Presidential Candidates Debate

Sep 27, 2008

C-SPAN Commission on Presidential Debates University of Mississippi

Senator McCain and Senator Obama participated in the first of three presidential debates. Jim Lehrer moderated the debate which focused on foreign policy but began by addressing the current financial crisis and proposals for a federal rescue plan for U.S. financial markets. Foreign policy questions highlighted military operations in Iraq and .. Read More
Senator McCain and Senator Obama participated in the first of three presidential debates. Jim Lehrer moderated the debate which focused on foreign policy but began by addressing the current financial crisis and proposals for a federal rescue plan for U.S. financial markets. Foreign policy questions highlighted military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, relations with Russia, efforts to combat terrorism, and other areas of U.S. interest abroad. The debate was presented in a full-screen format provided by the network pool showing candidates as they spoke with few shots as they reacted to their opponents' remarks. Questions posed by the moderator were also summarized in the lower third of the screen.

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TIME SPEAKER TEXT
00:01:10 MR. LEHRER

Good evening from the Ford Center for the Performing

Arts at the University of Mississippi in...

00:03:24 SEN. OBAMA

Well, thank you very much, Jim, and thanks to the

commission and the University of Mississippi,...

00:05:32 MR. LEHRER

Senator McCain, two minutes.

00:05:33 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, thank you, Jim. And thanks to everybody.

And I do have a sad note tonight. Senator Kennedy...

00:07:55 MR. LEHRER

All right. Let's go back to my question, how you

all stand on the recovery plan. And talk to...

00:08:08 SEN. OBAMA

Well -- well --

00:08:09 MR. LEHRER

And you, Senator McCain? Do you -- are you in favor

of this plan?

00:08:11 SEN. OBAMA

We haven't seen the language yet, and I do think

that there's constructive work being done out...

00:09:24 MR. LEHRER

Are you going to vote for the plan, Senator McCain?

00:09:27 SEN. MCCAIN

I -- I -- I hope so, and I believe so --

00:09:29 MR. LEHRER

As a United States senator, you'll vote to -- you're

going to vote for the plan?

00:09:31 SEN. MCCAIN

Sure. Sure, but -- but let me -- let me point out

I also warned about Fannie Mae and Freddie...

00:11:02 MR. LEHRER

Do you have something directly to say, Senator

Obama, to Senator McCain about what he just said?

00:11:06 SEN. OBAMA

Well, I think Senator McCain's absolutely right that

we need more responsibility, but we need...

00:11:46 MR. LEHRER

Say -- say it directly to him.

00:11:47 SEN. OBAMA

I do not think that they are.

00:11:48 MR. LEHRER

Say it directly to him.

00:11:49 SEN. OBAMA

Oh, I'll -- the -- John, 10 days ago, you said that

the fundamentals of the economy are sound....

00:11:53 MR. LEHRER

(Laughs.)

00:11:54 SEN. OBAMA

And --

00:11:55 SEN. MCCAIN

Are you afraid I couldn't hear him? (Laughter.)

00:11:58 MR. LEHRER

I'm just determined to get you all to talk to each

other. I'm going to try. (Laughs.)

00:12:01 SEN. OBAMA

The -- and -- and I just fundamentally disagree.

And unless we are holding ourselves accountable...

00:12:36 MR. LEHRER

So Senator McCain, do you agree with what Senator

Obama just said? And if you don't, tell him...

00:12:43 SEN. MCCAIN

No, I, look, we've got to fix the system. We've

got fundamental problems in the system. And...

00:13:37 MR. LEHRER

All right. Let's go to the next lead question,

which is essentially following up on this same...

00:13:57 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, the first thing we have to do is get spending

under control in Washington. It's completely...

00:15:43 MR. LEHRER

Senator Obama, two minutes.

00:15:45 SEN. OBAMA

Well, Senator McCain is absolutely right that the

earmarks process has been abused, which is...

00:17:26 MR. LEHRER

Senator McCain?

00:17:27 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, again, I don't mean to go back and forth, but

he --

00:17:29 MR. LEHRER

No, that's fine.

00:17:30 SEN. MCCAIN

-- Senator Obama suspended those requests for pork

barrel projects after he was running for...

00:18:45 SEN. OBAMA

I don't know where John's getting his figures.

Let's just be clear.

What I do is, I close...

00:19:51 MR. LEHRER

Respond directly to him about, to Senator Obama

about that, about the, his -- he's made it twice...

