Fox News Iowa Debate

Fox doesn't have a three-minute Michael Bay trailer for the upcoming debate. Must've learned from CNN's overkill.

First question to Newt Gingrich by Bret Baier. Republicans say you're smart, a big thinker, but worry deeply about your electability, saying Mitt Romney is the safer choice. Newt compares himself to Reagan. Baier then brings up how Mitt called him an "unreliable" conservative. Newt then touts his record for 30 years of conservatism, balanced budgets, got Republicans to majority for first time in 40 years. [Single-handedly!]

Megyn Kelly then asks Ron Paul how he could possibly win the nomination and will he pledge tonight to not run as third party. Paul says just about anyone on stage would be better than Obama. She then asks Rick Santorum why he's "failed to catch fire" with voters. "Well, we hope to catch fire with voters in Iowa..." and then he spins off to his usual talking points.

Chris Wallace says "many of our viewers" say they're supporting Newt over you (Mitt Romney) because he's tougher; what say you? Mitt talks about how government doesn't create jobs; the private sector does. I know from my work in the private sector, from my successes and failures, how to make this economy work.

Wallace then asks Michelle Bachmann about the perception that she's too conservative. She touts her across-the-board appeal.

Neil Cavuto asks Rick Perry about his debate skills. Rick Perry says he's having fun and he can't wait to debate Obama; he'll show up early! He then compares himself to Tim Tebow. I'm not kidding.

Cavuto then almost sarcastically asks Jon Huntsman about why he won't sign the tax pledge. Huntsman says he won't sign any silly pledges, and he won't attend a Donald Trump debate. He then pauses whith any eyebrow like he expected to get a pop from the crowd but it only brings polite applause. He soldiers on about the trust deficit in this country, says we're getting screwed as Americans, we need term limits and to stop Congress from filing on out and lobbying.

The problem with these debates is most of the answers are the same. If you missed the first twelve, they want to make sure you get to hear their talking point this time, goldarnit!

Baier then gives each candidate 30 seconds to answer: how would you answer possible govt shutdown?

Santorum - Do what leaders do, tell a narrative, we come together to solve problems. People voted for Obama in 2008 because they believed in him. Americans need a president who believes in them. [Good line.]

Perry - We can't have an on-the-job training president. I am appalled Congress came up with a super-committee. (Yeah, Republicans and Democrats came up with that gem, Rick...)

Romney - We need more than 30 seconds. What is leadership? I was governor of state with 85% Democrats. To get anything done, I had to get respect of Speaker. We need to have leader who knows how to lead. I've had four different leadership posts.

Gingrich - Leadership is key. When you have a "Saul Alinksy radical" acting as "Campaigner-in-Chief" the Constitution can't work under those conditions. I worked with Bill Clinton to get things done.

Paul - Two factions in DC. One wants warfare, one wants welfare. Get each to cut some so the other will cut some.

Bachmann - I would have called all 535 Congressmen to come in and sit down during debt crisis. "No new taxes!"

Huntsman - Touts his flat tax passing in Utah and how he almost got 80% of the vote in his re-election bid. (Yes, he was a popular governor.)

Commercials!

Chris Wallace asks Mitt about Newt's comment that Mitt should give his millions back from the companies he bankrupted.

Romney - It's a great opportunity for us, becuz Obama will use the same attack tactic. Yes, some failed, but if you look at all the businesses we worked with, more of them succeeded. In the real world, some things don't work. I've learned the lessons.

Chris then asks Newt about his $1.6 million from Freddie Mac. Newt says he actually asked for more regulation, said he was a private citizen, contrasts it with Chris Dodd getting sweetheart deals from Countrywide.

Paul - He has a different definition of the "private sector" than I have. [BAM!] Paul sides with Mitt. Says colluding of big government and big business leads to fascism. [Don't oversell it!]

Newt - Talk to people at credit unions; there are some good govt-sponsored programs. Medicare, Medicaid. "I did no lobbying of any kind for any organization." [WHAT?!?!]

Bachmann - We know he cashed paychecks from Freddie Mac, and I am shocked listening to him, defending Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, big difference between them and credit unions. The speaker had his hand out for $1.6 million and scammed senior members of Congress to keep the scam going. [BAM!]

Newt - What she just said is factually not true. I never lobbied in any way.

Bachmann - PolitiFact said everything I said was true. You took $1.6 million; you don't need to be in the technical definition of lobbying to be influence-peddling. It's shocking.

Newt - My policy is to break up Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. I never once changed my position becuz of payment. I only chose to work with people whose values I shared.

