LIVE BLOG: The Last Presidential Debate - Let the Games Begin!

PRESIDENT OBAMA CLEARLY WON THE DEBATE TONIGHT. HE WAS VERY PRESIDENTIAL AND POINTED OUT MANY OF ROMNEY'S ERRORS.

ROMNEY SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME AGREEING WITH THE PRESIDENT'S POLICIES.
ROMNEY CLEARLY ABANDONED MUCH OF HIS EXTREMIST RIGHT WING TALKING POINTS.

ROMNEY WAS CAUGHT IN A FEW LIES, PARTICULARLY DENYING HIS CALL FOR DETROIT GOING BANKRUPT. THERE WILL BE PLENTY IN THE HEADLINES THIS WEEK!

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1. Changing Middle East - New face of terrorism:
Libya:
. Romney: Complains about Arab Spring. al qaeda. Muslim Brotherhood. Greatest threat - Iran, closer to nuclear weapon.
can't kill way out of events.
reject violent, radical extremism.
. Obama: Keep american people safe. done this. ended war in iraq. al qaeda's core leadership descimated. let them take care of own secuirty.
Libya - when we received phone call did all we could to secure americans in harms way; investigate what happened; go after those who killed americans. I and Americans took leadership in organizing Coalition. Liberate country. No boots on ground. Tens of thousands of libyans saying America is friend.
Romney strategy all over the map.
. Romney: strategy go after bad guys. get muslim people to reject muslim leadership on their own. go after anti american leaders. help world reject terrorists. economic development. better education. gender equality. rule of law. however see chaos now. egypt - make sure we see progress across middle east. north mali taken over by al qaeda. syria. iran. path to nuclear weapons.
. Obama: glad you realize al qaeda a threat. You said russia was a threat. you seem to want to import social policies of 1980s. A few weeks ago you said you wanted more boots in iraq. go into iraq with no WMD. troops in iraq to this day. No nuclear treaties in Russia. You said no timeline in afghanistan. Now you said maybe or depends. send mixed messages to our troops and allies. We need strong, steady leadership, not all over the map. (realize you have no experience.)
. Romney: don't concur with my own record. not accurate. talking middle east of rising tide. attacking me is not an agenda.stem the type of violence. russia is a geo political vote. and iran is the largest security we face. no rose colored glasses to russia. after election he'll get more backbone.
. Obama: what I would not have done is more boots on ground in Iraq. Just a few weeks ago you said more boots on ground in iraq. Here's one thing I've learned as commander in chief. you stand clear. You just gave a speech few weeks ago - iraq. make sure countries support our counter terrorism strategies. protect religious minorities and women. develop economic capabilities. we can't continue to do nation building in these regions. help us maintain american leadership we need.

SYRIA:
Obama: organize international community. hasad has to go. sanctions. made sure isolated. humanitarian assistance. assist opposition. syrians will have to determine own future. all we do is in consultation with allies including israel. what is happening in syria is heart breaking. but can't get more entangled. if we do so know who we are helping. don't put arms in hands of those against us. hasad's day's are numbered.
Romney: humanitarian disaster. iran's only ally. syria remove hassad is priority. no military involvement there. work through partners. id resp within syria. bring them together in counsel. take lead in syria. arms to defend themselves.but arms not turned against us. need effective leadership effort in syria. relationship of friendship of those that take his place. afraid - let un deal with it. look to allies instead of playing leadership role.
Obama: we are leadership role. mobilizing humanitarian. Syria: stop massacre. make sure kadafhi, that he didn't stay there. romney suggested this was mission creep. imagine if we'd pulled out at that point. more american blood on his hands than bin laden. we made sure allies stayed with us when we took him out.
Romney: would you go beyond what admin would do? don't want to have military involved in syria. obj to replace hassad. put in place new govt that is responsible, armed and friendly to us. Not necessary. This should have been time for american leadership. we should have taken lead. make sure they have arms.
Obama: what you heard romney say - no different ideas - because we are doing exactly what we should be doing.
Egypt:
Obama: america stand with democracy. notion to run over young people in tanks -- no. now that we have dem leadership in egypt, make sure they take resp. to minorities, rights of women, abide by treaty with israel. make sure cooperate re: counter terrorism. we will help them re: deve own economy. Their young people aspiration similar to our own young people. organize how to rebuild their own economy. for americans to be successful, here at home - dev our own ecnomy, education system and energy.
Romney: support mubarik? No. we should have had better vision for future. worked more aggresively in region to have a better represetative form of govt. but felt same as Obama re: develop their own country. Our mission: peaceful world. enjoy lives. not war. mantle of peace - take leadership. be strong. begins with strong economy at home. Iran prez says our economy is weak. debt is too big. need strong military.need strong allies. connection to allies. 42 allies and france around the world. stand by principles.

