Sunday night roundtable: The Fox News/GOP debate
Update 1/7 9:09am Eastern. Questions about one of those focus group members.
9:35pm Eastern. Wow. Interesting. Frank Luntz’s focus group was just asked about Romney. Only a few raised their hands to say they supported him before the debate. Almost all raised their hands to say they were supporting him afterward. Look:
Loud agreement among focus group members that Huckabee came across as slick and evasive. I’m telling ya: Shuckabee. The New Hampshirites also agreed that while Fred was good on policy, he didn’t set them on fire. “I just want to shake and wake him up,” one guy said. That’s a regular citizen saying that, ok? Not the Evil Conspiratorial Media.
Last observation: McCain was wearing fangs for the ABC News debate. He left them on the nightstand for tonight’s debate. Must have been difficult not to snarl, though.
9:26pm Eastern. Wallace asks McCain the age question. Wallace: Would you pledge for running for only four years? McCain: No. I’ve got the vigor. It’s exhilirating. I’m excited. I’m older than dirt, more scars than Frankenstein.
Huckabee: I’ve met McCain’s mother. She’s got more vigor. (Crosstalk with McCain.) Wallace breaks up the lovefest.
Told you we wouldn’t get through this without Huck slobbering on McCain.
Bleeeech.
Candidates now giving closing statements. Recycling their talking points. Yawn. Maybe I shoulda had that Red Bull after all. McCain’s last–and I swear he sounds sick and tired of hearing himself. He heaved a big sigh as he launched into his stump mini-speech. SIIIIIGGHHHH. Weird.
Hot Air has vid of some of the livelier moments up here.
9:24pm Eastern. Wallace to Rudy: “Do you have too much baggage to lead the Republican party?” Rudy laughs nervously.
The answer is: Yes, he has too much baggage.
9:15pm Eastern. Back after another short commercial break. Wallace turns to the negative campaign ads. McCain: “I’m running a positive campaign…Everybody runs their own campaign.” Huckabee talks about his negative-positive-flip-flop decision. “I think the people of Iowa rewarded me…looking for a positive, vertical president.”
Who has nasty Ed Rollins running his campaign.
Romney makes distinction between issue ads that scrutinize records and ads that attack character. Romney jokes about Rollins’ threat. Huck: “Chuck Norris is standing outside.” Romney addresses flip-flop charges. “I’m certainly not the only person who has ever changed their mind on an issue.”
8:58pm Eastern. Finally, we move to immigration after everyone has recited their lifetime travel itineraries and CVs. McCain: “I have never, ever supported amnesty and never will.” (It depends on the meaning of “never.”) Wallace is letting him filibuster with his “I will secure the borders” pie-in-the-sky talk. Recycles his Geraldo Rivera line about not wanting to call up a soldier and telling him that he’s deporting his mother.
Romney: We are a compassionate and humane people, but we are also a people who believe in the rule of law. Amnesty in any form–technically or de facto–just doesn’t work. It just attracts more people to do the same thing past people have done. McCain quotes Romney from 2005 saying McCain’s plan was “reasonable” and not amnesty. Wallace turns to Huckabee over DREAM Act endorsement compared to his new, tough on enforcement plan. He reiterates his support for DREAM Act. Romney asks: What about the children in school? Huckabee doesn’t want to respond to Romney. Huck seems rattled. He’ll only talk to Wallace. Wallace says he was going to ask Romney’s question. Instead of asking about conferring special benefit via DREAM Act, Wallace lets him reframe and stick to talking about what he says is his legal obligation as governor to educate illegal aliens. Amnesty rhetoric is “pure nonsense,” says Huck. His is, sure.
Refresher on their immigration/border security records is at Numbers USA.
Giuliani whines about how “complicated” and “difficult” immigration enforcement is. He’s allowed to filibuster on building a fence, introducing tamper-proof ID without addressing what exactly he’d do with the 12 million already here.