Cavuto asks Newt about Paul Ryan's budget plan, calling it "right-wing social enineering." Newt says we need to communicate to the American people, says he liked Mitt's adjustments to the Ryan plan. Cavuto asks if Romney would like to respond to that compliment.

Romney says "Thank you" and goes on to talk about our natl balance sheet, commends Wyden/Ryan for coming together.

Cavuto calls out Paul on putting in money for his own district in natl budgets. Paul says your question should also point out I've never voted for an earmark. I look at it like tax deductions. If they're there, sure I'll apply for them, but as president I'd want to get rid of them. This whole principle of budgeting is mixed up. Cavuto talks over Paul's applause to say you're trying to have your cake and eating it too. Paul says if everyone did what I did, there'd be no earmarks and the budget would be balanced.

Cavuto turns to Perry, quotes how he vetoed bills and kept spending under control, but according to an Austin paper, he was guilty of doing what he campaigned against? First of all, don't believe everything you read in the Austin paper [noticeable chill], and then goes back to Newt, says we need to overhaul Washington DC, and the idea that Newt can't tell the difference between lobbying and advising is telling, says we need a part-time Congress. 140 days every other year. (Applause.)

Cavuto turns to Huntsman. How would you respond to China's "childish" move of putting tariffs on American SUVs and luxury vehicles? Well, the problem's all over. It's part North Korea, part Iran, part Burma, etc. etc. Invite some Chinese dissdents to the embassy. We need shared values infused into the relationship. That's democracy, human rights, tolerance to religion, and so much more.

Cavuto asks Santorum if he'd support tax holiday. Yeah, we need to get our taxes down. I promise to repeal every single ObamaCare regulation.

Romney brings up Solyndra. Let markets guide the economy. I think manufacturing will come back, like Rick S. talks about. We have extraordinary energy potential in this country. Our president thinks this country is in decline. It is if he's president. It won't be if I'm president. (Big applause.)

Megyn Kelly questions Newt about wanting to subpoena judges for decisions they make. Does that ruin checks and balances. "The courts have become grotesquely dictatorial." [Your mission: use that phrase in casual conversation in the next 24 hours. Go!] They're "frankly arrogant" in their misreading of the American people. Just like Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and FDR, I will take on the judiciary if it didn't restrict itself from what it was doing. Yes, he's compared himself to five presidents so far.

Kelly asks Bachmann about activist courts. [I notice at this point something looks different about Megyn Kelly. Hair? Make-up? Not sure.]

Bachmann says the Congress and the President need to take their authority back from the court system. We need to take the Constitution back. I'd only appoint judges who believe in the original intent of the Constitution. Paul says Congress can impeach, but I'd really question subpoenas against judges. Yes, this can be frustrating, but if you say you're going to get rid of courts becuz they didn't rule a way you like, that's a huge can of worms. Subpoenas against judges harms checks and balances.

Kelly then questions why Mitt appointed so many judges who were Democrats or independents. Mitt says he doesn't appoint judges, he nominates them. But he points out one of the most important jobs of the President is to appoint Supreme Court justices. he sides with Paul on questioning Congress subpoena judges, "becuz the only thing more screwed up than justices is Congress." (laughs from audience). We don't call it "we the judges" we call it "we the people." We can impeach, we can pass amendments. We have the ability to reign in activist judges.

Santorum - "I'm the only one on this panel that did it" referring to reigning in activist judges. Says his favorite current Supreme Court judge is Thomas.

Perry - Wants term limits on Supreme Court justices, these "unaccountable legislators in robes." Likes Alito, Roberts, Thomas. Pick one. kelly says "Would you pick one please?"

Romney - Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Scalia.

Newt - Agrees with Romney's list.

Paul - from my view they're all good and they're all bad. Our country split freedom up into two pieces - personal and economic. The judges and Congress thinks it's two issues.

Bachmann - Scalia tops my list. Also Roberts, Thomas, Alito.

Huntsman - I'm optimistic about this country becuz of the rule of law. Governors have experience selecting judges. I like Roberts and Alito.

Commercials!

Paul - My Iranian policy would be much better. There's no UN evidence of Iran getting a weapon. I fear another Iraq coming. War propaganda. I fear we'll get a prez who overreacts and bombs Iran. Even Israel says it wouldn't make any sense taking them out becuz they might have a weapon. What did we do with Libya? We talked them out of their nuclear weapon, and then we killed him. Baier pushes back. Paul says your question seems to be "When are we going to bomb Iran?"

Santorum says Iran is ruled by a radical theocracy, mutual assured destruction worked on the USSR, but Iran wants martyrdom. Their objective is to create a calamity; it's what their theology teaches. They hate us becuz of who we are and what we believe. We should be working with Israel right now in working on taking out Iran's facilities.

