i'm glad i was in tkd practicing breaking techniques

instead of home watching the debate last night; otherwise, I think I would have put a flying sidekick through my teevee.

Judging from the transcript, all I learned is that Charlie Gibson is a fatuous douchebag, George Stephanopoulos is still afraid of Hillary Clinton a decade after leaving the inner circle, Clinton is still doggedly slinging bullshit Obama's way, and ABC/Disney had a hard-on for beating up Obama:

...MR. GIBSON [to Sen. Obama]: Talking to a closed-door fundraiser in San Francisco 10 days ago, you got talking in California about small-town Pennsylvanians who have had tough economic times in recent years. And you said they get bitter, and they cling to guns or they cling to their religion or they cling to antipathy toward people who are not like them.

… Do you understand that some people in this state find that patronizing and think that you said actually what you meant?
…
MR. GIBSON: Senator Obama, since you last debated, you made a significant speech in this building on the subject of race and your former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. And you said subsequent to giving that speech that you never heard him say from the pulpit the kinds of things that so have offended people.

But more than a year ago, you rescinded the invitation to him to attend the event when you announced your candidacy... But what did you know about his statements that caused you to rescind that invitation?

SENATOR OBAMA: Well –

MR. GIBSON: And if you knew he got rough in sermons, why did it take you more than a year to publicly disassociate yourself from his remarks?

…MR. GIBSON: But you did rescind the invitation to him –

…MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator, two questions. Number one, do you think Reverend Wright loves America as much as you do? And number two, if you get the nomination, what will you do when those sermons are played on television again and again and again?

…MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: You've disowned him?

…MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: But you do believe he's as patriotic as you are?

…MR. GIBSON: I'm getting a little out of balance here. Do you want to take a few seconds, or do you want to go to the next question?

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, I think, in addition to the questions about Reverend Wright and what he said and when he said it…

It is clear that, as leaders, we have a choice who we associate with and who we apparently give some kind of seal of approval to. And I think that it wasn't only the specific remarks, but some of the relationships with Reverend Farrakhan, with giving the church bulletin over to the leader of Hamas to put a message in. You know, these are problems, and they raise questions in people's minds.

OMFG!!! BARACK HUSSEIN!!! OBAMA IS AN ISLOMOFASCIST TERRORIST!!!

…MR. GIBSON: And Senator Obama, I want to do one more question, which goes to the basic issue of electability. And it is a question raised by a voter in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a woman by the name of Nash McCabe. Take a look.

NASH MCCABE (Latrobe, Pennsylvania): (From videotape.) Senator Obama, I have a question, and I want to know if you believe in the American flag. I am not questioning your patriotism, but all our servicemen, policemen and EMS wear the flag. I want to know why you don't.

Here are some flags for you, Disney/ABC:

MR. GIBSON: Just to add to that, I noticed you put one on yesterday.…

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, look, I revere the American flag, and I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country…

As you noted, I wore one yesterday when a veteran handed it to me, who himself was disabled and works on behalf of disabled veterans. I have never said that I don't wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins. This is the kind of manufactured issue that our politics has become obsessed with and, once again, distracts us from what should be my job when I'm commander in chief, which is going to be figuring out how we get our troops out of Iraq and how we actually make our economy better for the American people.

Suck on that, Charlie.

...MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: …I want to give Senator Clinton a chance to respond, but first a follow-up on this issue, the general theme of patriotism in your relationships. A gentleman named William Ayers, he was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol and other buildings…

OMFG!!! BARACK HUSSEIN!!! OBAMA IS AN ISLOMOFASCIST TERRORIST!!! AGAIN!!!

An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly. Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?

SEN. OBAMA: George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.

…[T]he notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George.

The fact is, is that I'm also friendly with Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative Republicans in the United States Senate, who during his campaign once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions… So this kind of game, in which anybody who I know, regardless of how flimsy the relationship is, is somehow -- somehow their ideas could be attributed to me -- I think the American people are smarter than that. They're not going to suggest somehow that that is reflective of my views, because it obviously isn't.

Suck on that, George.

