22:41 Thanks again..good night, and send your feedback to blabify@gmail.com

22:40 Also feel free to create your own liveblogs for whatever event you choose

22:39 Thanks to everyone for hanging with us...if you are into soccer,( and who is not), please come back tomorrow for a liveblog of the Nigeria v Sudan game

22:38 Now for the debate after the debate..each camp will no doubt claim victory

22:37 Whitle blows...90 minutes plus extra time over. The debate is done!!

22:37 At last..the POW story from McCain

22:36 Ok.here comes the hope message from Obama

22:35 JM must know something we don't, he keeps trying to belittle Obama..that will not win him any new voters

22:33 Obama segues to the economy from Iraq..good move!!

22:31 JM says Obama does not get it...I wonder why he keeps doing that. JM takes it all back to Iraq

22:30 Obama closing with a flourish...we need to regain our respect around the world

22:29 Fear factor from Obama..we should fear Al Qaeda and a nuclear weapon in a suitcase

22:28 Obama says we have a long way to go

22:28 JM is ending on a strong note..mostly cos we are all tired

22:27 JM says not too likely, and it is mainly because of his 'mavericity' lol

22:26 Question: What do you think the likelihood is of another 9/11 type attack?

22:25 Drill baby drill..cries JM

22:24 Ok..the fireworks are back. Obama goes after JM on alternative energy

22:24 Ok..these guys are beginning to get boring

22:22 I think Americans are hearing blah blah blah... I doubt people care about Russia right now

22:20 Again JM is talking tough..its all talk

22:19 JM calls Obama naive gain, not good. These guys have to try and look presidential

22:18 Obama needs to get away from these low blows either against Bush or JM

22:18 Its all good to hear, but no one can do nada about Russia, they have more nuclear warheads than the USA

22:17 Tough talk from Obama...

22:16 Obama first...

22:16 Question: How do you see the relationship with Russia?

22:15 This debate has had no breaks and we only have 15 minutes left

22:13 JM calls Obama dangerous and Naive

22:12 Oh no he did not... Obama unleashes the Spain issue

22:12 I'm a little biased here, but JM is not performing as well on this foreign policy that is supposed to be his strong suit

22:10 Ouch..Kissinger who is a JM advisor says Obama is right

22:09 JM says no talking with Iran, cos it makes their illegal behavior look good

22:08 Tough direct diplomacy, says Obama

22:07 Obama says Iran is stronger because of the war in Iraq.

22:06 Summary we should act with our friends and allies to stop the threat

22:05 He blames Russia for the mid-east problem, want to forma league of democracies to stem the threat

22:04 We cannt allow a second holocaust ..its all about Isreal

22:03 JM goes first

22:03 Question: What is your reading of the threat from Iran

22:03 reminds me of a certain Sarah and Russia

22:02 JM says he was been to Afghanistan, therefore he know more about Afghanistan

22:00 Obama says he has a bracelet too :)

22:00 yada yada yada...JM says he is wearing a dead soldier's bracelet

21:58 JM is giving a loong history of his foreign policy decisions..smart move!!

21:56 bomb bomb Iran..Obama should not have brought that up

21:54 JM is making a god comeback on Afghanistan

21:52 JM needs to move this discussion back to Iraq..Obama is killing him on this topic

21:51 Obama says an emphatic YES

21:50 Question: Should more troops be sent to Afghanistan?

21:49 Obama moves this to Afghanistan

21:47 This is a no-win topic...Obama is killing JM if you are a dem, and JM is killing Obama if you are a republican

21:45 JM says the surge is not a tactic

21:45 Obama says the surge was just a tactic to mend the mistakes of the previous 4 years

21:43 The surge again

21:42 Obama says Afghanistan is the real prize not Iraq

21:41 Obama says the war should not have been fought in the first place

21:40 yup..here it comes, he says we are winning in Iraq due to the surge

21:39 Now about Iraq...JM is sure to bring up the surge

21:39 JM calls himself a maverick...lame

21:38 Obama reminds JM that Bush has increased spending with JM's help over the last 8 years

21:36 Health care again..JM needs to stay away from this one, BO's position is more popular than his

21:33 JM says he wants a spending freeze except for Military stuff.. Obama is killing him on that one

21:32 Obama says he set up "Google for government".this one is gonna stump JM

21:30 He says he saved the taxpayers $6.8b by killing a boeing contract

21:29 He would eliminate ethanol subsidies.. I guess he gave up on Iowa

21:29 JM says we have to cut spending..he is attacking Obama

21:28 Education must be a priority says BO

21:27 Obama says energy indepencence has to be a priority..some other things will drop

21:26 Question: As president, as a result of the bailout, what are you going to have to give up? BO first

21:24 This has gne to healthcare..not good for JM, he tries to go back to earmarks.."look at our records". This on eis a dogfight!!

21:20 Obama counter punches with JM's tax policies

21:19 This debate cannot be about earmarks or else JM wins it

21:18 JM goes back to the earmarks..Obama needs to get away from this one

21:17 Obama says earmarks accounted for $18b last year, but JM proposes $300b in tax cuts for the rich..you do the math

21:16 JM goes straight for earmarks, as the central problem with the economy. Accuses Obama of being for earmarks

21:15 Are their fundamental differences between your approach and the other guy's approach? McCain goes first

21:12 Both men are trying to out 'populist' each other.

21:11 McCain says he also warned about corporate greed and Fannie/Freddie. He is invoking Eisenhower

21:09 Both men are dodging the yes or no answer. Obama now says he warned about this 2 years ago

21:08 McCain says the good thing is that both parties are working together

21:06 McCain starts by talking about Ted Kennedy in hospital

21:06 He lays out his standard 4 point plan.. says the crisis is a final verdict on 8 years of Bush & McCain

21:04 First question to Obama..where do you stand on the recovery plan

21:03 The 2 senators are introduced and are shaking hands

21:02 And away we go!! Jim Lehrer the moderator is yakking away now

21:01 The package has not passed, but McCain will be debating tonight...go figure

21:00 For those of you who were out of the planet the last 2 days, McCain had 'suspended' his campaign 2 days ago, saying he would not debate unless the bailout package was passed

20:47 Some of you may have noticed that the time we initially published for this debate is wrong. The correct time is 9pm Eastern, which is less than 10 minutes from now