00:19:59 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, well, let me give you an example of what

Senator Obama finds objectionable.

the...

00:21:41 MR. LEHRER

Senator Obama, do you have a question for Senator

McCain on that?

00:21:43 SEN. OBAMA

Well, let me just make a couple of points.

00:21:44 MR. LEHRER

All right.

00:21:45 SEN. OBAMA

My -- here's what I can tell the American people:

95 percent of you will get a tax cut. And...

00:23:21 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, you know, let me just --

00:23:23 MR. LEHRER

We got to go another lead question --

00:23:24 SEN. MCCAIN

You know, this is -- this is -- I know we have to,

but this is a classic example of walking...

00:23:45 SEN. OBAMA

John, you want to give oil companies another ($)4

billion.

00:23:46 SEN. MCCAIN

So you got to look at our record. You've got to

look at our records. That's the important...

00:24:41 SEN. OBAMA

That's not true, John. That's not true.

00:24:42 SEN. MCCAIN

And that's just a fact. Again, you can look it up.

00:24:45 SEN. OBAMA

Look, it's just not true. And if we want to talk

about oil company profits, under your tax...

00:25:00 SEN. MCCAIN

(Chuckles.)

00:25:01 SEN. OBAMA

-- to lower taxes on everybody, but here's the

problem: if we are giving 'em to oil companies,...

00:25:10 SEN. MCCAIN

In all due respect, you already gave 'em to the oil

companies. (Laughs.)

00:25:11 SEN. OBAMA

No, but John, the -- the fact of the matter is is

that I was opposed to those tax breaks, tried...

00:25:33 MR. LEHRER

All right. All right.

Speaking of things that both of you want, another lead question:

It...

00:26:01 SEN. OBAMA

Right.

00:26:02 MR. LEHRER

What are you going to have to give up, in terms of

the priorities that you would bring as president...

00:26:12 SEN. OBAMA

Well, there are a range things that are probably

going to have to be delayed. We don't yet...

00:28:13 MR. LEHRER

Are you -- what priorities would you adjust as

president, Senator McCain, because of the financial...

00:28:22 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, look, look, we -- no matter what, we've got

to cut spending. We have -- as I said, we've...

00:30:06 MR. LEHRER

If I hear the two of you correctly, neither one of

you is suggesting any major changes in what...

00:30:16 SEN. OBAMA

Well, no, the --

00:30:17 SEN. MCCAIN

I'm --

00:30:18 SEN. OBAMA

As -- as I said before, Jim, there -- there are

going to be things that end up having to be...

00:30:20 MR. LEHRER

Like what?

00:30:21 SEN. OBAMA

-- deferred and delayed.

Well, look, the -- I want to make sure that we are investing in

energy...

00:30:35 MR. LEHRER

But you're not willing to give that up, are you?

00:30:36 SEN. OBAMA

But -- well, I'm not willing to give up the need to

do it, but there may be individual components...

00:31:51 SEN. MCCAIN

What I'm trying to get at is this --

00:31:53 MR. LEHRER

Excuse me -- excuse me, if I may, Senator. I'm

trying to get at that you all -- one of you is...

00:32:17 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, how about a spending freeze on everything but

Defense, Veteran(s) Affairs and entitlement...

00:32:24 MR. LEHRER

Spending freeze?

00:32:25 SEN. MCCAIN

I think we ought to seriously consider, with the

exceptions of caring for our veterans, national...

00:32:32 MR. LEHRER

Would you go for that?

00:32:34 SEN. OBAMA

Well, the problem with a spending freeze is you're

using a hatchet where you need a scalpel....

00:33:09 SEN. MCCAIN

Look, we're sending $700 billion a year overseas to

countries that don't like us very much....

00:34:05 MR. LEHRER

Let me see, before we go to another lead question,

let me see if I can figure out a way to ask...

00:34:27 SEN. OBAMA

There is no doubt that it's going to affect our

budgets. There is no doubt about it.

The...

00:35:39 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, I want to make sure that we're not handing

the health care system over to the federal...

00:37:15 SEN. OBAMA

But I just have to have make this point, Jim. John,

it's been your president, who you said you...

00:37:52 SEN. MCCAIN

It's -- it's --

00:37:53 MR. LEHRER

Quick response to Senator Obama.

00:37:54 SEN. MCCAIN

-- it's well-known -- it's well-known that I have

not been elected Miss Congeniality in the...

