Score one for the C-J.

If you want to catch the John Yarmuth-Anne Northup debate, you can watch it live on the C-J’s website, starting up in a few minutes.

It’s on WFPL radio and a delayed version will be on Metro TV — but if you want to watch it live, looks like the Courier is your only option.

We’ll stick with it and make smart-aleck comments:

11:50 — who do we know here? Some dude’s doing a John McCain, walking in front of the camera. There he is…our hero, Hebert. There’s Yarmuth. Don’t you love those awkward pre-debate moments. Looks like our fave attorney saying hello, Shelia Berman.

Where’s Anne?

Does Vincenzo know his wait staff is chewing gum?

12:01 – No worries, she’s here.

12:02 — Hebert’s telling some dude he thinks Gwen Ifill did an awful job. Going over rules. Hebert’s going to make them answer the questions, he says.

Where’s the timer lady going to sit?

One-minute answers to questions, then candidate will be cut off. Maybe they’ll do it like SNL last night. Ha.

12:09 — Shouldn’t we be getting started? Timer lady needs a pen.

12:10 – Timer lady is Barbara Albert, president of the Forum. Calls for written questions from audience. Past presidents of the Forum will answer questions. hey, the prinicipal from Iroquois High is there, a special guest. Valley, too. Doing it all over for broadcast. Forum takes no positions, remember. Membership pitch: It’s $225 a year for 12 meals. Next month it’s Wednesday morning quarterback - post-electin -  with Danny Briscoe, Hunter Bates, Ricky Jones and Al Cross.

12:15 — Hebert shouts out Councilman King. Intros John and Anne. John’s opening statement. He’s gotten a lot of awards for his first year — says the partnership with community is working. Brings up vote on rescue package, and all the people he talked to about it. Oops, time’s up.

More After the Jump. . .

12:20 — Intro of Anne. She says we can go in either direction. I was on Appropriations, a big deal. We brought back $1.2 billion over 10 years. I want to talk about bailout, East End bridge, debt. I understand the impacts. I got awards, too, so John’s list is no big deal.

12:25 — One question from each candidate, one minute reponse. Anne asks — Don’t understand your vote to honor Ramadan, then feast day of Hinduism. Then you didn’t vote on Christmas. Why? Is she serious. Really?

John: Seriously, you’re asking that question when we’ve got big issues? John thought we were wasting government time.

John’s question: You wanted to invest Social Security in the stock market. Doesn’t look too smart now, does it?

Anne:  Nobody would have lost under my plan. Government has spent all your S.S. money. We’re going to have to pay higher taxes.

Audience questions, one-minute answers, but Hebert can interject.

1st question: Economics. Bailouts of Wall Street.  Anne: I’m completely against the bailout. It’s the worst thing we could have done. I have a proposal that’s better. Guaranteed them instead.

John: I voted against it first. The 2nd bill had increased accountability. I still don’t think it was the best. We did give Sec. of Treasury authority to invest directly into economy, so there’s flexibility.

2nd question: Bridges effect. John: Projects aren’t going to be paid by the feds. Have to find innovative ways to finance it. I’m committed to a national infrastructure bank with private financing to do it.

Anne: Congress has put us $2 trillion into debt over 2 years. Need a champion for the bridges. Carve off East End and build it in 4 years. We had $789 million from General Assembly, but it went away when I left.

Hebert: is it two bridges?

Anne: Yes, but they don’t have to be built simultaneously.  We can afford it in East and we should.

John: Anne wants to violate terms of agreement with Indiana. She’s taking Indiana’s position.

Question: Energy Policy

Anne: Needs to start drilling immediately. ANWR, off our coast. Tap our reserves. Then pay for wind, solar, water. Clean coal, nuclear. John is with opposition to coal and nuclear expansion.

John: Anne’s plan is to rely on the people who got us in this problem. Anne won’t admit global warming exists. We should drill, sure. In Congress, she voted against alternative fuels. Rescue package includes expansion of alternative fuels.

Question to Anne: Is global warming man-made

Anne: She’s dodging. I believe there is global-warming, but…

Question: Health Care

John: thanks for giving me one minute to solve this problem  — joke. Need universal care that covers everybody and isn’t employer-based.

Anne: Don’t like John’s plan.  Doesn’t like illegal immigrants getting health care.

This is too big an issue for one minute.

Question: Do you support McCain and/or Obama’s plan?

Anne: I like giving the tax credit as McCain says. “John may be the first rep in Congress to propose a bill that would put one of our signature industries out of business — Humana.”

John: I don’t support Obama’s plan because of employer-based part. Anne generalizes too much. Humana administers government-based plans and will have a role in nationalized plan.

Anne: Your policy says every provider has to be non-profit.

Question: Education

John: No Child Left Behind has nice goals. We’re $60 billion behind in funding. States and school districts need flexibility.

Anne: Our scores are improving, but not fast enough. Every child must be tested to account. Parents want test scores. John’s listening to teachers’ unions.  Not an unfunded mandate.

Notice the candidates are sitting down, but the moderator is standing. Isn’t that backwards?

Question: War on Terror and Iraq

Anne: Obviously the surge is enormous difference. Met goals. Mistakes were made. After enormous sacrifice, we should not set a timetable to tell terrorists when we’re leaving.

John: Anne and John McCain are the only ones who don’t believe in timetable. George Bush even agrees. We’re burning money and disrupting thousands of Americans with our policy. Needs change. We need to focus on Afghanistan.

Gee, this really wasn’t set up for TV. Can see about half of the heads of John and Anne.

Somebody needs to do some fact-checking on this education stuff they’re talking about.

Question: International challenges

John: We’ve squandered credibility around the world. Can’t get it back with McCain. Obama will get respect back.

Anne: Solve the economic problems around the world. John would make a disaster around the world, he’s partisan.

John: I’m not anti-trade, but anti unfair trade. Sponsored bi-partisan clean coal research plan.

Anne: well…uh uh uh. John talks about respect around the world, but France and Germany are better friends of ours now. I’m sorry you keep running it down.

Question: What should average Americans do?

Anne: Bailout might work, I hope so. We’re pursuing bad ideas. Average families should simplify, stay home, be less in debt. Let’s pull together.

John: People have suffered a lot. Sacrifices should be shared. Cut back on credit. Good lesson for every citizen.

John and Anne bicker about the VA Medical Center funding. Somebody’s lying. Somebody should look it up.

90-second close: John hopes we don’t do this again in two years. Stump speech stuff…infrastructure, health care, job creation. Rebuild the middle class, American dream.

Anne: John and I are different. He likes government spending. Government is limited. Private sector pitch. Bailout is the biggest difference between us.

The End.