SEN. CLINTON: Well, I think that is a fair general statement, but I also believe that Senator Obama served on a board with Mr. Ayers for a period of time, the Woods Foundation, which was a paid directorship position. And if I'm not mistaken, that relationship with Mr. Ayers on this board continued after 9/11 and after his reported comments, which were deeply hurtful to people in New York… I know Senator Obama's a good man and I respect him greatly...

Sure you do, Senator Clinton. Just look at the way you talk about him.

…but I think that this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising…

SENATOR OBAMA: I'm going to have to respond to this just really quickly, but by Senator Clinton's own vetting standards, I don't think she would make it, since President Clinton pardoned or commuted the sentences of two members of the Weather Underground, which I think is a slightly more significant act than me –

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Applauds.)

MR. GIBSON: Please.

SENATOR OBAMA: -- than me serving on a board with somebody for actions that he did 40 years ago…

MR. GIBSON: And Senator Clinton, I'm getting out of balance in terms of time.

What, spending too much time attacking the Dem frontrunner for your GOP bosses, Charlie?

SENATOR CLINTON: I've noticed. (Laughs.)

…MR. GIBSON: …Senator Clinton, a question for you. We talked about the military applications from the Constitution and this is a question that involves the war in Iraq. It comes from Mandy Garber of Pittsburgh. Take a look.

MANDY GARBER (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): So, the real question is, I mean, do the candidates have a real plan to get us out of Iraq or is it just real campaign propaganda?...

MR. GIBSON: Let me just add a little bit to that question … [I]f the military commanders in Iraq came to you on day one and said this kind of withdrawal would destabilize Iraq, it would set back all of the gains that we have made, no matter what, you're going to order those troops to come home?

SENATOR CLINTON: Yes, I am, Charlie. And here's why: You know, thankfully we have a system in our country of civilian control of the military. And our professional military are the best in the world. They give their best advice and then they execute the policies of the president. I have watched this president as he has continued to change the rationale and move the goalposts when it comes to Iraq.

And I am convinced that it is in America's best interest, it is in the best interest of our military, and I even believe it is in the best interest of Iraq, that upon taking office, I will ask the secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and my security advisers to immediately put together for me a plan so that I can begin to withdraw within 60 days…

I gotta give it to you there, Sen. Clinton. Good answer. But about that war vote…

MR. GIBSON: But Senator Clinton, aren't you saying … "I know better than the military commanders here"?

SENATOR CLINTON: No, what I'm saying, Charlie, is … one thing I am sure of is that our staying in Iraq, our continuing to lose our men and women in uniform, having many injured, the Iraqi casualties that we are seeing as well, is -- is no way for us to maintain a strong position in the world.

It's not only about Iraq. It is about ending the war in Iraq, so that we can begin paying attention to all of the other problems we have. There isn't any doubt that Afghanistan has been neglected…

So the bottom line for me is, we don't know what will happen as we withdraw. We do know what will happen if we stay mired in Iraq…

MR. GIBSON: And Senator Obama… So you'd give the same rock-hard pledge, that no matter what the military commanders said, you would give the order: Bring them home.

SENATOR OBAMA: Because the commander in chief sets the mission, Charlie. That's not the role of the generals… [T]he president sets the mission. The general and our troops carry out that mission. And unfortunately we have had a bad mission, set by our civilian leadership, which our military has performed brilliantly. But it is time for us to set a strategy that is going to make the American people safer…

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me turn to the economy…

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Clinton, two-part question…

Two-part question: Can you make an absolute, read-my-lips pledge that there will be no tax increases of any kind for anyone earning under $200,000 a year?
…
MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: An absolute commitment, no middle-class tax increases of any kind.

SENATOR CLINTON: No, that's right. That is my commitment.

MR. GIBSON: Senator Obama?

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Would you take the same pledge

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, I not only have pledged not to raise their taxes, I've been the first candidate in this race to specifically say I would cut their taxes…

…MR. GIBSON: Senator Obama, you both have now just taken this pledge on people under $250,000 and 200-and-what, 250,000.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, it depends on how you calculate it. But it would be between 200 and 250,000.

MR. GIBSON: All right.

You have however said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax. As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28 percent."

It's now 15 percent. That's almost a doubling if you went to 28 percent. But actually Bill Clinton in 1997 signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.

SENATOR OBAMA: Right.

MR. GIBSON: And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent.