00:38:18 MR. LEHRER

All right --

00:38:19 SEN. MCCAIN

And that is independent and a maverick of the

Senate. And I'm happy to say that I've got a partner...

00:38:27 MR. LEHRER

All right. Let's go to another subject. Lead

question. Two minutes to you, Senator McCain. Much...

00:38:40 SEN. MCCAIN

I think the lessons of Iraq are very clear, that

you cannot have a failed strategy that will...

00:40:23 MR. LEHRER

Two minutes for how you see the lessons of Iraq,

Senator Obama.

00:40:25 SEN. OBAMA

Well, this is an area where Senator McCain and I

have a fundamental difference because, I think,...

00:42:20 MR. LEHRER

Do you agree with that lesson of Iraq?

00:42:22 SEN. MCCAIN

No, the next president of the United States is not

going to have to address the issue as to...

00:43:09 MR. LEHRER

Well, let's go at some of these --

00:43:10 SEN. MCCAIN

Senator Obama is the chairperson of a committee

that oversights NATO, that's in Afghanistan....

00:43:17 MR. LEHRER

What about that point?

00:43:18 SEN. MCCAIN

I mean, it's remarkable.

00:43:19 MR. LEHRER

All right, what about --

00:43:20 SEN. OBAMA

Which point? You raised a whole bunch of them.

00:43:21 MR. LEHRER

Well, the latter point. I know. All right.

00:43:21 SEN. MCCAIN

Yeah. (Chuckles.)

00:43:23 MR. LEHRER

Let's go to the latter point and we'll back up, the

point about your not having been --

00:43:26 SEN. OBAMA

Look, the -- I'm very proud of my vice presidential

selection, Joe Biden, who's the chairman...

00:44:13 SEN. MCCAIN

Senator --

00:44:14 SEN. OBAMA

And so -- so John likes -- John, you like to pretend

like the war started in 2007. You talk...

00:44:41 SEN. MCCAIN

(Inaudible) -- Senator Obama --

00:44:42 SEN. OBAMA

And so if the question is of judgment, about whether

or not --

00:44:43 SEN. MCCAIN

Senator Obama doesn't know what --

00:44:44 SEN. OBAMA

-- whether or not -- if the question who is best

equipped as the next president to make good...

00:45:03 MR. LEHRER

We got a lot a lot on plate here --

00:45:04 SEN. MCCAIN

I'm afraid -- I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't

understand the difference between a tactic and...

00:45:52 SEN. OBAMA

That's not true. That's not true.

00:45:53 SEN. MCCAIN

They just passed an electoral -- an election law

just in the last few days. There is social/economic...

00:46:20 MR. LEHRER

Let me see --

00:46:21 SEN. OBAMA

Jim, this is a big --

00:46:22 SEN. MCCAIN

-- and that same strategy will be employed in

Afghanistan by this great general.

00:46:27 SEN. OBAMA

Jim --

00:46:28 SEN. MCCAIN

And Senator Obama, who after promising not to vote

to cut off funds for the troops, did the...

00:46:38 SEN. OBAMA

Jim, there are a whole of bunch of things we got to

answer.

First of all, let's talk about...

00:48:40 SEN. MCCAIN

Admiral Mullen suggests that Senator Obama's plan

is dangerous for America.

00:48:45 SEN. OBAMA

That's not the case.

00:48:46 SEN. MCCAIN

That's what -- that's what Admiral Mullen said.

And I --

00:48:47 SEN. OBAMA

What he said was a precipitous withdrawal would be

dangerous. He did not say that.

00:48:48 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, that's what Admiral Mullen said, was --

00:48:49 SEN. OBAMA

That's not true.

00:48:50 SEN. MCCAIN

And also General Petraeus said the same thing.

Osama bin Laden and General Petraeus have one...

00:49:30 SEN. OBAMA

Well --

00:49:30 SEN. MCCAIN

-- because I know that that's a strategy that has

worked and can succeed. But if we snatch defeat...

00:49:47 MR. LEHRER

Afghanistan. Lead -- a new lead question. Having

resolved Iraq, we'll move to Afghanistan. (Laughter.)...

00:50:04 SEN. OBAMA

Yes, I think we need more troops. I've been saying

that for over a year now. And I think that...

00:52:13 MR. LEHRER

Afghanistan, Senator McCain.