Baier asks Romney about how Obama asked Iran for our drone back. (Laughs from audience.) Mitt - "Timidity invites aggression from other people." Our foreign policy based on "pretty please"? (Chuckles from audience.) America has to lead the free world, and the free world has to lead the entire world. The right course for America is to strengthen our country, our values, our families, and our military.

Bachmann - Obama was given on a silver platter victory in Iraq, and he's chosen intentionally to lose the peace. "With all due respect" to Paul, I've never heard a more dangerous natl security answer . (Cheers and boos.) Iran will use a nuclear weapon to wipe Israel off the map. Their mission is to spread jihad across the world.

Paul - To say all Muslims are the same is dangerous. They don't want to kill us becuz of who we are; they want us to stop bombing them. Why do you want another war? Carelessly flouting.

Bachmann - Careless underreacting to let a madman to get a nuclear weapon. IEIA report says they're months away from getting a weapon.

Paul - That's not true. If you think today's a dangerous world, think of when I was drafted in 1962. Kennedy and Khruschev talked without nuclear war. This endless attitude of going to war everywhere.

Baier asks if Newt would leave the UN. No, but we could reduce our reliance on it. We have every obligation to tell the truth on how corrupt the UN bureaucracy is.

Huntsman - The UN serves a useful purpose in peacekeeping and some humanitarian work, but I hate the anti-Americanism, the anti-Israel sentiments. First, we need a new foreign policy. We're still trapped in the Cold War mentality. Our core here is weak. Our economy is broken. Second, (ding!) Baier: You're out of time. Huntsman makes his second point anyway. baier dings him again.

Perry - I've called for a no-fly zone over Syria. They're Iran's partner, they connected at the hip. This administration has badly bungled the Middle East. He led from behind in Libya. he was totally weak with Iran in asking for our drone back.

Cavuto asks Newt about Obama's opposition to the Keystone pipeline. Newt says I'm accused of using language that's too strong, so I've been standing here editing. (laughs). the Canadian PM has said if you don't want to create this pipeline, I'll put it straight west through Vancouver and ship it to China. I'm using mild words here. It's "utterly irrational" for Obama to kill American jobs and reduce our access to energy. It makes no sense to any rational American. (applause) Cavuto: "No offense, sir, but you didn't answer my question." Attach it to the middle-class tax-cut. We're not backing down when we're right and you're totally wrong.

Huntsman - There will always be a balancing act. We need to fuel our future. We need to get rid of our heroin-like addiction to imported oil. We need to disrupt the oil monopoly. We need a president who understands the delicate balance. [Felt like he danced aroudn that one.]

Bachmann - Obama's entire calculus is on re-election. The radical environmentalists threatened to not support him if he passed Keystone. As prez, I would've put Keystone online immediately.

Cavuto points out Perry gave $7 billion in tax savings to oil. Perry points out this is the anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights. I like the Tenth. If a state wants to put tax policies in place that makes them more competitive, that's their right. Giovt in DC shouldn't pick winners and losers. (But he's arguing that governors should be able to pick winners and losers.)

Commercials!

Megyn Kelly asks Perry about Operation Fast & Furious. So far no evidence Atty. Gnrl. Eric Holder knew about it. Are you politicizing this? Perry says if there's an operation like Fast & Furious and the atty general didn't know about it, he should re-sign immediately. I've been dealing with border issues for 11 years.

Santorum - Agrees Holder needs to go. There are jihadist trainign camps in central and south America, and we know they're planning attacks on the US. Obama has embraced scoundrels in central and south America, like Chavez and Ortega.

Kelly asks Romney about the 11 million illegals he said need to go to their country of origin first before becoming US citizens, but he also said we're not going to just round em up and ship em out. How does that work? We'll give them ID cards for those who come here legally. When they apply for a job, they need to show that job. newt's suggested something similar. You say to illegals you can't work here. You need to get in line.

Newt - We mostly agree on that, but someone whp's been here 25 years should get some consideration. I'd drop the fed lawsuits against states.

Huntsman - We don't need to pander. Pro-growth, strong values. these appeal to hispanics/Latinos. but look at the numbers of those coming across the borders. There's nothing to come for! We've got to secure the borders, of course, but let's not lose sight of the fact that legal immigration is pro-growth for this country. Remake our visa system. This is an economic development opportunity.