SENATOR OBAMA: Right.

MR. GIBSON: And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?

Some Econ 101 for you Charlie:

1) When you lower the capital gains rate, there will be a temporary increase in revenues because people will immediately sell assets they’ve been sitting on. That revenue will flatten out and then decline if the rate is left low. Please look at our current debt if you need further proof.

2) Most people who own stock in this country own it through IRAs and 401ks – they don’t trade directly. So capital gains taxes don’t affect them because they’re not selling huge chunks of stock – that’s what Bill Gates and you do.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year -- $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair…

…MR. GIBSON: But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up.

You just won’t give up, will you, Charlie.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, that might happen or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going… And if we can stabilize that market and we can get credit flowing again, then I think we'll see stocks do well, and once again I think we can generate the revenue that we need to run this government and hopefully to pay down some of this debt.

…MR. GIBSON: Senator Clinton.

…MR. GIBSON:… The question was about capital gains tax. Would you say, "No, I'm not going to raise capital gains taxes

SENATOR CLINTON: I wouldn't raise it above the 20 percent if I raised it at all. I would not raise it above what it was during the Clinton administration.

MR. GIBSON: "If I raised it at all." Would you propose an increase in the capital gains tax?

Jesus, Charlie – are you that worried about your ABC/Disney stock? Are you planning to bail out in the next 4 years?

SENATOR CLINTON: You know, Charlie, I'm going to have to look and see what the revenue situation is…

I don't want to raise taxes on anybody. I'm certainly against one of Senator Obama's ideas, which is to lift the cap on the payroll tax, because that would impose additional taxes on people who are, you know, educators here in the Philadelphia area or in the suburbs, police officers, firefighters and the like…

MR. GIBSON: Very quickly, because I owe Senator Clinton time, but, yeah, you wanted to respond.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, Charlie, I just have to respond real quickly to Senator Clinton's last comment. What I have proposed is that we raise the cap on the payroll tax, because right now millionaires and billionaires don't have to pay beyond $97,000 a year.

That's where it's kept. Now most firefighters, most teachers, you know, they're not making over $100,000 a year. In fact, only 6 percent of the population does…

MR. GIBSON: But Senator, that's a tax. That's a tax on people under $250,000.

SENATOR OBAMA: [T] this is an option that I would strongly consider, because the alternatives, like raising the retirement age, or cutting benefits, or raising the payroll tax on everybody, including people who make less than $97,000 a year –

MR. GIBSON: But there's a heck of a lot of –

SENATOR OBAMA: -- those are not good policy options.

MR. GIBSON: Those are a heck of a lot of people between $97,000 and $200(,000) and $250,000. If you raise the payroll taxes, that's going to raise taxes on them.

SENATOR OBAMA: And that's -- and that's -- and that's why I've said, Charlie, that I would look at potentially exempting those who are in between. "?

Bad answer, Senator Obama. The reason Social Security works is that it benefits everybody – that’s why all those between $50,000-$97,000 are willing to pay in. If you exempt anyone, everyone else – top and bottom – will scream bloody murder.

But the point is, we're going to have to capture some revenue in order to stabilize the Social Security system. You can't -- you can't get something for nothing….

And I think we should be honest in presenting our ideas in terms of how we're going to do that and not just say that we're going to form a commission and try to solve the problem some other way.

…MR. GIBSON: I would be remiss tonight if I didn't take note of the fact that today is the one-year anniversary of Virginia Tech. And I think it's fair to say that probably every American during this day, at one point or another, said a small prayer for the great people at that university and for those who died.

Wrong again, Charlie. My nephew is a junior at Virginia Tech, and as an aunt I thought about him and his classmates all day. But I didn’t pray once. BECAUSE I’M AN ATHEIST.

Ever read the Constitution, Charlie?

It also, I suspect, makes this an appropriate time to talk about guns. And it has not been talked about much in this campaign and it's an important issue in the state of Pennsylvania. Both of you, in the past, have supported strong gun control measures. …

Why don't you emphasize that now, Senator Clinton?

SENATOR CLINTON:…I respect the Second Amendment. I respect the rights of lawful gun owners to own guns, to use their guns, but I also believe that most lawful gun owners whom I have spoken with for many years across our country also want to be sure that we keep those guns out of the wrong hands.