This discussion gets a D minus. All platitudes, few reality-based, policy specifics.
How about:
- Should the government continue to provide funding to cities that adopt sanctuary policies or not?
- Should illegal alien ID cards issued by foreign consulates continue to be acceptable in the face of strong opposition from homeland security and law enforcement experts?
- Do the candidates support or oppose the expansion of the federal employer verification system being challenged by the ACLU?
- Would they support increased funding for the 287(g) immigration enforcement training program?
- Are they for or against the DREAM Act?
- Would they repeal Clinton’s Executive Order 13166 – yes or no?
8:51pm Eastern. Wallace brings up McCain’s attack on Rudy for not visiting Iraq. Rudy: “I am the only one here who has had to face an Islamic terrorist attack, at the center of it.” In case you didn’t know about that. He also brings up his return of the Saudi prince’s money again, which he mentioned during the ABC debate last night. In case you didn’t know about that. Thompson gets his turn to recite his curriculum vitae…and then turns to challenge Huck on closing down Gitmo and challenges Romney on Ted Kennedy’s attendance at his health care signing ceremony. Time’s running out and he wanted to cram it all in, I guess. McCain crams in all his endorsements from retired admirals, generals, and secretaries of state.
8:41pm Eastern. Back from a short commercial break. Wallace raises a McCain attack ad on Romney re. national security. Romney answers challenge to his lack of Washington experience, debate between governors vs. senators. Talks about leadership traits–calm under fire, temperament, executive leadership, etc. McCain responds that we haven’t always gotten the best outcomes with governors ascending to White House (Clinton). McCain: I know Musharraf…I’ll leave it to American people to decide whether that’s important. McCain defends his attack on Romney in which he said Romney was looking at his shoes during war; criticizes Romney for not criticizing Rumsfeld. Romney responds: He was running a state. Mentions he did go to Iraq. “I wasn’t looking at my shoes, I was running a state…There have been great governors, Ronald Reagan being one of them. It does not take a US senator to become president of the US.”
Wallace turns his sights on Huckabee–cites all of his foreign policy shortcomings, ignorance of NIE, Pakistani martial law. Huckabee interrupts. OUCH. Huck’s not liking it. Huck cites all the countries he’s been to, executive experience, chairman of Natl Governors Association. Wallace: But what about your pattern of not knowing things or getting things wrong? Huck: Not a pattern. Maybe a slip of the tongue. But not a slip of morals.
8:30pm Eastern. Changechangechange alert. Wallace wants to go back to change. McCain declares that he’s proud to be an Agent of Change. McCain cites change in Iraq tactics, surge. I have been an Agent of Change in Washington. I know how the system works. Agent of Change. Agent of Change. I think we need a t-shirt. Romney: Washington is fundamentally broken. Can’t have someone inside Washington turn Washington inside out. Sending the same people to Washington, but in different chairs, isn’t going to change. Romney talks about executive leadership skill. Fred and Rudy are giggling that Romney is describing Rudy, not himself.
Wallace throws it to McCain. McCain says he has leadership–in military, not management. “Not for profit, but for patriotism.” Ouch. No matter how you feel about McCain, it’s an effective response. Fred gets a chance to make a bland statement about change. Rudy’s statement about change attacks the Democrats. Good call. Rudy: Change is a slogan. The question is: Is it change for good or change for bad?
***8:23pm.*** Romney challenges Huckabee’s class-warfare demagoguery: “You’re not going to help the wage-earner in America by attacking the wage-payer in America.” Very strong, clear defense of free enterprise. Good moment for Romney.
Wallace asks Giuliani about consumption tax, fair tax. He answers with his stump speech about workfare in NYC. He’s dragging on. Wallace should really move on…and he does. Skips to Fred to ask about consumption tax. Giuliani is not a factor in this roundtable.