Chris Wallace, whom Joe Scarborough said loathes Mitt Romney, asks this question: "You've changed your position in the last 10 years on abortion, on gay rights, on guns, you say keeping an open mind is a strength, but some of your critics say every one of these moves is to your political advantage, when you were running in MA you took liberal positions, now running for president you take conservative positions. Is that principle or is it just politics?" [Wow, Chris, really?] Mitt takes exception to your list there. I've been the same on gay rights. On abortion I changed my mind. I studied the issue. I've learned over time, like Reagan and HW Bush, where I've been wrong, I've changed my mind. I've always been for the 2nd Amendment. Chris in gotcha question mode lists off positions on gay rights, abortion, gun rights. Romney defends each position, and by the end you can tell he's a little upset with Chris. [Shorter Mitt: I'm going to be the nominee, Chris, and you can't stop me.]

Chris then asks Santorum if he's persuaded. [Eye roll.] Might as well have said, "Rick, attack Romney for me." Santorum points out only the governor and legislature can change marriage law. Mitt had choice to go with "the court or the Constitution." He chose the court. He personally handed out gay-marriage licenses. We're not talking about discrimination, we're talking about securing values.

Mitt - That's a very novel interpretation of what the MA Supreme Court did. I fought to put in a amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman. I've been a champion of protecting traditional marriage.

Chris Wallace asks Bachmann about abortion. She says the GOP can't get the issue of life wrong. Newt said he'd campaign for Republicans who were for partial-birth abortion.

Newt - Sometimes Bachmann gets her facts wrong.

Bachmann - I think it's outrageous to say I don't have my facts right when as a matter of fact, I do. I am a serious candidate for the presidency. [If you have to say it...] Gingrich said it.

Newt - I don't see how you're going to govern if you're going to run around trying to figure out who to purge.

Baier mentions 11th Commendment from Reagan while some audience member complains he hasn't asked about the Federal Reserve.

Santorum - We have a responsibility to vet the candidates. Let's find out who can stand up.

Perry - There was an NFL player said if you're not getting your tail kicked, you're not playing at a high-enough level. I'd like to thank these folks on stage for letting me play at a high-enough level.

Romney - We can take it. Obama's going to have a billion dollars to go after me or whoever the nominee is.

Gingrich - If you look at my website, my debates, I go to the American people with big ideas. These six are friends of mine, and all would be a better president than Obama.

Paul - The media has a responsibility and we have a responsibility. We have to get this information out. There are some things below the belt. I don't like taking things out of context. If we disagree on an issue, we should expose it.

Bachmann - It's the same with Reagan. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Unquestionably we're worse off under Obama.

Huntsman - I actually worked for Reagan. Debate is good. It must be respectful and vigorous. It will lead to trust. This type of debate will elevate the nominee.

And that's a wrap!

So.... how'd they do...

　

　

7. RICK SANTORUM - He had one good line but otherwise was irrelevant on the stage. Most of his questions were about other candidates. Rick can boast he's been to every county in Iowa, but it's never he's stuck in sixth, in front of the only candidate who's said he's not competing in Iowa and only comes for the debates.

6. JON HUNTSMAN - He may be in Iowa, but he's debating to show New Hampshire he's their guy. I don't think he did enough to stand out. He needed to increase momentum, and this felt like a wheel-spinning performance, repeating many of the thigns he's said before, even danced around a couple questions. And he's not setting himself up for 2016. If the GOP nominee loses, 2016 will have Chris Christie, Mitch Daniels, Marco Rubio, John Thune, Jeb Bush, etc., plenty of options.

5. RICK PERRY - Relaxed, friendly, happy to be there, lucky to be there. Why is he still here? I thought the Tim Tebow reference was goofy, but maybe some evangelicals heard it and went "One of us! One of us!" Was giddy in attacking Congress and the Supreme Court, checks and balances be damned.

4. NEWT GINGRICH - Tonight was an effective microcosm example of why Newt's debate skills are good enough that he could win the GOP nomination but then get eviscerated in the general. The crowd was most enthusiastic when he attacked the judiciary, talking about subpoenas for judges, banning courts, etc. Good grief, really? But he was weakest in defending his Freddy Mac connections. His arguing over what is technically "lobbying" felt like Clinton's dance on the head of a pin over "is."

3. MICHELLE BACHMANN - Went after Newt Gingrich the strongest, made points that needed to be made. Stoof up for herself when Newt appeared dismissive. Also acted as surrogate for the anti-Ron Paul contingent when talking about how dangerous Iran is. Probably her best performance in months. Maybe she'll take fourth in Iowa after all.

2. RON PAUL - He can still win Iowa. His Iran answers didn't play to the crowd, and I know many conservatives who like his domestic ideas but loathe his foreign ones. He got in the best slam of the night on Newt.

