February 15, 2004

Wisconsin Debate Coverage

Click below to follow my raw coverage of the Wisconsin debate.

UPDATE: Welcome InstaPundit readers. Glenn, thanks for the link.

Posted 5:48

Kerry gets question on Bush's National Guard duty:

"Not qualified to answer." Bush hasn't learned lessons of Vietnam War. Bush "rushed" to war. Have suggested to Democrats to stop using the AWOL charge.

Edwards: "Disconnect" between what administration told country about war, and what was found. [Not right.]

Borger: Stupid process question about how Bush is using Dean's criticism of Kerry in a commercial.

Dean: President Bush is "looting the American treasury" in drug and energy bills. Weird references to old Wisconsin politicians like Bob LaFollite and William Proxmire.

Kerry: Fought against "Nixon's war" in Vietnam.

Kerry, in vague reference to the Drudge affair rumor, will stand up to any attack. He vaguely blaming Republicans for the rumor, "resorting to the personal."

Sharpton: "Where's bin Laden?" "Why didn't we put all our energies into finding him?" Iraq is a "distraction" to the war on terrorism. Iraq is an "imagined threat."

Wisconsin has lost 90,000 manufacturing jobs since the 1990s.

Kerry: Bush administration has refused to used trade side agreements. Doesn't regret signing NAFTA, but regrets lack of enforcement.

120 day review of all trade agreements. Won't sign Central American and Free Trade for the Americas trage agreements unless it has

Edwards: Opposes NAFTA. He'll "stand up and fight" for those lost jobs, but offered nothing of substance.

Dean: Free trade agreements are justified. Labor and environmental rights haven't been "globalized." What does that mean? Dean willing to force people to pay more for goods by dumping bad trade agreements.

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Posted 5:55

Kucinich: Would dump NAFTA and the WTO and go back to bilateral trade agreements based on workers' rights.

Sharpton: Would cancel NAFTA too. Was against it in the beginning. "Indecent" to pay foreign workers such low wages.

Edwards: "Some of these jobs are gone." Will wake up everyday in the White House to fight for jobs.

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Posted 6:17

Dean: Middle class never got tax cuts. Repealing Bush tax cuts don't amount to a tax increase. Thinks balancing the budgets would create jobs.

Kucinich: Number one domestic priority is creating a "non-profit" health care system.

Kerry: Will tax the rich and close loopholes to pay for 97% of all Americans in three years. Extend Congressional health care plan to everyone.

Edwards: Wants states to import drugs from Canada. Can only afford to "start down road to universal health care." Have to lift 35 million out of poverty.

Holt asks hard question about Kerry's waivering on No Child Left Behind and PATRIOT ACT.

Kerry: Bills isn't the problem, bad enforcemnt and John Ashcroft are the problems. Won't promise to balance the budget, because he doesn't think it can be done.

Kucinich: "Create wealth by putting people to work."

Sharpton: Vouchers don't help everyone. [Just means vouchers should be extended to all.]

Kerry: Would have government pay for 4-year in-state tuition if person works in local community for 2 years.

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Posted 6:28

Dean: Supported Gulf War I, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. Congressmen and Senators are responsible for sending troops to war. National Guardsmen and reservists shouldn't spend 12 months in combat. [How else to have enough troops to fight?]

Kerry: "President choose the wrong way" to fight the Iraq War. Doesn't think Bush did enough to build international backing. [What about the many countries who joined the coalition? Interested more in process over knocking off Saddam and his threat.]

Edwards: Accepts responsibility for voting for the war. We're fighting the war alone. [Once again, what about the Brits, the Poles, and others.] Thinks NATO could and should guard Iraq boarders while Americans focus on the Sunni Triangle.

Kucinich: Thinks the administration knew Iraq had nothing to do with the Islamist War. "President lied to American people" about the war. Doesn't know why. [Got applause for his anti-war stance.]

Sharpton: "Clearly he lied." "Absolutely it was a lie." "Why do people lie? Because they are liars?" [Doesn't know the difference between lying and just being wrong. Sharpton then got a bunch of cheers.]

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Posted 6:43

Dean: Gave three trillion dollars to his pals. Administration hasn't bought enriched uranium. Still stands behind his "America isn't safer with Saddam's capture" statement. Capturing bin Laden would make America safer. Bush hasn't gone after him and al-Qaeda.

Kerry: Sees himself first as a jobs President. Bush has ignored North Korea. Has ignored AIDS. Will develop more global cooperation on fighting terrorism.

Kucinich: Iraq War "wasn't necessary." Will dump all nuclear weapons and hog-tie the country with international treaties.

Dean: Ends don't justify the means with regard to Iraq. "We don't know how history will just the war in Iraq."

Kerry: Used affirmative action while prosectutor in Massachusetts.

Sharpton: Fought all his life for diversity. [Including Tawana Brawly?] Thinks D.C. Congressional representation is a civil right issue.

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Posted 6:54

Kerry: Personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but is for civil unions and partnership rights. Let states decide their own policies. [Smells of moral relativism.]

Edwards: Has "seen up close" how losing a job effects people. Kerry and Dean have "good hearts."

Sharpton: Rich can be compassionate; poor can be cold-hearted. "Clarance Thomas is my color but not my kind." [Not black enough?]

Another Gloria Borger lame process question.

Dean: Will support Kerry if/when he gets the nomination. "We have changed the face of campaigning." Won't owe anyone anything if sent to D.C. [Would Dean be happy with a rich, Perot-type to self fund a winning campaign?]

Kucinich: Got the E Pluribis Unum translation right; better than AlGore.

Kerry: He said the most boring "I'm a fighter" I've ever heard.