00:52:16 SEN. MCCAIN

First of all, I won't repeat the mistake that I

regret enormously, and that is after we were...

00:55:00 SEN. OBAMA

Nobody talked about attacking Pakistan.

Here's what I said, and if John wants to disagree with...

00:56:49 SEN. MCCAIN

I don't think that Senator Obama understands that

there was a failed state in Pakistan when...

00:59:46 MR. LEHRER

Senator --

00:59:47 SEN. MCCAIN

And it did. And we will win this one, and we won't

come home in defeat and dishonor and probably...

00:59:54 SEN. OBAMA

Jim, let me just make a point. I've got a bracelet,

too, from Sergeant -- from the mother of...

01:01:33 SEN. MCCAIN

You know, you might, you might think that with that

kind of concern, that Senator Obama would...

01:02:29 MR. LEHRER

I have some good news and bad news for the two of

you. You all are even on time, which is remarkable...

01:02:37 SEN. OBAMA

Testimony to you, Jim.

01:02:39 MR. LEHRER

Well, I don't know about that.

But the bad news is that all my little five-minute things have

run...

01:03:00 SEN. MCCAIN

My reading of the threat from Iran is that if Iran

acquires nuclear weapons, it's an existential...

01:05:30 MR. LEHRER

Two minutes on Iran, Senator Obama.

01:05:31 SEN. OBAMA

Well, let me just correct something very quickly. I

believe that the Republican Guard of Iran...

01:07:30 MR. LEHRER

Senator, what about talking?

01:07:32 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, Senator Obama twice said in debates that he

would sit down with Ahmadinejad, Chavez and...

01:07:51 SEN. OBAMA

That's tough.

01:07:52 SEN. MCCAIN

-- who is -- Ahmadinejad, who is now in New York

talking about the extermination of the State...

01:09:12 MR. LEHRER

Senator?

01:09:13 SEN. OBAMA

Right, the -- so let -- let's talk about this.

First of all, Ahmadinejad's not the most powerful...

01:09:19 SEN. MCCAIN

(Chuckles.)

01:09:20 SEN. OBAMA

-- so he -- he may not be the right person to talk

to. But I reserve the right as president...

01:12:13 SEN. MCCAIN

I'm not going to set the White House visitors

schedule before I'm president of the United States....

01:12:32 SEN. OBAMA

Of course not.

01:12:33 SEN. MCCAIN

He said that there could be secretary-level and

lower-level meetings. I've always encouraged...

01:13:09 SEN. OBAMA

I --

01:13:09 SEN. MCCAIN

As far as North Korea is concerned, our secretary

of State, Madeleine Albright, went to North...

01:13:41 SEN. OBAMA

Well --

01:13:42 SEN. MCCAIN

-- and certainly not sit down --

01:13:43 MR. LEHRER

Quick.

01:13:43 SEN. MCCAIN

-- across the table from -- without precondition,

as Senator Obama said -- he did twice -- I...

01:13:50 MR. LEHRER

Quick.

01:13:50 SEN. OBAMA

Look, I mean, Senator -- Senator McCain keeps on

using this example that suddenly the president...

01:14:43 SEN. MCCAIN

So -- so let me get this right. We sit down with

Ahmadinejad and he says "we're going to wipe...

01:14:50 SEN. OBAMA

Yeah --

01:14:50 SEN. MCCAIN

Oh, please.

01:14:51 SEN. OBAMA

No, no, let me tell you something --

01:14:51 SEN. MCCAIN

By the way, my friend Dr. Kissinger, who's been my

friend for 35 years --

01:14:56 SEN. OBAMA

Right.

01:14:56 SEN. MCCAIN

-- would be interested to hear this conversation --

01:15:00 SEN. OBAMA

Oh, I will be --

01:15:00 SEN. MCCAIN

-- and Senator Obama's depiction of his -- of his

positions on the issue.

01:15:04 SEN. OBAMA

We will take a look --

01:15:04 SEN. MCCAIN

I've known him for 35 years, and I guarantee you he

would not -- he would not say that presidential,...

01:15:11 SEN. OBAMA

Nobody's talking about that.

01:15:11 SEN. MCCAIN

-- of course he encourages and other people

encourage contacts and negotiations and all other...

01:15:16 SEN. OBAMA

Well --

01:15:17 SEN. MCCAIN

We do that all the time.