What is America's Role in the world.
Romney: resp and privelege to defend freedom. make world more peaceful. elections. vote for peace. don't vote for war. recognize places of conflicts in the world. in order to lead with peace america must be strong. Get economy going. Military strong. stand by allies. israel and US tension unfortunate. Students took to street in tehrain. stand for principles. allies. strong military.
Obama: world needs strong america. ended war in iraq. refocus attention. transition process in afghanistan. refocus on alliances. alliances never been stronger. asia, europe, africa. israel. what we also do - position - rebuild america. bring manufacturing back to our shore. not rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas. cut oil imports to lowest level in 2 decades. develop clean energy. allow us to cut our exports in half by 2020. reduce deficits. cut out spending. romeny plan doesnt do it. cuts taxes for rich.
romney has proposed long and wreckless policies. praised george bush and cheney. wrong and reckless policies
romney: unemployment too high. 5 point plan. energy independent.increase  trade in latin america. training that work for workers and schools that put schools first. PUT TEACHERS UNIONS BEHIND. save and invest more. on track to balanced budget. champion small business.
Obama: in MA small biz ranked 48th. The way you define small biz it's for the RICH.
Education: reform education. gains and progress in schools.hire more teachers, especially in math in science. asked my teachers, said more teachers wouldn't help. you keep wanting to SLASH SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION.
romeny: said he did do well in education. english and math. said bipartisans put in place measures to improve.
Obama: YOU CUT EDUCATION. those results were 10 years earlier and you CUT Education. That happened before you came into office.
romney: (you said you want bigger navy, bigger military) -- cut discretionary budget -- reduce spending. cut obamacare. can't afford it. take program after program we don't need. take some programs - medicaid - take healthcare program to poor and give to states. states run more efficiently. (can you do that?) that's what I want to do.
Obama: gov romney called for 5 trillion by closing deductions. math doens't work. then spend 2 trillion dollars on military. our military spending gone up every year sicne i've been in office. we spend more than next 10 countries combined.
we can't spend 2 trillion in spending military's not asking for. 5 trillion in tax cuts. then say you are going to pay for it without saying which deductions you'd make.
you can't say you're going to do it without saying how.
(Romney looking pretty gray right now)
Romney: sayid he balances budgets. Military increase: navy smaller now than ever. unacceptable. need ships required by navy. need planes. Will NOT cut military budget plus sequestration cuts.
Obama: Budget we are discussing is NOT reducing cuts. we also have fewer horses and bayonets. we have air force carriers. don't need as many ships.
Not reflected in budget you are looking forward. It jsut doesn't work. Visited your website. Your plan doesn't work.
(Romney looking GRAY again!)

Obama; I will stand with Israel if they are attacked. Most cooperation in history.
Issue of iran - as long as I'm prez Iran will NOT have nuclear weapons.
My sanctions are crippling their economy. Their ecnomy is in a shambles due to our sanctions.
Can't afford to have nuclear arms race (like romney wants) in such a volatile region.
Sanctions work.
When Romeny talks - says in campaign, we need to take premature action - military attacks.Wrong.
Romney: no question - nuclear iran unacceptable. Obama right with sanctions. they are working. romney will tighten them he says.
Obama: get iran to recognize they need to give up nuclear program. hope leadership takes right direction. glad romney agrees with obama steps. the process is painstaking and meticulous.
(Obama is SOOOO Presidential)
Romney: says America's policies have shown weakness (what a heretic!)
says President started an apology tour. Criticizes American Policy. Says it is important for President to show strength. (How disrespectful). says we should indict
Obama: Romney - big whoppers. No apology tour. Toughest sanctions.
Romney invested in Chinese oil company doing biz with enemies. Let American people be the judge.
The strength we have shown in Iran. When I came into office, Iran was strong, now at it's weakest point.

Romney: we are 4 years closer to nuclear iran. shouldn't have wasted these last 4 years. you flew to middle east, turkey and iraq. you skipped israel.

Obama: trips - 1st trip visit our troops. went to israel as candidate. went to holocaust museum. why bond with israel unbreakable. saw where missles came down.
as president we funded iron dome program to protect children, families.
central issue - who will be credible to all parties involved. look at my record. support democracy, people, women's right - who stood on right side of history.