8:14pm Eastern. Well, Huckabee lost that exchange with Mitt, who quips that the Arkansas governor “makes up facts faster than you can speak.” Should have just answered the question, Gov. Shuckabee. Wallace moves to Giuliani. He reels off his record, cites George Will’s endorsement. Thompson talks Social Security reform. Romney doesn’t want to cut benefits. McCain praises Bush for attempting SocSec reform. Wallace switches topics…shows a video of Huckabee pitching economic populism.
Wallace to Huck: Does Romney remind you of someone who wants to lay you off? McCain’s cackling in the background. Can’t help himself. Huckabee channels John Edwards.
8:02pm Eastern. Here we go. No lengthy intros, no opening statements, no photo-ops. Chris Wallace jumps right in. You can watch the livestream at FoxNews.com. The first question is on tax cuts. Romney jumps right in with a defense of his tax/fees record in Mass. and launches into a challenge to McCain on his opposition to the Bush tax cuts. McCain calls himself a Reagan foot soldier, emphasizes cuts in spending. Wallace is pushing McCain on his opposition to tax cuts. McCain repeats spending cut talking points, mentions the Bridge to Nowhere, pork barrel spending, line item veto. Romney pushes back on tax cuts.
For those of you playing the Change Drinking Game, we have our first mention of “change.” Romney: “Change has to begin with us.” McCain touts his spending cut successes. “I have a record of saving billions for the American taxpayer.” Wallace turns to Huckabee and his tax-raising record. “Does Mitt Romney have a point?” Huckabee challenges the “semantics of taxes versus fees….I’ve cut taxes 94 times.” Brags about Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
It is true that Governor Huckabee fought for an $80 million tax cut package in 1997 that was passed by the Arkansas legislature (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98); cut the state capital gains tax in 1999 (The Commercial Appeal 02/29/99); and passed the Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights in the same year, limiting the increase in property taxes to 10% a year for individuals and 5% per taxing unit (AP 03/16/99). However, his record over the rest of his ten-year tenure tells a starkly different story.
* Immediately upon taking office, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike in 1996 to fund the Games and Fishing Commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).
* He supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).
* He publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 08/30/02).
* He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline (1999), cigarettes (2003) (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07), and a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Arkansas New Bureau 03/01/01).
* He proposed another sales take hike in 2002 to fund education improvements (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).
* He opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).
* In 2004, he allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).By the end of his ten-year tenure, Governor Huckabee was responsible for a 37% higher sales tax in Arkansas, 16% higher motor fuel taxes, and 103% higher cigarette taxes according to Americans for Tax Reform (01/07/07), garnering a lifetime grade of D from the free-market Cato Institute. While he is on record supporting making the Bush tax cuts permanent, he joined Democrats in criticizing the Republican Party for tilting its tax policies “toward the people at the top end of the economic scale” (Washington Examiner 09/13/06), even though objective evidence demonstrates that the Bush tax cuts have actually shifted the tax burden to higher income taxpayers.
Finally, Governor Huckabee opposed further tax cuts at a 2005 gathering of Iowa conservatives (AP 09/17/05). On January 28, 2007, Governor Huckabee refused to pledge not to raise taxes if elected President, first on Meet the Press and then at the National Review Conservative Summit. The evidence suggests that his commitment to protecting taxpayers evidenced in his early gubernatorial years may be a thing of the past.
Huckabee and Romney engage over their state tax records. Net-net, did you raise taxes in your state by half a billion dollars? Huckabee refuses to answer. Huckabee complains about Mitt’s campaign ads. Four times, Romney asks. Huckabee won’t answer. Finally mentions a court order…
***
Another GOP presidential debate kicks off at 8pm Eastern tonight on Fox News. Will Rudy continue to be a non-entity? Can Fred turn amiable performances into real momentum? Can Romney defend himself with more zeal without pulling a McCain and looking churlish? Can Huckabee appear in a forum with McCain without leaving slobber all over the floor?
