Live-blogging the third debate!

6:05. Back at Henry's. Can barely hear. McCain looks crazed. If I didn't know better, I'd think he's been crying.

6:06. Joined by a motley crew tonight. Dana, Sandhya, Shawn, William, Emily, and Alex. Obama talking.

6:06. I guess the question's about the economy?

6:07. Whatever Obama's saying, the CNN line tells me that the women are responding better than the men.

6:08. McCain's back on. Telling a story about some plumber in a higher tax bracket.

6:09. McCain promising low taxes, health care. Pitting Obama against Joe the Plumber.

6:09. Obama responds. McCain wants to cut taxes for the rich. Obama wants to cut taxes for the poor. 95% of working Americans. The line loves this; how will McCain respond?

6:11. McCain responds. Keeps using the phrase "spread the wealth around" in reference to Obama. I think he's playing the socialist card.

6:13. The screen is littered by little graphs that appear to pertain to various pundits. But I have no idea how to read them.

6:14. Bob Schieffer with a new topic: specifics about the deficit.

6:15. Obama first. Talking about correctly structuring the rescue package.

6:15. Racer 5 is delicious.

6:16. Obama wants to eliminate federal programs that don't work. This is in step with "Obama's New Deal," which he alluded to in the last debate.

6:16. Serious energy policy will also alleviate "borrowing from China to pay Saudi Arabia." The line says he's doing well.

6:17. McCain responds.

6:18. Alex notes that McCain "is getting pissed."

6:18. McCain is talking about ethanol subsidies. An Obama attack.

6:19. Again with the "I know": I know how to save taxpayers millions.

6:19. Tamar observes that McCain keeps saying this kind of thing.

6:19. Alex is right. McCain's gonna explode.

6:21. McCain claims that he loves President Bush.

6:22. McCain cites the record. Attacking Barack for not going against the leaders of his party.

6:23. Obama landed a punch, judging by reactions, but I didn't hear it. Oh, he backed something up by citing Fox News.

6:24. Obama went after him hard. McCain responding. It sounds like he's defending his record as a maverick.

6:25. Next question. Candidates have not taken the high road as they said. Dana loves the question. Alex sees this as a softball to bring up Ayers.

6:26. McCain responds that it's a tough campaign. McCain criticizing Obama for not doing town halls. Obama looks bemused. Talking about the negative aspects of "both" campaigns.

6:27. Reference to Sarah Palin.

6:28. Obama still looks bemused. Think he's ready for this. McCain just called Obama a "longshot candidate."

6:28. McCain criticizes the high spending of the Obama campaign. I think he's criticizing Obama for making more money.

6:29. Obama points out that 2/3 of Americans believe McCain's running a negative campaign. People care about health care, tax policy.

6:30. Obama says the attacks don't matter; just fix the problem. The women seem to like that one.

6:31. McCain criticizing Obama's spending again.

6:32. Obama just brought up "terrorist," "kill him." McCain getting antsy.

6:32. Obama denounces the civil rights comparison, but points out that American people are tired of the back-and forth in politics. Which he wants to focus on.

6:34. McCain just called the racists "fringe people." Apparently some T-shirts have hurt Senator McCain's feelings.

6:35. Obama: "Disagree without being disagreeable."

6:36. Gergen's pundit-meter not doing much; Alex asks whether he fell asleep.

6:36. McCain brings up ACORN. Obama still looking bemused.

6:37. Obama calls Ayers the "centerpiece" of McCain's campaign. Obama explains the Ayers connection, mentions that Ronald Reagan funded it.

6:38. ACORN, according to Obama, paid people to register voters. Obama represented them alongside the Justice Department.

6:38. The Line is responding well. McCain looks uncomfortable. Like, "what the fuck am I gonna say?" The women like this.

6:39. Henry's just burst into applause. Obama's remarks played well.

6:40. McCain's response was muddled. Something about taxes. Next question.

6:40. Which running mate is better? Obama first.

6:41. Obama is pointing to Biden's expertise. Scranton.

6:41. The bar is a lot quieter when Obama talks. This is Berkeley, of course, but still.

6:42. Obama advocates for energy independence. McCain's up.

6:43. I don't envy him; he's got to defend Palin. The hoots are starting.

6:43. He's pointing to Sarah's pipeline to nowhere--a pipeline that doesn't exist--as her experience.