1. MITT ROMNEY - Mitt did just what he needed to do. He was magnanimous with Newt, letting the lesser-tier candidates do the attacking. He defended his positions well and kept the focus on Obama. He stood up to Chris Wallace, and not in the Newt way ("media malpractice!"). Mitt is demonstrating he does have the strength to stand up for himself in a debate but kill with kindness. Maybe he won't win Iowa, but this may be the step-stool to a New Hampshire landslide.

(Until the next debate. Who am I kidding?)

GOP InTrade Watch - 12/5/11

As of December 5.

1. (1) - Mitt Romney - 47%
2. (2) - Newt Gingrich - 30.2%
3. (3) - Jon Huntsman - 7.7%
4. (4) - Ron Paul - 7%
5. (6) - Rick Perry - 2.8%
6. (7) - Michele Bachmann - 2.5%
7. (8) - Rick Santorum - 1.4%
8. (5) - Herman Cain - .2%

The moneychangers still like Romney but not as much as they used to.

The field's changed since Cain dropped out. Romney has been severely damaged by Gingrich's ascent. Romney's at his lowest since October 1. Gingrich was actually up to 37% a few days ago, but his enemies are starting to get louder (George Will disembowelled him on ABC's This Week). Huntsman and Paul are hovering. Paul's waiting for an Iowa boost, and Huntsman for a New Hampshire boost if Newt would just hurry up and implode already.

In watching bits and pieces of Fox News the past week or so, and hearing parts of Rush driving to and from work, it seems they really don't want Romney, but they're not thrilled about Gingrich either. I think Rush wants Perry or Bachmann or Santorum to get the nomination, but Gingrich would be his fourth choice. And Fox News is about the same.

Heck, the other day Glenn Beck said if one of these candidates could turn out to be the next George Washington, it'd be Rick Santorum. #facepalm

One Sunday talking-head (can't remember who at this moment) said, in defending Perry, that we put too much emphasis on the debates.  I don't think so.  Voters are very cognizant of the importance of debates.  It can underline strengths and expose weaknesses.  (Look at how poorly Perry and Cain have done at foreign policy questions.)  They remember the Barack Obama / John McCain debates of 2008. Obama was fresh, new and energized; McCain was the old grump who wouldn't even look at "that one."  They remember the George W. Bush / Al Gore debates of 2000, too.  Bush was the guy who could relate to folks; Gore was the robot who couldn't stop sighing into the microphone.

So glad we're finally down to seven candidates.  Bring on the next debate!

GOP InTrade Watch 11/26/11

From November 26.

1. (1) - Mitt Romney - 62.9%
2. (2) - Newt Gingrich - 15.8%
3. (4) - Jon Huntsman - 8%
4. (3) - Ron Paul - 6%
5. (5) - Herman Cain - 2.7%
6. (6) - Rick Perry - 2%
7. (7) - Michl Bachmann - 1.4%
8. (8) - Rick Santorum - .7%

No one else is above .1%.

The Wednesday debate helped who it should have. Romney dipped but is still clearly ahead the field, while Gingrich, Huntsman and Paul all saw slight improvement. Herman Cain and Rick Perry fell further, and I would say it's time for those bottom four to bow out. And yet, Tim Pawlenty obviously bowed out too early, so who knows.

Meanwhile Romney's decided he's going to compete in Iowa after all, which 538's Nate Silver agrees is a good idea.  I think Romney was fine to cede Iowa when Perry or Cain was the front-runner, but with Gingrich and Paul doing well, either of them could ride the Iowa surge into New Hampshire and be credible competition.

CNN GOP Debate

Most haunted-house movies are about ghosts who either don't realize they're dead, or they can't quite let go. They cling to what was. Maybe they want revenge, information, closure, but eventually someone from the living comes along to serve as catalyst.

That's what watching the GOP debates feels like sometimes. I see Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul in the house, and there's Jon Huntsman on the end, like the nosy neighbor who's going to walk in at precisely the wrong moment. There's Rick Santorum on the other end, as the guy who gets killed in the prologue. Meanwhile the spectres of campaigns past haunt the stage. Perry rattles his chains, Cain whispers "The house is ours" and Bachmann crawls through the TV to settle a grudge. Someone needs to exorcise those three so they can go to their final resting place, with Santorum right behind them. Huntsman, I imagine, is waiting for the Iowa fallout to see if it bumps him in New Hampshire. I understand his strategy. The other four, though... It's sad.

But onward we must proceed, with still eight total talking heads on the stage. Here are your contestants:

MITT ROMNEY - "The Establishment Front-Runner". Hey, he doesn't change his positions as often as the GOP changes their front-runner.