I’ll liveblog again (seems to me there will be enough fireworks to eliminate the need for Red Bull) and Hot Air will have all the video highlights/lowlights. Chris Wallace is hosting–and you can be sure he won’t do the schoolmarm routine. Charles Gibson earned some praise for his hosting duties during yesterday’s debates. But I found him to be, well, unctuous, at times–and I agree with the observation that he tended to tamp down heated disagreement just when things were getting good. Gibson’s superficial knowledge of the immigration issue left him completely unequipped to challenge John McCain’s slippery rhetoric on shamnesty; he also failed at several moments to follow up on the candidates’ sweeping claims (like Giuliani’s 12 commitments).
I’d like to see some tough follow-ups to some of the candidates’ doozies last night (Huckabee’s mischaracterization of his position on the surge, for example, and John McCain’s pharmaceutical company-bashing). What do you think Wallace should ask? He already had a dress rehearsal with Huckabee this morning on Fox News Sunday:
WALLACE: In last night’s debate, you said that you supported President Bush’s troop surge when he announced it in January of last year. But let’s take a look at what you actually did say in January, and this is when Mitt Romney had already said that he approved the surge.
You said, “Well, I’m not sure that I support the troop surge, if that surge has to come from our Guard and Reserve troops, which have already been overly stretched.”
Governor, you were not the supporter of the troop surge that you represented yourself as last night.
HUCKABEE: Well, I supported the surge. I questioned the use of our Guard and Reserve in repeated deployments because as a governor, I’d seen what that had done to our own Guard troop.
About 90 percent of our Guard have been deployed now to Iraq, and some repeated deployments, long periods of time, three out of five years. These are citizen soldiers. These are people who certainly are willing to go. I’ve never heard any of them complain.
But it’s a real incredible, I think, challenge for not only the soldier but, more importantly, for their families, their employers and their communities.
And what we’ve done with Guard and Reserve forces has got to be changed. It’s one of the things that I would do as a president.
And my point was and remains that if we’re going to have the kind of war we’re going to have, we’ve got to have more troops at the beginning.
WALLACE: Governor, I’m not saying you’re right or wrong. I’m simply saying that you misrepresented yourself last night when you said you approved the troop surge. In fact, days later you said you weren’t sure you supported the troop surge.
The fact is the Guard and the Reserve have been part of the troop surge.
HUCKABEE: They have been a part of it. And my point was and remains that we need regular Army. We’ve got to beef it up. The surge is working.
I think one of the things we’ve seen is it’s been a dramatic success, and hats off to General Petraeus, and I’m grateful that he’s been in that position.
Stay tuned.
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I look for Chris W. to do a better follow-up questioning.
Pants on Fire
“McCain Pushes Amnesty, Guest-Worker Program,” reported the Tucson Citizen of May 29, 2003.
The senator is quoted as saying: “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens. That has to be a component of it.”
The newspaper also quoted McCain as saying: “I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people who are eligible and at the same time make sure that we have some control over people who come in and out of this country.”
I count twice in that paragraph that McCain used the word — amnesty — to describe the thing he favored — amnesty.
So who’s the liar?
He cannot give a good answer to the Z-visa idiocy which is in reality….amnesty. Too many Republicans do not think he has reversed his position from the one he proposed in the Senate.
lol.. and had things not worked, he would have said he opposed the surge, using the exact same quote. Sorry, but that’s a load of BS rhetoric.
As long as the word amnesty is uttered in public venues we will have wholesale, uncontrolled border jumping. The word goes out that the U.S. is
considering amnesty and here they come because we cannot prove how long
they have been here. McCain deserves to be thanked for his service in Viet
Nam but he is now selling out this country.
Huckabee that is..
Last nights debate was better, but still needs improvement. All previous dabates were worthless and a total waste of time.
But tonight we have Cris Wallace, he has the ability to drag information out of them if need be. I expect to learn alot tonight. FINALLY!!