01:15:20 MR. LEHRER

We're going to go to a new lead --

01:15:21 SEN. MCCAIN

And Senator Obama is parsing words when he says

"precondition" means "preparation."

01:15:29 SEN. OBAMA

Hold on. I am not parsing words.

01:15:29 SEN. MCCAIN

He's -- he's parsing words, my friends.

01:15:30 SEN. OBAMA

I am using the same words that your advisers use.

Please go ahead.

01:15:32 MR. LEHRER

New lead question --

01:15:32 SEN. MCCAIN

(Chuckles.)

01:15:35 MR. LEHRER

-- Russia, goes to you, two minutes, Senator Obama.

How do you see the relationship with Russia?...

01:15:47 SEN. OBAMA

Well, I think that given what's happened over the

last several weeks and months, our entire...

01:18:04 MR. LEHRER

Two minutes on Russia, Senator McCain.

01:18:06 SEN. MCCAIN

Well, I was interested in Senator Obama's reaction

to the Russian aggression against Georgia....

01:21:13 MR. LEHRER

Senator, do you have a major difference with what he

just said?

01:21:16 SEN. OBAMA

No, actually, I think Senator McCain and I agree for

the most part on these issues.

Obviously,...

01:24:11 MR. LEHRER

We've got time for one more lead question segment.

We're way out of -- we're out of --

01:24:11 SEN. MCCAIN

Could I -- could I quickly respond.

01:24:11 MR. LEHRER

You could be -- quick response and then we'll go to

the next.

01:24:20 SEN. MCCAIN

No one from Arizona -- (chuckles) -- is against

solar. And Senator Obama says he's for nuclear,...

01:24:26 SEN. OBAMA

That's -- that's just not true, John.

01:24:27 SEN. MCCAIN

-- so it's hard to get there from there.

01:24:28 SEN. OBAMA

John, I'm sorry, that -- that's not true.

01:24:29 SEN. MCCAIN

And offshore drilling is also something that is

very important, and it is a bridge. And we know...

01:24:47 SEN. OBAMA

I -- I just have to respond very quickly just to

correct the -- just to correct the record.

01:24:53 SEN. MCCAIN

So I want to say that with the Nunn-Lugar thing --

01:24:53 MR. LEHRER

Excuse me, sir.

SEN. OBAMA.

(Inaudible.)

01:24:57 SEN. MCCAIN

-- I supported Nunn-Lugar back in the early 1990s

when a lot of my colleagues didn't. That was...

01:25:12 SEN. OBAMA

I -- I just have to correct the record here. I have

never said that I object to nuclear waste....

01:25:12 SEN. OBAMA

He objects -- he objects to --

01:25:22 SEN. MCCAIN

I have voted for alternate fuel all of my time --

(Cross talk.)

01:25:23 MR. LEHRER

One at a time, please.

01:25:24 SEN. MCCAIN

-- and no one can be opposed to alternate fuels --

01:25:25 SEN. OBAMA

All right. Fair enough. Let's move on. You got

one more --

(Cross talk.)

01:25:30 MR. LEHRER

This is last lead question, you have two minutes

each. The question is this, beginning with...

01:25:44 SEN. MCCAIN

I think it's much less than it was the day after

9/11. I think it -- that we have a safer nation,...

01:27:52 MR. LEHRER

Two minutes, Senator Obama.

01:27:54 SEN. OBAMA

Well, first of all, I think that we are safer in

some ways. Obviously we've poured billions...

01:30:02 MR. LEHRER

Do you agree there's much to be done in a new

administration to restore -- well, I won't repeat...

01:30:08 SEN. MCCAIN

But I -- but in the case of missile defense,

Senator Obama said it had to be, quote, "proven."...

01:31:27 MR. LEHRER

You see the same connections that Senator McCain

does?

01:31:30 SEN. OBAMA

Oh, there's no doubt. Look, over the last eight

years, this administration, along with Senator...

01:33:33 SEN. MCCAIN

I've been involved, as I mentioned to you before,

in virtually every major national security...

01:35:07 SEN. OBAMA

Well, let me just make a closing point.

My father came from Kenya. That's where I get my name....

01:36:15 MR. LEHRER

Few seconds. We're almost finished.

01:36:17 SEN. MCCAIN

Jim, when I came home from prison, I saw our

veterans being very badly treated. And it made...

01:36:44 MR. LEHRER

And that ends this debate tonight.

On October 2nd, next Thursday, also at 9 p.m. Eastern Time,...

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