Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate Liveblogging

The debate is streamed here.

The question is on North Korea. Lieberman says that both parties are at fault, and that we need better alliances. The fault of this is on Kim Jung Il, not Bush. (Fact check)

Lamont: Says that Bush focused on Iraq instead of North Korea, the country that didn't have WMDs. The country has become a much more dangerous place since Bush took office. We need China on board, and the threat of military force doesn't make sense unless we have China and South Korea on board. "We never negotiate out of fear, but we never fear to negotiate", he's quoting Kennedy. We need to improve Homeland Security.

Schlesinger: It's Clinton's fault. Why has Joe Lieberman not been there over the last eighteen years? You had moral outrage over Clinton's indiscretions than over nuclear proliferation. "We have to entice Kim Jung Il, we have to negotiate with this guy."

Lieberman: The ports in Connecticut are going to be more secure because of a bill he just passed with Olympia Snowe.

Lamont: Connecticut Homeland Security funding has been seriously cut, and Lieberman didn't even show up for the vote.

Question on civil rights, why didn't you speak out against Parker's comments saying that Lieberman never marched in the Civil Rights movement?

Lieberman:Lamont is saying he didn't agree with the comments, and that he apologized for them.

Schlesinger is saying that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are divisive, and that both candidates have pandered to those two. "There's no room in my campaign for a Jesse Jackson, there's no room for Al Sharpton. He's saying we all believe in civil rights, let's focus on national security.

Lieberman: You should apologize for the other misstatements, like his record on Social Security. He's going strong on Social Security. "I thought about privatization in the 1990s, and I thought it was a terrible idea." Ever since the Bush administration came into office I've been against it. [Fact check]

Schlesinger: I can't really write this, it's hilarious.

Lieberman:: Let me assure any seniors that there is enough money in the SS trust fund for at least 35 years to pay all your benefits. The answer is to get the budget back in balance, and enact PAYGO.

Lamont: We need to start living within our means again as a country. We have thousands of earmarks, the bridge to nowhere, the Medicare Part D drug benefit. We need to change the situation in Washington, DC.

Schlesinger: In 35 years, the phantom money is going to run out. More charm

IMMIGRATION

Schlesinger: I want to build the walls.... We need to use drones, whether it's immigration, whether it's flag burning, etc. Don't listen to Joe's rhetoric, watch his voting record.

Lieberman: We appropriated $1.2 billion for fencing, and money for electronic equipment.

Lamont: We're never going to fix the health care system until we deal with the 47 million uninsured. Having them flood the emergency rooms is the most expensive form of health care.

Question, CEOs are greedy. Aren't you? Haven't you laid off 68% of our workers, according to the Lieberman ad?

Lamont: That ad is untrue. We had some bumpy times after 9/11, and we had to sell off some of our systems.

Schlesinger: I built a business and served in the public sector on a state level, in the trenches. I understand the average middle income person.

Lieberman:: I run on 18 years of delivering for the state of Connecticut. This is a very serious office, I have a record. You can criticize it. Ned doesn't have such a record, and he brings it into play.

Argh, I can't keep up with this.

Question for Alan: Are you a real candidate?

Alan: This is a very unusual election. We know that Joe Lieberman has had a relationship with the President on Iraq. All I'm going to say is that most of the Repubicans in Connecticut who know me are all supporting. Even Jodi Rell said when you want policy when you want solutions, you want Alan Schlesinger... The state chairman of the party wrote a letter saying that it's time to get behind Alan Schlesinger.

Lamont: People do want a change. People said it couldn't be done when I started running.

My connection keeps cutting out.

Tags: Connecticut, CT-Sen, Joe Lieberman, Ned Lamont (all tags)

Comments

11 Comments

Re: Lamont-Lieberman Debate Liveblogging

What the heck was up with Lieberman's "I thought I was only going to get attacked from this side" comment.

His surprise at being attacked by Schlesinger seems pretty indicative that Lieberman considers himself the GOP candidate.

by avagias 2006-10-16 09:19AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman Debate Liveblogging

Don't agree with Schlesinger but he's doing Lamont a hell of a favor by putting on a decent performance and directing most of his barbs at Lieberman.

by mcearlgrey 2006-10-16 09:27AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman Debate Liveblogging

"both parties are to blame"? has there been some Democratic co-president hiding behind the curtains for the last six years?

Maybe that's how Lieberman sees himself.

by BlueinColorado 2006-10-16 09:28AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman Debate Liveblogging

Ned seems enthusiastic which I like. Joe is coming across as being smooth, confident, very establishment. Schlesinger comes across as being a Republican and he's doing great; I love it.

by kundalini 2006-10-16 09:32AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman Debate Liveblogging

Since apparently at least one person (Schlesinger himself...) doesn't think that his campaign is a sham and he's willing to attack Lieberman, maybe we should all be donating to Schlesinger's campaign (since Rove and the GOP hate machine are clearly lined up behind Joe).  Maybe get the DSCC to buy some ads on his behalf...

by NJIndependent 2006-10-16 09:40AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate Livebloggi

anyone else catch that?

Journo: What are your views on illegal immigration? And what do we do about the illegals already here?

Lieberman: Short answer: "Yes and yes."

what the hell?

by mcearlgrey 2006-10-16 09:34AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate Livebloggi

 Be careful... Schlesinger might be attacking Joe from the right in an effort to make Joe appear more "moderate".

 But boy, is Lieberman even capable of moving his lips without lying?

by Master Jack 2006-10-16 10:05AM | 0 recs
Democrat

Lamont never spoke the word.  The issue of who is one was never spoken.  Lamont needs Democrats to "come home" to the Democratic nominee.  He should be constantly reminding voters that he is the (better) Democrat.  Combined with not calling out Joe directly on his lies, this debate was a missed opportunity for Lamont.

by Steve in Sacto 2006-10-16 10:06AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate

General impression:

No clear winner and all three did well in their own way.

I thought Ned seemed nervous but also passionate about making a difference in people's lives. Although he is a very rich guy and Joe did tease him on this, Ned doesn't have the confidence or smoothness of the ultra rich, instead he comes across as being enthusiastic, wanting to help, wanting to change things.

Joe came across as the smooth politician that he is. Very establishment, knowledgeable, status quo, at time patronizing especially towards Ned. Less republican than his campaign has tended to be and I wonder how genuine republicans watching will have felt when Schlesinger was quite clearly the authentic right wing candidate.

I liked Schlesinger he was a genuine right winger and his presence really changed the debate. Most of his attacks were aimed at Joe who might otherwise have made Ned look like an amateur.

by kundalini 2006-10-16 10:13AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate

The debate just finished on C-Span and, honestly, I'm leaning towards calling this one a win for Schlesinger. His responses came off much more sharply than either Lamont's or Lieberman's did, but he never seemed petty. (I became a big Lamonter over the summer, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes as he and Lieberman spent minutes going back and forth over whose ads were more negative.)

Gotta love Ned, but I think he was scooped today, and that kind of performance by Schlesinger might just take a bite out of Lieberman's Republican base.

by mlangenmayr 2006-10-16 10:18AM | 0 recs
Re: Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger Debate Livebloggi

Schlesinger won, therefore Lamont won.

by mcearlgrey 2006-10-16 11:30AM | 0 recs

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