Anyone who has been in the US illegally since before the 1986 amnesty had their chance. No amnesty, no “they have to pay fines, so it’s not amnesty”. Go home and do it the right way. Enforcement first. You’d be amazed how many illegals would self-deport. End chain migration. End anchor babies. End welfare for non-citizens. If you’re a legal resident, you should have to support yourself, not be a drain on the US taxpayer: if you can’t support yourself, go home. I really hope Fred Thompson can get some momentum going…
Tonight’s debate should be good because Rupaul is excluded. Finally, the grownups are having a conversation.
Rudy won last night, and Fred was a close second. McCain took cheap shots and looked smug, Romney got hammered, and Huckabee disappears when the topic is anything other than social issues.
If McCain and Romney continue to hammer each other, it will only make Rudy and Fred look more sober and serious.
I am just glad they are waiting until the Titans and Chargers are done. So far the game is a double barreled bare fisted slobberknocker.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
I used to like McCain as a person, but after this summer – neither as a person or a politician.
I hope he gets pushed out from this race, so we can send him to the retirement home in the next Senate election.
BTW: That’s my favorite picture of him
I’m wondering if Wallace will let Mitt Romney in on the “man crush” he has on him.
Chris Wallace has a “man crush”
Scroll to 55 seconds — Most of the sound bite is there. The only words missing are “Mitt Romney”
I haven’t decided yet who won last night, mainly because tonight was coming up.
Regarding Gibson’s performance, compared to most of the other hosts (and especially CNN and MSNBC), he was great. However, I do have to agree that he was more of a calmer than a pot-stirrer.
I’d like to see 3 hours of the top republicans and democrats debating each other, no holds barred.
That would be good TV.
I suppose you like the Chinese style media where only certain candidates are allowed to be seen by the People.
Are any of your candidates on Jay Leno Monday night like Ron Paul is? Didn’t think so. Leno is upset with Fox News for dissing Paul. He also knows Ron Paul is good for his ratings.
But continue your slamming of Paul. As weak as it is.
Fed Up
‘Hayes: Another Vote for Fred’
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/CampaignStandard/2008/01/hayes_another_vote_for_fred.asp
I am also disappointed Fox News is not allowing all the players for the GOP to attend. I realize Ron Paul is everybody’s favorite “Crazy Uncle” and not allowing him to speak as a candidate smashes their so called motto of being “fair and balanced.” The guy irritates the heck out of me, but as long as he is a declared candidate he still has the right to be heard and we have the right and responsibility to listen to his message no matter how ludicrous it is.
I do hope Fox News will ask only tough questions of each candidate. I would like to see a real knock down drag out tonight. I want the candidates with questionable histories to be put on the spot with all their weaknesses and strengths for us to see. I am still a big fan of Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson with little or no trust in the rest of the field, which are RINOs that will sell us down the river to the liberals in a New York minute.
Gonna see some Huck’n and jive’n!
All of the candidates have talked about increasing the size of the Army. The question they won’t answer is HOW? It is an All Volunteer force. No volunteers, no increase. Real simple.
I am going to say it once more – huck sounds just like Bill Clinton with this ‘definition’ nonsense – he was for the surge before he was against it dependingon what your asking – no more!
Is everybody from Hope AR parsers and triangulators, I would hope not.
Well said Boomer…
I’m just a frustrated U.S. citizen wanting what’s fair.
The decision by Fox News was made prior to the Iowa Caucus but there was no criteria given like ABC had for their debate which left out Hunter and Kucinich.
Even though we may disagree on the current status of the Republican Party versus what it was, and what our candidates may espouse, doesn’t mean that MSM should dictate who we can or can’t see. In a free market, I don’t see how this can help Fox News as Paul does have a rather large support base.
But alas, they do have the right to do what they want as a private corporation.
And we Paulites have the right to boycott them and their advertisers.
Peace!