6:44. McCain brings up special needs families. My lord, he actually went to Sarah Palin's Down's baby.

6:44. Dana: Look at the retarded-baby spike! Bwah ha ha ha ha!

6:46. McCain attacks Obama again for wanting to raise taxes. Schieffer changes the subject to energy.

6:48. Alex popints out the McCain's suit is shittier than Obama's. Intentional?

6:48. Whatever McCain said, it got a favorable response.

6:49. Obama responds. Expand domestic production. But we can't drill our way out of the problem due to the numbers.

6:50. Obama points out that we invented the auto industry. That probably earned him some red state points.

6:52. Playing the "uppity" card. Can Obama field this without "getting black"?

6:54. Obama refers to car dealerships closing. Talks about the "fuel-efficient cars of the future."

6:56. McCain's up. The line just went from the top to the bottom. McCain goes from there to preconditions again. The ladies hate him. "Senator Obama wants to restrict trade and raise taxes."

6:56. McCain has lost the plot.

6:57. Next question. Controlled health care costs or expanded health care coverage? Obama says we need both. The Line likes it.

6:58. The Line is maxed out, women and men. McCain is comfortably at the middle.

7:00. Alex: "Those are the shittiest-looking hand stitched lapels I've ever seen. Aren't you supposed to be rich?" Tamar: "He's trying not to show it." Maybe.

7:03. Obama is killin' this question. Explaining his health care plan, showing why McCain's sucks.

7:03. More regulation.

7:04. McCain on "spread the wealth" again. I think he's really trying to call Obama a socialist.

7:05. McCain is playing the communism card re: Obama's health plan. Here's the thing: that worked on Kerry in 2004.

7:07. Roe v. Wade. Schieffer wants to know if they'd nominate a Supreme Court Judge that disagrees with their position on it.

7:07. McCain says he's a "federalist;" he would leave it to the states, not have a "litmus test."

7:07. McCain points to his maverick record.

7:09. Obama answers. He hasn't looked uncomfortable this hold debate.

7:09. Obama says that any judge must be able to provide fairness to the American people.

7:10. Obama's killin' it. McCain knows he's fucked.

7:11. Obama's talking about the statute of limitations. Oh, he's going after the women. More applause from Henry's.

7:12. Me: "This debate's not fair to both candidates. When are they gonna ask a question about Matlock?" Tamar: "McCain kind of looks like Matlock..."

7:14. Obama supports a ban on late-term abortions, except where the mother's life is threatened. I hate abortion, but I agree.

7:15. Obama maxed out the line again. McCain is dead in the water.

7:16. McCain takes it to his adopted Bangladeshi child--which, if you'll recall, was a liability in 2000.

7:16. Schieffer with the next question, re: education. U.S. spends most on education, yet we suck. Is this a national security threat? How do we fix?

7:17. Obama: It's tied to our economic future and national security. Debate his between more money and reform; Obama says we need both.

7:18. Obama: $4,000 tuition credit for public service: military service, peace corps.

7:19. Obama says "we can't do it just for the schools; parents must step up."

7:19. McCain alleges that we have equal school access. He's talking about charter schools and vouchers.

7:20. McCain advocates Teach for America.

7:21. Schieffer wants to know if federal gov't should play larger role in education. Obama says the government should step up and help. No Child Left Behind, alas, sucks.

7:22. Obama wants to provide higher salaries and more support. Obama seems to attack every problem on two fronts. I like that.

7:23. McCain is on about vouchers. Parents want them, he says, because parents want the ability to choose.

7:25. McCain's Sarah Palin reference doesn't play well at Henry's.

7:26. Obama responds re: vouchers in DC.

7:27. Schieffer puts in a weird plug for "mydebates.org."

7:27. McCain closing. "My friends" returns!

7:28. McCain says America needs a new direction. McCain, the Maverick, will deliver.

7:29. McCain says that it comes down to the candidate that you can trust.

7:29. Now he's talking about a "long line of McCains" that has served the country.

7:29. Obama responds. Looks straight into the camera; this could be a fireside chat.

7:30. The Line is responding well to Obama's closing.

7:31. Obama renews his old message, that we all have to work together.

7:31. Obama's closing drew applause in Henry's.

7:31. Schieffer: "Go vote now. It'll make you feel big and strong."

7:33. P.Y.T. playing at Henry's. Sweeeet.