NEWT GINGRICH - "The Flavor of the Week". I hereby pledge to advise all of Gingrich's companies for half of what he charged. (You're getting a sweet deal here.)

RON PAUL - "The Libertublican". I don't know if he really wants to be President; he just wants to make sure whoever is audits the Fed.

JON HUNTSMAN - "New Hampshire's Maitre'D" - If I mention I have a relative at Dartmouth, can I get a free backrub?

HERMAN CAIN - "9-9-9". The answer to the Jeopardy question "How many sexual harrassments lawsuits have been filed against him, against him, against him?"

RICK PERRY - "The Texas Christian" - I am not drunk.

MICHELLE BACHMANN - "The One Woman" - We'll always have Ames.

RICK SANTORUM - "The Social Conservative" - Put the gay toothpaste back in the Muslim tube!

6:02 - After an opening sequence that makes it look like we've assembled eight cyborgs to lead our country, Wolf Blitzer ("yes, that's my real name") gets to it with his own intros. Once again, I wish Vince McMahon were in charge of the intros. We need theme music and pyrotechnics. It would be no sillier than the opening sequences these cable producers package.

6:05 - No, wait. A guy from The Jersey Boys sings our national anthem. NOW we can begin.

6:07 - Oh wait. Wolf has to explain the debate rules. Speed it up, Wolf; we've got eight people up there.

6:09 - Holy crap, now the candidates are going to introduce themselves. Santorum dings Obama, Paul dings "unnecessary wars," Perry points out he's in a happy marriage, Romney starts off by joking that Mitt is his first name (*crickets*), Cain says Obama's "downgraded" our natl security, Gingrich plugs his work with Heritage, Bachmann says she wants to get troops home as soon as we can, and Huntsman does indeed mention New Hampshire.

6:13 - Wolf: "Let's get right to the questions!" Are you freakin' kidding me?

6:14 - First question is about keeping the Patriot Act. Newt wants to keep it, as we'll all be in the danger "for the rest of our lives." Paul disagrees, correctly, and gives a great plea against turning the US into a police state.

6:17 - Bachmann says we've handed over interrogation to the ACLU, says it was a bad thing we gave Miranda rights to the underwear bomber. Huntsman points out the brand of the United States means something overseas, wants to find the balancing act between liberty and security.

6:20 - Romney gets a TSA question but glosses over it so he can get into the war vs. crime debate.

6:21 - Perry wants to privatize the TSA and keep the Patriot Act. Most of them are competing to see who can make sure our future is Minority Report.

6:23 - Santorum has two modes: complaining he doesn't get enough questions, and whatever is suggested, he claims he voted for it first. He's pro-profiling, especially Muslims. Paul shakes his head, says we're not "at war." There's a war on terrorism but not against a people and stresses individual rights again.

6:25 - Cain seems to be cool with Santorum's approach to profiling. Cain wants to "refine" the Patriot Act but not throw it out because the terrorists still want to kill us. Paul can't believe some of these people are allowed on stage.

6:27 - Huntsman gets the Pakistan question. He plugs Congressional term limits slyly then says Pakistan should keep us up at night. "It's a haven for bad behavior." Bachmann calls Pakistan the "epicenter" of terrorist training, and I am reminded once again that she's on the Intelligence committee and will sound smart on foreign matters. She probably regrets the earlier debates weren't more focussed on foreign policy. And she coins the phrase: "Too nuclear to fail."

6:31 - Perry disgrees with Bachmann, and a couple seals in the back clap. Bachmann comes back "with all due respect" that's "highly naive." Oh snap! I've never liked her more.

6:33 - Perry tries to fall back on his briefings about Afghanistan and India, but Bachmann won't let him off the hook with his "blank check" remark.

6:35 - Romney called Pakistan the sixth largest country in the world. Factcheck! *clap-clap!* That's a True. Wow, had no idea.

6:36 - Romney wants to bring modernity to Pakistan but wants to be careful about withdrawals. Huntsman completely disagrees and begs for an honest discussion, rattles off our successes. Romney counters by dropping "we don't want to cut and run" and wants to listen to the generals on the ground. Huntsman points out LBJ listened to the generals on the ground in 1967 too. Romney gets in a confident rebuttal.

6:40 - Newt's grouchy he hasn't had a chance to respond, but isn't really sure what we're debating. He points out how killing bin Laden brought US-Pakistan relations to a new low. "Well, they should have." (applause)

6:41 - Santorum says he agrees with Ron Paul. We are not fighting a war against terrorism, terrorism is a tactic. (Waiting for the other shoe to drop...) We are fighting a war against radical Islam. (Ah...)
Commercial!