Fed Up
Adult conversation sans Paul? For the love of sarcasm, it’s always a great conversation when you only listen to yourself talk. Challenging the convention is always uncomfortable because it involves introspection and examining your own motives. #9’s assessment on the events of last night were mostly of an artistic nature. Sad.
Principle. Character. Conviction. Constitutionality. As long as the front-runners are out spouting their feel-good rhetoric, the supporters fall right in line mostly without and thought. I too fell into this category up until a few months ago until I experienced a series of life-altering events. The status quo, media anointment process is NOT okay anymore. I don’t want a Reagan clone. I don’t want a Goldwater or JF Kennedy for that matter. All are predicated on some extra-governmental construct trying to maintain America’s supremacy. At what cost? We’re spending money we don’t have (actually the Fed is printing all the money we need at a very nice margin) as we ship our military to the four corners of the globe. Our manufacturing base continues to erode as we suck up every low-priced commodity produced by China–a consumer, service-based economy are we. Expansion for expansion’s sake is a ruse to keep everybody focused while they’re running in their human-sized hamster wheel. The constitution is just a piece of paper we occasionally refer to as it’s de-constructed.
RuPaul to the cynics, perhaps. But as you continue to trundle down your conventional paths, as your vehicle turn into clown cars it’s your folly for believing the Bozo’s when the cigar they promised blows up in your face. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
I would like to see McCain and Huckabee explain what they think about actual conservative icons like Rush Limbaugh and National Review saying that they are both “not conservative”.
No, every declared candidate does NOT have the right to participate.
Should Alan Keyes participate?
What about the general election? Why not let the Peace and Freedom, Green, Socialist, Communist, American Independent, and Natural Law parties participate.
The debates are between people with a serious chance of being elected President. It is not for every person with an ego trip.
The democrats may be wrong on almost every issue, but at least they banned Mike Gravel from the stage.
At some point, everybody, when there time is up, whether corporate CEOs, athletes, actors, or candidates, should gracefully exit the stage, not hang on by their fingers.
Tonight the adults will have a discussion, without distractions.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
Eric,
What criteria do you use to keep one candidate in the debate and one candidate out? Also, who makes that decision? Fox News, as a private corporation, can make that decision and no one else. They have done so. Those that don’t agree with it can boycott Fox News, sell their stock and not support their advertisers.
Any other conversation about it is moot.
Fed Up
I hope Wallace asks Rudy about today’s NY Post’s report on 9/11 rescue workers.
Fed up,
I am not claiming I make the decision. Each entity has their criteria. Fox News decided that Rupaul and his dorm room bong hit supporters does not meet that criteria, and I agree.
Yes, there are signs reading “bong hits for Ron Paul” on college campuses.
The freak show has to stop, and thankfully Fox News stopped it, at least temporarily.
Respectfully,
eric
Why doesn’t RUSH ever hold the debates?
Now THAT would be worth watching!
If they do not get to the bottom of the pit on Illegals, I have learned nothing new.
I don’t want to hear about Iraq. I do not want to hear about education.
As long as the illegal situation isn’t solved once and for all, nothing else really matters!
Eric,
It’s easy to attack supporters of Ron Paul. I know you won’t do that of me as I have already had some good discussions with some on Michele’s forum (you can ask ConservativeCat).
But at least now I know the depth of your understanding of the issues….”attack the supporters.”
Best of luck to you and yours…
Fed Up
debate, basketball, American gladiators, and the Wire, all at 8 or 9. I need another tivo.
Fed up,
Ok, you want policy…here goes…
While nobody agrees 100% on issues with any party platform, there is consensus on some issues.
A candidate who wants higher taxes, is anti death penalty, or wants to expand welfare…those are not mainstream republican positions.
Dr. Paul is completely against the Iraq War, and has been from the beginning. His foreign policy views make him perfectly qualified to run in the democratic primary, but the republican primary should be between republicans holding republican positions.
The war was right, and the surge is working.
