Round 1: Where do you stand on the Paulson bailout plan?

Obama says that Main Street was suffering long before Wall Street and that we have to move swiftly and wisely. Also, he says that he’s put forward proposals to make this plan work better, most importantly to make sure we bail out the deadbeats who are being foreclosed on, too, and not just the Richie Riches at Lehman. Oh, and by the way and Bush and McCain caused this whole thing. McCain opens by saying that he wishes Ted Kennedy all the best, signaling that he believes Sarah Palin has brought the GOP base onboard for good. He then points to the bipartisan nature of the modified Paulson package. And says that this is only the end of the beginning of the financial crisis. Neither guy answered the question, prompting Lehrer to re-ask.

On redirect, Obama says he can’t say whether he’s for it or not because he hasn’t seen the details. But that it’s important to remember that he warned of the crisis two years ago. Which kind of leaves one wondering why, if he knew that the “worst economic crisis since the Great Depression” was coming down the pike, all he did was write a letter to Paulson instead of acting to head it off.