6:47 - Awkward minute where they try to get a question from the audience. If Israel attacked Iran to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons, would you help the attack or otherwise support?

6:48 - Uh, oh. Cain goes first. He would first make sure they have a plan for success. Remember it's a very mountainous region. (Oh geez...) Cain's foreign policy plan: Asking "Are you sure?" If they say yes, "Attack!"

6:49 - Paul wouldn't help but he doesn't expect it to happen, as the Mossad leader said it would be the stupidest thing in the world for them to do. But if it did happen, "why does Israel need our help?"

6:51 - Cain comes back to Afghanistan, but Wolf mercifully cuts him off for a different question.

6:52 - Perry's asked about sanctions on Iran. He wants to sanction their Central Bank and kill their economy. He wants to bring in Syria too, and uh.. "at that moment, they'll understand America is serious."

6:53 - Newt says we need a surplus of energy here. We need a strategy here and here and over there. Frankly, more strategic, less tactical. He also used about ten -ly words in his answer. Bachmann gets in a shot at Obama cancelling the keystone pipeline before going back to Iran, saying they plan to use nuclear weapons against Israel and the United States. She pretty much says if World War III happens, it's Obama's fault.

6:57 - Paul Wolfowitz asks about all the good foreign aid the US has done (Fighting AIDS and malaria in Africa, for example.) Can we still afford to do that? Santorum says he supported the bill for fighting AIDS in Africa and how it helps combat terrorism by us giving aid, taking a veiled swipe at Perry for wanting to start every country at zero.

6:58 - Cain says it depends. He wants to see the results. Paul calls the aid worthless, says we're giving money to wealthy people in poor countries. Our budget's in trouble! "The biggest threat to our national security is our financial condition." Romney rails against cutting military spending and saying we should cut ObamaCare. Paul says we're not cutting anything; it's just talk. Romney flinches, then rattles off the planned military cuts and says Obama has failed to lead with strength.

7:00 - Newt drops the Reagan name, then Apple, then gets in a "profoundly" before reminding the audience how awesome WWII was. Then gets in a Lean Six Sigma plug and says "there are lots of things we can do." I'd wager most of the people in the room thought he gave an actual answer.

7:02 - Huntsman's asked where he stands on defense cuts. Says we have a financial deficit but we also have a "trust" deficit. We can't have an intellectually honest discussion about debt and spending with sacred cows. Everything needs to be on the table, then gives specifics of his strategy.

7:08 - Perry gets a softball on the supercommittee, but still sounds like he's stalling. Pronounces it "LegislaTors." Think half a trillion is five hundred million. Calls for Panetta to resign in protest "if he is an honorable man."

7:10 - Santorum gets the question on Reagan's compromise rule (I'd rather get 80% of what I want than nothing), and Santorum says "It depends."

7:12 - Question on entitlement reform. Newt talks about his Social Security plan based on the Chilean and Galveston models, which I am pretty sure Cain was the first one to propose in a previous debate. Bachmann says it's time to draw a line in the sand when it comes to raising the debt limit, says we've gone from $8 to $15 trillion in debt in four years. Says we need to balance the budget, then chip away at the debt.

Commercials!

7:19 - We get footage of protests in Egypt.

More commercials!

7:22 - Question on the southern border. Do you consider that to be a national interest threat? Perry says we need a 21st-century Monroe Doctrine, that Hamas and Hezbollah are operating in Mexico, slams Hugo Chavez, calls border security paramount to the entire Western Hemisphere. Says we can work with Mexico to sanction their banks. (Perry's a bank-sanctioning machine!)

7:25 - Paul says we need to cancel the drug war; it's to nobody's benefit. Says we should be more concerned with the border between the US and Mexico rather than the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Says we should handle illegal drugs the same way we handle alcohol and prescription drugs.

7:26 - Cain says we know terrorists have entered this country via the Mexican border. Says let's secure the border for real. Numbers off what he'd do, a Romney tactic. Santorum praises high-skill immigration, talks about trickle-down economics. Split-screen with Perry, who looks like he wants to meet Santorum in a dark alley.

7:28 - Newt uses Einstein as an example of the importance of immigration. He uses very big words to describe a humane way of dealing with illegal immigrants. Bachmann sledgehammers him with "Amnesty!" She says Steve Jobs said he had to move 30,000 jobs to China because he couldn't find the engineers here. (Which I call bullcrap on, seems like engineers are getting laid off all the time around here; US jobs are going to China becuz it's cheaper there.) Newt counters with being humane, not breaking up families. Bachmann essentially says "Nah, round em up and ship em out."