Dr. Paul’s isolationism is also not mainstream republican doctrine.
His supporters are not representative of the current republican party.
That is policy.
Respectfully,
eric
dock Romney 10 points for gratuitous mention of Reagan.
dock McCain 10 points for gratuitous mention of Reagan.
Firs question out of the gate and Romney can say anything he wants about his plans to cut taxes in the future, the plain and simple fact, as stated by Wallace and not denied by Romney, is he raised fees millions of dollars as Governor of Mass. He can say he wants to talk about taxes and nnot fees but the bottom line is he took money from the pockets of citizens.
Can McCain answer the darn question??
Ughh, if this is another change-fest ‘m going to tune out fast.
dock McCain 50 points for dancing around the question of why he opposed the tax cuts.
Smug! At least they have the camera on his good side tonight. The Reagan coattails nonsenses doesn’t play well with those who don’t equate proximity with action. Geez, Johnny Mac.
Let’s get to the real talkers.
I do NOT trust McCain.
Maybe they should have an hour were Romney debates himself and the side that wins then takes the stage with the other candidates
why would we ask a criminal if McCain’s cut spending? just curious. that makes no sense.
Me either gayle!
Especially when he says, “my friend….” whether he’s talking to someone he likes or not.
I want to hear FRED.
Romeny’s losing it.
WOAH!! Romney’s getting bitter.
Mitt comes across like he should be sitting in a board room. Who else says “net net” but executives?
I hope Romney smacks him!
gayle, I think Fred is doing the best as of right now.
This is the best debate yet. The back and forth between Huck and Mitt is great. We needed this months ago.
I wanna see a fist fight! LOL!
“I was just unable to control spending,” admits Rudy.
Again with the George Will name dropping. Stop it Rudy.
And here you have hit the nail on the head. Ron Paul’s supporters are more representative of the “Old Republican Party,” the one that got us out of wars like Vietnam and Korea. The “Old” party that stood for less government.
The war was wrong as it was when the Republicans got us out of the two other wars that were wrong. What changed? Ron Paul didn’t change, the Republican party did.
Can you not see how effective this “New Republican” stance of warmongering is by the result of the 2006 midterm elections? Do you not know that 70% of Americans are against the war? It does not make one a “leftist” to point out the fallacy in the “New Republican Party.” Reality will come when they are annihlated in November. I’m trying to keep the Old Republican Party alive. The party my parents and grandparents voted for.
I suggest you read Rothbard’s “The Betrayal of the American Right” to understand this change that started in the 50’s.
I’ll let you have the last word on this issue (and please no more peanut gallery type comments about Ron Paul supporters – keep it respectful as your signature indicates).
Peace,
Fed Up
Huck, answer the damn question – this clown makes Bill Clinton look straight forward.
The more I hear him parsing the more I am convincd that he is a disaster in the making.
Mitt lies again
Romney didn’t support President Bush’s tax cuts in 2003. That earned him praise from liberal Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)
- Boston Globe, April 11, 2003.
“Shawn Feddeman, Romney’s spokeswoman, said the governor has neither endorsed nor opposed the tax cut plan because ‘it’s just not a state matter.’” (Wayne Washington, “Romney Weighs In – Carefully – On Bush Tax Cut Plan, Governor Won’t Give His Endorsement,” Boston Globe, 4/11/2003)
“After refusing to endorse President Bush’s tax cuts when he was governor, Mitt Romney has now made them a central part of his presidential campaign, stirring accusations that he is changing his position to appeal to GOP primary voters.” (Casey Ross, “Mitt Changes Tax Cut Tune,” Boston Herald, 2/8/2007)
Batter up. It’s Fred’s turn
Taking on the sacred cow of Social Security
Fred’s talking and his sonorous tones are lulling me into a sense of security. This is the guy I wanna hear doing weekly radio addresses next year.
Fred, Social Security is easy to fix. What we need is to hear solutions on the looming Medicare long term care crisis.
