Liveblogging

9:05: Strong response by Obama. Absolutely fantastic. No pauses, incredibly decisive. This is so reassuring. Big hit on supply side ec as well. Brilliant.

9:08: McCain is similar, maybe not quite as forceful. Weird tie-in to foreign oil.

9:10: Obama still aggressive, points to his record.

9:11: McCain: "Me too."

9:12: Wow. Obama is really banging away at the populism thing.

9:13: I love Lehrer. What a sweet dude.

9:14: McCain probably should avoid using the word "fundamental" as much as he can. He just used it three times in that response.

9:14: Oop, Lehrer just used it.

9:15: Eaaaarmaaark tiiime

9:17: Obama rips McCain on irrelevance of earmarks compared to McCain's tax cut proposals.

9:18: McCain punches back. But it's hard to argue with Obama's numbers.

9:24: Slight dynamic change--Obama is slightly more defensive. McCain can't give up on the earmarks thing. Obama needs to keep hammering on the healthcare-benefits tax.

9:29: Not a big fan of Obama's big catalogue of projects. Seems pie-in-the-sky. I still don't think McCain's calls for spending cuts are any more resonant.

9:35: Oh, screw you, Lehrer. Sometimes I think these mods get too attached to their questions. Just kidding, I love you, Jim.

9:35: Neeeeds moooore Bush-bashing. Obama is letting McCain get away with too much stuff.

9:41: This will be crucial. Obama needs to redirect from surge and towards AUMF.

9:44: Don't take the bait, Barack.

9:46: Temper, temper! Obama's got to bait and bait and bait. Come on, McCain's getting pissy.

9:48: I don't see Afghanistan as being a winning issue. And Obama needs to mention 100 years.

9:52: Grumph, Obama needs to speak more clearly and be more offense-focused.

9:56: ANAL RAPE with bomb bomb Iran from Obama. THANK YOU.

9:59: McCain resorts to storytelling; Obama now apparently on the offensive.

10:03: McCain still sticking to personal narrative. Obama makes a devastating comeback on the "mother of a soldier" front.

10:03: Aw, bustling, officious Jim.

10:24: Yawn, I guess.

10:33: Obama needs to hit back at McCain's so-far-unchallenged idea that Obama's Iraq plan entails "defeat."

10:37: Noun. Verb. POW.