockets of South Carolinians?"  Clinton: "$70B to deal with mortgage crisis.  Millions of Americans in danger of being homeless.  Give people $650 to pay energy bills.  Put money in clean energy jobs."  Then she mentions Congressional Black Caucus and MLK, just because.

8:11:  Senator Obama says King marched for jobs as well as justice.  Points out he was against Iraq war (didn't see that coming on economy question).  Suggests $500 tax rebate (we're glad he didn't weasel and call for $651 rebate to top Clinton). 

8:13:  Edwards not for rebate. Mentions MLK.  Was against Free Trade deal and NAFTA. 

8:16:  Obama says Dow may go down 5% tomorrow.  Get me Schwab!  Also calls NAFTA a mistake. Says Edwards vote for free trade with China was a blunder. 

8:17:  Clinton says worldwide markets crashing is "a wake up call."  Schwab!  Edwards says he can create Green Collar Jobs within 30 days.  Adds Peru to his shit list.  So it's China and Peru causing our problems - hopefully in that order.

8:22:  Suzanne Malveaux reads a Clinton charge that Obama says is untrue.

8:23: Clinton says Obama said Republicans had good ideas (which he didn't, he said they were the party of ideas, not that they were good).  Obama slams Hillary by pointing out he was fighting Reagan policies while she was on board of directors of Wal-Mart. 

8:27:  Getting nasty.  Now he accuses her of praising Reagan.  Let's see who hates Reagan more.  Take back control, Wolf.  Somebody wake up Joe Johns.  Hillary says Obama represented slum lords.

8:30:  Edwards steps back in.  "This kind of squabbling - how many kids are going to get health care because of this.. " Big applause line.  Picking up the Bill Richardson role of peacemaker.

8:35:  Joe Johns comes out of slumber.  Asks about African Americans being sold more sub-prime loans per capita.   Asks if blacks were targeted with these loans.  Edwards says yes.  Legacy of slavery, segregation, discrimination still keeping blacks down.  Wolf quotes Greenspan who says bailouts simply prolong the agony.  Clinton says she was calling for action since last March. (?)  She says her moratorium is "a work out, not a bail out."  Obama brings up Clinton's admission that she voted for Bankruptcy bill but hoped it wouldn't pass.  Wolf lets Obama explain slum lord charge.  Nicely played, Wolf.  Russert would have stumbled forward like the deaf dolt that he is.

8:41:  Clinton throwing out mud about Obama's record in Illinois legislature.  Obama is getting mad.  Clinton says Obama never takes responsibility for any vote.  Crowd actually boos her.  I change my mind about the crowd - they're cool. 

8:48:  Now Edwards picks on Obama for voting "present" in Illinois.  Obama explains it's a technical way to oppose a bill you might agree with but would like to see modified.  Why is this hard for Edwards and Clinton to understand?

8:50:  Suzanne Malveaux turns to health care.  Clinton says her plan would be comprehensive but not government run. 

8:53:  Joe Johns asks Obama if his plan covers illegal immigrants.  Obama says no.  Johns says why not?  Obama says because we have limited resources.  Okay Joe?  Go back to sleep.

8:55:  Edwards says Obama has taken more money from Drug Companies than anybody and Clinton has taken more insurance money than anybody.  Obama says it's from individuals, not PACs. 

8:59: Edwards is wearing a big honking wristwatch.  Looks like a hockey puck.

9:00:  Clinton says Obama's policy is not universal. 

9:02:  Joe is up again!  Asking Clinton about Iraq, "Are you planning to end this war or win it?"  She says there is no military solution.  Edwards says surge is not working. 

9:10:  Turns out they all want us out of Iraq.


Commercial Break:  Wolf is teasing us with promise of a new set and "no rules" when we come back.  He's giddy.

Sponsor turns out to be AMERICA'S COAL INDUSTRY.  Holy shit.  I guess we're not coming back to hard hitting questions about Obama's coal subsidies.

9:18:  We're back.  Sitting down.  Wolf asks Obama about Charlie Rangel supporting Hillary.  Obama says he looks forward to working with Charlie once he's President.

9:21:  Edwards mentions MLK again.  Hillary against poverty for children.  Also against poverty for black people. 

9:25:  Obama comes out against poverty as well.  It's unanimous.

9:29:  Edwards comes out against Bill O'Reilly.  Didn't see that coming.  Clinton or Obama better come out against Limbaugh. 

9:31: Joe Johns asks Obama if Bill Clinton was our first black president.  Jesus.  Obama says he would have to see Bill dance before calling him a brother.  Wondering what would have happened if Senator Obama  responded, "It's hard to call a man "our first black president" if he has never felt the sting of the word "nigger."  Probably would have made Joe Johns head explode.  All over Wolf Blitzer. 

9:34:  Hillary mentions MLK.  Says she is reminded of one of her heroes, Frederick Douglas, and quotes him.  Then quotes MLK.  Where the hell is the Harriet Tubman quote?

9:37:  Obama brings up inequalities in Justice system. 

9:38:  Edwards stakes out Southern roots. 

9:40:  Suzanne Malveaux asks Clinton if her husband should tone it down.  Hillary says he feels very strongly blah blah blah...and then adds question is ' who can lead from day one?'

9:42:  Obama says nice things about Bill Clinton, but points out that he's acting like a jackass.

9:45:  Edwards conceding Republican nomination to John McCain.  Says he can beat that old man.


COMMERCIAL BREAK #2


9:52:  Obama says he can beat McCain too.  And he is a proud Christian. 

9:53:  Hillary says she can beat any old white man the GOP puts up. 

9:54:  Getting hungry.  I just opened a bag of beef jerky and my dog ran in from the other room.  I had to close the bag and remain hungry. 

9:56:  Candidates arguing about who takes money from whom.  My dog doesn't care - I'm bored too.

10:00:  Wolf has one final question: If Dr. King were alive, why should he endorse you?  (Wolf, you stumbled at the tape). 
Edwards: "Because I met with MLK III and I fight poverty."
Obama:  "MLK would not endorse any of us.  He felt change does not happen from the top down, but from the bottom up."
Clinton:  "Dr. King cajoled."  She gives shout out to John Lewis and Jim Cliburn in the audience.  Still no mention of Harriet  Tubman or Maya Angelou.

Handshakes all around.  Wolf plugging future debates on  CNN.  Stay tuned for Anderson Cooper 360.



Thanks again to the ObamaFest Team for letting me Liveblog tonight's debate.  - Rocky Petralia