Shut up Chris.
You go Fred. What do you do when the Dems block it.
A:Go to the American people
Geritol for McCain.
John this isn’t 1983. It is 2008. New era needs new Ideas.
Mitt has about 30 seconds to save any respect I have had for him.
Now, McCain is patting Fred’s head like a good dog.
Let’s boil this down to Rudy and Fred on some real issues.
Got my shot glass ready for the buzzword segment.
My wife is asking why there is a scroll of personal information. Why is this important?
Huck is name dropping again.
The Huckster is just a Clinton in a RINO suit!
Huckabee is outta his league with most of these men.
Good jab from Fred to Huckabee
The anti-death plank is a strong one at my house. The Huckster is on to something.
Huckabee is just restating what some of the others are saying.
Huckabee is showing a dramatic lack of understanding of corporate strategy. Very, very few companies have off-shore accounts, becuase of the inherent instability of those accounts.
Just answer the question Rudy.
Good jab from Fred? I got the impression that Huck’s comment flew over Fred’s head and Fred’s comment was clueless
Yes, good jab from Fred.
Removal of the so-called “Death Tax” is a Republican Party strategy, Doug. Huck didn’t invent this; it started over a decade ago.
No one has fixed Death itself. Fred was right, Huck didn’t get it done : )
The problem with the Huckster is that he says one thing but does entirely different things. I originally came across him because of his support for the Fair Tax. However since that time he has never once tied any of his tax policy statements back to the Fair Tax. In other words he used the banner to set himself apart from the group but he really doesn’t believe it and if pushed for details on it I doubt he could answer any questions.
Bigurn,
Sorry, you apparently don’t get it either.
In his last job, Huck DID work for getting rid of death and about 90% of americans believe it
Yeah McCain. You have changed.
Even with Huck here, these guys all feel more presidential than the kids who chatted the latter half of last night.
Romney shows he would make a fine CEO of the United States. This next segment with Mitt and Johnny Mac should be good. I gotta go pour. Heck, maybe I’ll just take it straight from the bottle.
This change talk is making me change the channel.
Aaaarrrgghhhhh! The dreaded word again from McCain!!!! We, the Knights Who Say Change ask for a shrubbery!
He sounds like he’s giving an eulogy.
You need a cigar and some fine cognac to be a true Republican.
McCain trying to take credit for the current strategy in Iraq. You frickin liar. That was all Gen David Petraeus and I will damned if I ever vote for some amnesty dealing idea stealing (words deleted)
Yeah, I got it Bigurn…it’s an issue near and dear to me.
Stop saying it! Aaaahhh!
I’m not doing it! Aaaaahhh!
I’ll do it! Aaaahhhh!
We’ve been talking about it! Aaaahhh
How about CHANGE channels.
Mitt is right, Washington is broken.
Boston is broken more.
Did Mitt fx Boston?
No, his excuse for how liberal he was as Governor was that he was in a liberal state.
So, when in Boston do as the Bostonians do and now he wants to go to Washington and not do as Washingtonians do?
Let’s talk about illegals.
I’m lit.
Changing to water.
Go get bin Laden, now, John. Don’t make the Presidency a condition.
McCain you can only trot out that veteran status card or shield only so many times. I am already sick of it. Speaking as a veteran it does not entitle me to anymore of anything that the everyday American doesn’t receive, and to use to try and get votes shamelessly like he does just gets my goat.
Leadership is more important than change? What a shock! Telling the truth is more important? Double shock! Am I watching the wrong debate? This can’t be the Democrat debate, can it?
Why was Ron Paul excluded from the debate by Fox?
Why can’t they just say, Improvements?
Ron Paul is cuckoo crazy.
I didn’t particularly care for the “profit versus patriotism” line.
Leadership in the military is far different than leadership in business or government. Wearing a uniform doesn’t especially prepare you for effective leadership in a civilian role, where consensus rides herd over command.