Man, is it crowded.

HA thread here. PJM reaction coming here. Hewitt and Bear are at the Reagan Library. Power Line coverage here. Heading Right live-blogging here.

Rich Lowry: “They’re all talking too fast…”

Can’t blame them. What do they have each– 6 minutes total?

8:20pm Eastern — Would John McCain be uncomfortable with Tom Tancredo being head of immigration services?

“In a word: No.” And then he crams in an answer about Iran.

I’m getting whiplash.

Chris Matthews motor-mouths to a question about changing the constitution to allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for prez. Lots of hurried cracks.

Romney is rendered speechless by a question read by Matthews: “What do you dislike most about America?”

8:28pm Eastern. Would the overturn of Roe v. Wade be a great day? Unanimity with one exception: Giuliani says it would be “OK.”

Kathryn Lopez notes Rudy’s botched moment is already going around YouTube:

Romney asked about his abortion flip-flop. “Personally pro-choice…I changed my mind…I studied at great length…concluded that we had gone too far…States should have the right to make this decision.”

Peter Robinson at The Corner smacks Romney:

“I’ve always been personally pro-life.” That sure isn’t what he tried to convey in his debate with Ted Kennedy, citing his mother’s pro-choice activities and the death of a family friend as the result of a botched abortion. Hundreds of thousands have now seen Romney take a personally pro-choice stand in the video on YouTube, but he still can’t admit it? A highly intelligent, immensely accomplished, and hugely likeable candidate. But this? Appalling.

McCain pitches his defense background. Duncan Hunter says McCain ain’t the only one with defense expertise.

Matthews to Romney: What do you say to Roman Catholic leaders who would deny communion to those who support abortion rights?

Romney: “I don’t have anything to say to them. They can do whatever the heck they want!” [Applause/laughter.]

Hunter pounds enforceable border and extending the fence.

Matthews foams at the mouth about Karl Rove. Gilmore spanks Matthews for his Rove Derangement Syndrome and brings the debate back to issues. Good answer.

Question to Huckabee: Grade the Iraq war.
Answer: “You don’t give grades in the middle of the test.” [Applause/laughter]

Sister Toldjah live-blogging: “These questions are stupid!!!”

A HA commenter on Rudy’s NYC talking points: “I love you Rudy and I want to vote for you, but if I hear you rewind that ‘Rudy Crime Statistics’ tape one more time I’m going to go hang myself.”

902pm

Which taxes would you cut on top of preserving the Bush tax cuts?

Romney: Interest, dividend, and capital gains.
Brownback: Alternative flat tax
Gilmore: AMT
Huckabee: Work for the “fair tax.” Get rid of the IRS.
Hunter: Exports that are taxed twice. Eliminate manufacturing taxes.
Thompson: AMT
McCain: AMT repeal. Tax credit for health insurance. “Simpler, flatter, fair tax.”
Paul: Income tax. Inflation tax.
Giuliani: Adjust the AMT. Get rid of the death tax. Protect Bush tax cuts. “Regularize” the rates and marginal reductions beyond what we already have.
Tancredo: Support the fair tax and repeal of 16th amendment. Deal with structural problem in mandatory spending.

9:10pm.

Giuliani asked the difference between Sunni and Shias. A little stumbling, but no gotcha moment.

9:11pm.

Ron Paul asked: Do you trust the mainstream media?
Answer: Some of them. I trust the Internet more.

9:19pm.

Matthews indulges in more nutroots pandering: “Should Scooter Libby be pardoned?”
Tancredo: Pardon the convicted Border Patrol agents first.

Can the questions get dumber? Matthews: Would it would be good for Bill Clinton to be back in the White House?

Everyone speeds through the final question: What would you do differently than George W. Bush?

930pm: Wrap-up. Matthews and Olbermann step on each other. The GOP candidates pay homage to Nancy Reagan. The wives come to the stage.

On Fox, Newt Gingrich appears to tell us that this is not about Newt Gingrich. Hannity leans on Gingrich about whether he’s running.

Meanwhile, in the Draft Fred! campaign, things are brewing…

Urgent Action Item!

Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee
www.fred08.com

TUNE IN & TAPE
Who: Senator Fred Thompson
What: Key Note Speech
Where: Lincoln Club Dinner, Orange County, California
Date: Friday, May 4, 2007
Time: 11:30 p.m. est

Coverage: C-SPAN will cover the speech live!

***

More reax to the debate hosts and questions via a Lucianne.com commenter:

These are the most ridiculous debate questions ever!! “Would you like to see Bill Clinton back in the White House?” What the he?? kind of question is that to a GOP debate? “Is Karl Rove your friend?” Insanity.

And the DEMS don’t have the courage to attend a debate hosted by FOXnews? I am 100% certain that it would be much more fair than this nonsense.

Kit Jarrell at HR:

As a milblogger, I’d rather eat lint than vote for John McCain. Especially after his creepy stare-at-the-camera pandering. Jumping in out of turn made him look too eager and arrogant as well. All in all, he came in looking like a buffoon.

Romney…loved the “he will die” line. My livingroom erupted into shouts of “OOHRAH” and “HOOAH” on that one…

…Tancredo: Tom, my man. You did not do well, dear. Sorry, but that was a nail in your coffin. Too bad…I love the man on immigration.

Who else was on there? That should tell you how effective they were.

Pithy summary of the front-runners’ status: “Rudy blows it, Romney cruises, McCain treads water.”

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