Debate Live-Blog, part 1

Obama gets the first question about the financial crisis. So far, so good. I'd heard on NPR earlier that he's been drilling methodically for this debate, practicing making his answers more concise. You can see it. He's also looking directly into the camera more than usual. 

McCain's response is lame so far, beginning with a gratuitous nod to Ted Kennedy who entered the hospital earlier today. Sounds crass and fake to me. 

Ooh, now Lehrer invites them to cross talk for five minutes. Who nows, maybe it could get interesting. 

Obama more or less dodges direct question, but starts in on the causality of the situation, hammering the conservative ideology. 

McCain "hopes" to vote for the plan. Begins going on about Eisenhower and accountability. "Somehow" greed and corruption are rewarded today in Washnigton and Wall St. Somehow? He's been a huge part of it for 26 years. 

Obama calls McCain out of the "fundamentally sound" remark. Lehrer awkwardly insists Obama address McCain directly. Weird. 

Now, Lehrer asks McCain to address Obama directly. He doesn't. This debate experiment isn't going to work.