Bomb Iran:
Romney: not going into hypothetical - about bomb. But let's go back to what's happening in world. jihadists. trade deficits china. look around world - north korea. russia not following. don't see influence in world growing. due to economy, turmoil in israel. please repair tensions in israel.

Obama: on a whole range of issues. you've been all over the map. pleased you are finally endorsing my policies. just a few years ago said this was something you'd never do. were against sanctions, now for them. were against withdraw from iraq, now for them. was against going for bin laden. you said no, ask pakistan for permission. after we removed bin laden - talked to young girl - she was haunted by conversation from father who died in towers, now she felt relief that bin laden was killed. That's the kind of clarity in leadership.
some in my own party had the same critique you did. but I made those decision.

Afghanistan:
Romney: (you need to give me time to respond he went off track. sheiffer: you did too.)
be finished by 2014.
Pakistan important to region, world and us. Needs more stable government.

Obama:  When I came into office, still bogged down in Iraq. Ended war in Iraq. Delivered surge of troops. Met many obj that got us there in the 1st place. went there because people resp for 9/11. Now we need to transition out. Let afghanistan care for own country. Move out responsibily by 2014.
Free up resources to put America back to work. Make sure veterans get jobs, care they need. Manufacturing jobs, infrastructure jobs.

Divorce Pakistan? (Hate Us)
Romney: No. If it falls apart, there are nuclear weapons there. terrorists there. Pakistan technically an ally. Help them move to more responsible course. Can't just walk away. As we send support to them, tied to helping them become civil society.

Use of Drones?
Romney: Yes. President right in upping usage. But need comprehensive strategy to move world away from terror and extremism. Haven't seen progress we need.

Obama: Not just Bin Laden. We've created partnerships across the area. Make sure govts are not corrupt. free markets. treat women fairly. stood on side of democracy. when tunisia began to protest we stood with them. stood on side of democracy - egypt. always will be elements in these countries that don't like US. al qaeda's much weaker, less leadership.

rise of china:  greatest future threat to us.
Obama: Terrorists. China has been an adversary but also a potential parnter if they play by the rules. trade. set up trade task force to go after cheaters. reason why we brought more cases against china for trade than in both bush terms. save jobs throughout america. romney said i was too tough in tire case. took issue seriously. over long term - make sure we take care of biz at home. best education, research, technology to create great biz in US. Romney wants cuts.

Romney: greatest threat nuclear iran. china - don't want war. no protectionism. they have to manufacture goods. want economy to work. if i'm prez america will be very strong. watched as companies shut down due to china not playing by rules. we lose jobs. will label them, on day 1, label them terrorist manipulator. hacking.
(If you label them that you will start Trade War.)
No. They sell us too much for them to say war. They need to stop cheating & sa

Obama:
You invested in companies that send jobs overseas.
I made a different bet. On American workers.
If we take your advice, companies invest overseas - create jobs overseas not here.
If no investment in Education/Research we will lose lead in clean energy technology.

US Exports doubled since I came into office. Currency at highest level.
Massive growth area in the future.
Can be our partner. Ships can pass through. Commerce continues. Organize trades with other countries.
China must meet basic internation standards

Romney:
Auto Industry. born in Detroit. I like American Jobs. Do nothing to hurt American jobs.
Detroit - must go through bankruptcy.
(Obama: Romney you did NOT say that. Let's check the Country.)

Obama: Check the record. You keep trying to air brush history. You said you would not assist American Companies. (Romney interrupts) Check the record. You said they could get assistance from private companies and they would have gone bankrupt.

Having a tax codes that reward companies that would ship jobs overseas.
We had a decade where jobs were shipped overseas. We must go forward. (Not to bush years)

Romney:
Don't want to go to policies of last 4 years. Worst economy. Jobs. Weeping. Tragedy. Last 4 years so hard. It won't help to just hire teachers. I love teachers.

President Obama:
You have a choice. We've made real progress digging out of 2 wars and worst economic crisis. Romney wants to take us back to (Bush) years. I have plan to bring back jobs. Teachers. Manufacturing. Jobs of the future. Reduce deficit. Invest in research and technology. Maintain strongest military in the world. Go after those who would do us harm. But after a decade of war, rebuild here at home and take care of veterans. Make America greatest nation on earth.

Romney:
Optimistic future. Peace. Opportunity for real leadership.Make world safer. Get economy going. Two paths. President - debt - head for greece.
Me: balanced budget. back to work. 12M new jobs. Cut food stamps due to more jobs.
I know how to get along. Washington broken. Work with good dems and repubs.
Torch for world to see. Take that torch.
I'd like to be that leader.