And as president, I will work to try to bridge this divide, which I think has been polarizing and, frankly, doesn't reflect the common sense of the American people.

REMEMBER, BARACK HUSSEIN!!! OBAMA WANTS TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS. AND SHOOT YOU WITH THEM.

MR. GIBSON: Senator Obama, the District of Columbia has a law, it's had a law since 1976, it's now before the United States Supreme Court, that prohibits ownership of handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, a machine gun or a short-barreled rifle. Is that law consistent with an individual's right to bear arms?

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, Charlie, I confess I obviously haven't listened to the briefs and looked at all the evidence.

As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right, and, you know, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it…

Mr. GIBSON: But do you still favor the registration of guns? Do you still favor the licensing of guns?

Jeebus on a broomstick, Charlie – who, except wackos in the NRA, doesn’t?

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Clinton, you have a home in D.C. Do you support the D.C. ban?…

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, what I support is sensible regulation that is consistent with the constitutional right to own and bear arms.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Is the D.C. ban consistent with that right?

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, I think a total ban, with no exceptions under any circumstances, might be found by the court not to be. But I don't know the facts
…
MR. GIBSON: Well, with all due respect, and I'm not sure I got an answer from Senator Obama. But do you still favor licensing and registration of handguns?

You’re an asshole, Charlie.

…MR. GIBSON: People are in trouble. And yet the whole world pays a whole lot more for gas than we do. What are you going to do about it?

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, I met with a group of truckers in Harrisburg about a week and a half ago, and here's what I told them. Number one, we are going to investigate these gas prices.

Because that’s worked so well in the past?

…Number two, I would quit putting oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and I would release some to help drive the price down globally.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently holds about 700 million barrels of oil. Global oil consumption averages more than 75 million barrels of oil per day. So, releasing that oil on the market would maybe lower prices for a month or two. (You couldn’t release it all or there would be no safety net in the event of a “disruption” – a pipeline disaster or embargo – which is the purpose of the reserve.)

And thirdly, if there is any kind of gas tax moratorium, as some people are now proposing –

MR. GIBSON: Like John McCain.

SENATOR CLINTON: -- like John McCain…

That won’t work, Senator Clinton. See here for why.

… I would like to see us do is to say if we have that, then we should have a windfall profits tax on these outrageous profits of the oil companies, and put that money back into the highway trust fund, so that we don't lose out on repair and construction and rebuilding. …

That’s a better idea – but how about we tax the windfall without cutting the gas tax?

MR. GIBSON: Very quickly, Senator Obama, I -- the same thing. But we've heard from politicians for a long time we're going to end dependence on foreign oil. I just have a quote: "The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now." That was Jimmy Carter in 1979. And it's gotten a whole lot worse since then. …

That’s right, Charlie. If you want to do something about energy consumption, you must be another Jimmy Carter, and ineffectual flake, right?

SENATOR OBAMA: …[T]the long-term trajectory is that we're going to have to get serious about increasing our fuel efficiency standards and investing in new technologies.

That's something I'm committed to doing. I've talked about spending $150 billion over 10 years in an Apollo Project, a Manhattan Project to create the alternative energy strategies that will work not only for this generation but for the next.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: We're running out of time for this segment. Very quickly, for each of you, 30 seconds. Senator Clinton, you've said that you believe in using former presidents. How would you use George W. Bush if you were president? (Laughter.)

SENATOR CLINTON: I'm going to have to give some serious thought to that. (Laughter.)…

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Obama.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, you know, I think that having the advice and counsel of all former presidents is important. I'm probably more likely to ask advice of the current president's father than president himself because I think that when you look back at George H.W. Bush's foreign policy, it was a wise foreign policy. …

If you don’t count Iran-Contra, and John Negroponte running amok in Central America leaving a trail of bloody corpses in his wake, sure.

…The problem is, we've been locked in a divided politics for so long that we've stopped listening to each other. And I think that this president in particular has fed those divisions. That's something that we've tried to end in this campaign, and I think we're being successful.
…
MR. GIBSON: Final question, now, to finish what I think has been a fascinating debate…

Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back there, Charlie.

Jesus, what a waste of time that was. How many issues were covered in depth? ZERO.