Liveblogging the Final Doherty/Cicilline Debate

[8:24] Doherty closing: Washington is broken, we need to bring jobs to America and jobs to RI through bipartisanship. We need to protect Social Security and Medicare, and cut back on our debt. Election comes down to an evaluation of trust.

[8:23] Cicilline closing: We need to fight against the bigs in Washington, and for the middle class. Will fight to protect Medicare and Social Security, the Buffet rule and stand up for women.

[8:22] Closing statement from Vogel: Vogel is happy that Christie and Obama get along in the wake of Sandy, but disappointed that President Obama was criticized in Virginia today.

[8:20] Each cand gets 15s on Social Security. Vogel: Not broken, easily fixed; Doherty: Consider Simpson-Bowles; Cicilline: Increase benefits do not cut them.

[8:19] Cicilline cites work with Republicans to end the war in Afghanistan as example of bipartisanship.

[8:18] Cicilline defends his vote for the beyond-left Progressive budget.

[8:17] Doherty cites Obama policy to bring the corporate tax-rate down.

[8:16] Responding to a Q, Doherty says he'd vote for a Republican Speaker. Mentions Cicilline's vote for the beyond-left Progressive budget. Rapp wants a specific issue.

[8:15] Vogel says he would caucus with Democrats, because he's a liberal Rhode Islander. Says Republicans have good ideas, doesn't mention any.

[8:14] Vogel: We need comprehensive immigration reform.

[8:13] Vogel: Drain on resources by illegal immigrants is minimal.

[8:12] Rapp: Didn't you oppose "secure communities" program? Cicilline: Didn't want local police doing the work of the Federal government.

[8:11] Cicilline: Comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship. Says that Doherty opposes the DREAM act, that Cicilline supports.

[8:10] Doherty: Illegal immigrants need a path to legitimacy, not necessarily citizenship. Rapp: Guest worker policy? Doherty: We need bipartisan compromise.

[8:09] Doherty: Yes; we need comprehensive immigration reform; illegal reentry is a drain on resources.

[8:08] Question from Terry Gorman (via Rapp): Are Federal mandates on illegal immigrants a drain on local resources?

[8:07] Doherty opposes decriminalization of marijuana, supports medicinal use. US attorney needs to step-up and support things one way or another in RI.

[8:06] Cicilline supports state-by-state medical marijuana decisions. Would remove MJ from schedule 1, if necessary, to make this happen.

[8:05] Without saying the words comprehensive drug policy, Vogel makes all the standard legalization arguments.

[8:04] Rappleye talks about the drug war, asks specifically if marijuana should be legalized?

[8:02] OK, didn't have the plug-in to play the WJAR video. It's installed now, I missed a question about flood insurance.

[7:56] Cicilline: We have policies that incentivize offshoring and gives an example of telling the military they have to buy their uniforms from here.

[7:55] Rapp: You want government to tell manufacturers what to do? Vogel: Government tells people what to do all the time.

[7:54] Vogel: Offshoring is making CEO's rich. Comprehensive tax policy could fix this.

[7:53] Doherty: Need to change regulations to compete with foreign countries. Rappleye presses, we don't want our regs like China's do we? Doherty: No, wages are coming up in China, equalizing things to our benefit.

[7:53] Exchange about where Olympic uniforms should be made. Rappleye and Cicilline aren't connecting

[7:51] Doherty supports free trade, Vogel wants a comprehensive tax policy for trade, Cicilline supports free and fair trade.

[7:51] Cicilline pushes point that ending speculation on oil is necessary.

[7:50] Vogel: No connection between markets and regulation.

[7:49] Doherty: Take resources out of the ground, not out of people's pockets.

[7:48] Doherty wants to do away with subsidies to big oil companies.

[7:48] We need regulations to protect the environment, but not one more than is necessary.

[7:47] Viewer question from Rappleye: Is regulation limiting our refining capacity.

[7:46] Cicilline: Big oil is driving US energy policy.

[7:45] Cicilline: We need to do something about the price of gas, and end speculation in fuel markets(?) Did I get that right?

[7:44] Doherty supports support for various renewables. But we need to bring the cost of oil and energy down.

[7:43] Doesn't think programs like Solyandra should be abandoned because of early failures.

[7:42] Vogel's answer to pretty much everything is that we need a comprehensive policy for it.

[7:42] Opposes infrastructure and energy jobs act, calls it "drill baby drill".

[7:41] Vogel: Doesn't think a balanced budget at the national level is necessary.

[7:40] Cicilline doesn't want to take the chance.

[7:39] Rappleye: Who wants to drill off the coast of RI?

[7:38] Mentions tax increases and closing loopholes to reduce deficit. Opposes energy and infrastructure bill that doherty supports, "it's a giveaway to big oil".

[7:37] Rapp to Cicilline: Can you support stimulus and a balanced budgt amendment?

[7:35] 2nd highest unemployment in the US. Comprehensive tax reform to bring down corporate tax rate, close the skills-sets gap, "infrastructure and energy jobs act"

[7:34] Cicilline mentions work on the small business committee, Make-it-in-America block grants, access to capital, stop Chinese from cheating on currency, infrastructure incl. "a modern day version of the WPA", a trained workforce.

[7:34] Q to Cicilline: Besides bringing Federal $$$, what else?

[7:33] Rapp presses, Vogel responds with "a real tax policy" would help.

[7:31] First Q to David Vogel: What can a frosh Congressman do to improve the job situation in RI?

[7:30] Single moderator format, with Bill Rappleye as the moderator.

[7:28] By the way, if you follow me on twitter, you'd have had the opportunity to see the previous attempt at ironic humor, a full day in advance.

[7:27] An undisputed winner of the WPRI-TV (CBS 12) poll showing just a one-point difference, between David Cicilline and Brendan Doherty in the First District Congressional race: WJAR-TV (NBC 10), the host of tonight's final debate in CD1. David Vogel will be there too.