Sunday, October 03, 2004

So he took notes to the debate with him.

Yeah, by now, if you've come to this site you already know about this.

So now the question becomes WHAT was on the notes? Well, you've come to the right place 'cause I found out:
  1. Do you believe you could do a better job than President Bush in preventing another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States?
  2. New question, Mr. President, two minutes.
    Do you believe the election of Senator Kerry on November the 2nd would increase the chances of the U.S. being hit by another 9/11-type terrorist attack?
  3. New question, two minutes, Senator Kerry.
    “Colossal misjudgments.” What colossal misjudgments, in your opinion, has President Bush made in these areas?
  4. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes.
    What about Senator Kerry‘s point, the comparison he drew between the priorities of going after Osama bin Laden and going after Saddam Hussein?
  5. We‘ll come back to Iraq in a moment. But I want to come back to where I began, on homeland security. This is a two-minute new question, Senator Kerry.
    As president, what would you do, specifically, in addition to or differently to increase the homeland security of the United States than what President Bush is doing?
  6. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes.
    What criteria would you use to determine when to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq?
  7. All right, new question. Two minutes, Senator Kerry.
    Speaking of Vietnam, you spoke to Congress in 1971, after you came back from Vietnam, and you said, quote, “How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”
    Are Americans now dying in Iraq for a mistake?
  8. New question, Mr. President, two minutes. You have said there was a, quote, “miscalculation,” of what the conditions would be in post-war Iraq. What was the miscalculation, and how did it happen?
  9. New question. Senator Kerry, two minutes. You just—you‘ve repeatedly accused President Bush—not here tonight, but elsewhere before—of not telling the truth about Iraq, essentially of lying to the American people about Iraq. Give us some examples of what you consider to be his not telling the truth.
  10. New question, Mr. President. Two minutes.
    Has the war in Iraq been worth the cost of American lives, 1,052 as of today?
  11. Speaking of your plan, new question, Senator Kerry. Two minutes.
    Can you give us specifics, in terms of a scenario, time lines, et cetera, for ending major U.S. military involvement in Iraq?
  12. Mr. President, new question. Two minutes. Does the Iraq experience make it more likely or less likely that you would take the United States into another preemptive military action?
  13. New question. Two minutes, Senator Kerry.
    What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?
  14. New question, Mr. President. Do you believe that diplomacy and sanctions can resolve the nuclear problems with North Korea and Iran? Take them in any order you would like.
  15. New question, two minutes. Senator Kerry, you mentioned Darfur, the Darfur region of Sudan. Fifty thousand people have already died in that area. More than a million are
    homeless. And it‘s been labeled an act of ongoing genocide. Yet neither
    one of you or anyone else connected with your campaigns or your
    administration that I can find has discussed the possibility of sending in
    troops. Why not?
  16. New question, President Bush. Clearly, as we have heard, major policy differences between the two of you. Are there also underlying character issues that you believe, that you believe are serious enough to deny Senator Kerry the job as commander in chief of the United States?
  17. New question, two minutes, Senator Kerry.
    If you are elected president, what will you take to that office thinking is the single most serious threat to the national security to the United States?
  18. All right. Mr. President, this is the last question. And two minutes. It‘s a new subject—new question, and it has to do with President Putin and Russia. Did you misjudge him or are you—do you feel that what he is doing in the name of antiterrorism by changing some democratic processes is OK?

There you have it - you heard it here first.

UPDATE: One of Reynolds readers came up with his best guess on what was on the notes:

10 Best Guesses as to what Kerry pulled out of his pocket.

10. Good luck note from Dan Rather.
9. Original Killian memo--on WordPerfect!
8. Directions to Cambodian Christmas party.
7. John Edwards' billable hours on campaign trail.
6. Appointment slip for next Botox treatment.
5. French to English dictionary.
4. Lucky CIA hat!
3. Commitment papers for Theresa.
2. Leaves of Grass.
1.One way ticket to Boston!!!!