7:33 - Romney says amnesty is a magnet but wants to make legal immigration easier. Says he'd staple a green card to any immigrant who gets a Masters degree or PhD.

7:36 - Newt doubles-down on "separating families" but is pro-deportation for those illegals who haven't been here that long. Says the party shouldn't adopt a policy that breaks up families. Perry reluctantly sides with Mitt over Newt with a "here we go again." (See what he did there?) Says we have to secure the border first "once and for all." Mitt says it's a mistake to focus a Republican debate on amnesty.

Commercials!

7:43 - Question on Syria from Dick Cheney former Chief of Staff David Addington. Wolf says Perry suggested a no-fly zone over Syria; would you support that? "No." Then he says he'd work with our allies to stop buying oil from Syria, brings it back to the economy. (Is he actually going to go through a whole debate without saying "9-9-9"?) Perry weighs in, says it'd help the military in Syria disband, likens it to Iran.

7:45 - Huntsman gets a question on Arab Spring, says we missed the "Persian Spring." Says we need to remind the world what it means to be a friend and ally to the US. Says sanctions won't work becuz the Chinese and Russians won't play ball. Gives a great answer about the region.

7:49 - Somalia question, compares it to al-Qaeda. Paul says if we want to inspire al-Qaeda, let's just meddle in the region, calls a no-fly zone over Syria an act of war. How would we feel if China put a no-fly zone over one of our territories? Why don't we mind our own business?

7:51 - Romney realizes it's late in the debate, so he goes off on Obama, rattling off several contrasts between the two, then brushes aside Perry's no-fly suggestion. Perry back-peddles, says "no-fly" is an option to leave on the table.

7:54 - Last question is a good one. What natl security threat are you worried about that no one's talking about? Santorum talks about being scared of socialists through central and south America. "We took the side of Oogo Chavez." Paul says he worries most about overreaction on our part. Perry's worried about China, they have no values, they have 35,000 abortions a day. Romney says Perry's right on China in the long run but short-run Santorum's right on South America, says to Paul we have been attacked. Cain's worried about cyberattacks. Newt is worried about a weapon of mass destruction, an electro-magnetic pulse attack, and then cyberattacks. Bachmann agrees with everyone, but says Obama is giving away the peace we won in Iraq. Huntsman says he's worried about here at home, joblessness, lack of opportunity, debt, our trust deficit.

So how's they do?

1. RON PAUL - I don't think the beltway media can ignore him anymore. Paul made a clear distinction between himself and everyone else, and he's like the guy with nothing to lose. And he's always been that way. Paul made it clear he values liberty over safety, minding our own business over intervention, legallizing drugs, and drastically cutting the federal budget. If you support that, he's your guy. If you don't, well, you know he means it. I'd wager this will him a solid third-place in the polls in the next couple days.

2. JON HUNTSMAN - He needed a strong performance and he delivered. He came across as the perfect bridge between Paul and the rest of the crew. He also landed some hits on Romney, a rare occurance. He shredded Perry's bullet-point of sanctions and was pro-America in talking about all the things we've done right. His arguments seemed the most "general election" friendly than anyone else's.

3. NEWT GINGRICH - You know, when other candidates have ascended to "presumed front-runner" status, the other candidates have attacked them. Rick Perry bore the brunt, Mitt Romney slapped them back, Herman Cain felt the stings, but Newt... no one really seemed interested in going after him except Ron Paul. Tonight was the night to yank the chair out from under Newt, and no one did it. I know a lot of Republicans who are against the Patriot Act, but Newt was virtually arguing for fascism, and half of the candidates nodded and said, "Yeah, that's great." I was paying attention to his answers more than anyone else's, and I found half of his answers were frankly profoundly fundamentally completely... woops, out of time. Then when we got to immigration, he found himself to the left of most of the candidates, arguing for humanity in how we enforce our laws.

Debates are as much about presentation as content, those YouTube clips mean more than the transcripts. And Newt "performed" very well. He did nothing to knock himself off the "front-runner" pedestal, at least not in Iowa. His "Uncle Newt" persona is working. I wonder how much longer Republicans are going to let him stay atop the polls. They sure they don't want to kick the tires on Paul or Huntsman again for their Not-Romney model?

4. MITT ROMNEY - This actually felt like a missed opportunity for him. He still debated like he owned the place, but he tried a little too hard to make Obama sound like a complete failure on foreign policy when Obama's really weakest on domestic. I thought he needed to poke the pin in the Newt balloon, but I think he was waiting for someone else to do it.

5. MICHELLE BACHMANN - Pwned Rick Perry on the Middle East. I recall she's the one who took him down on the HPV vaccine. Says we need to balance the budget but still isn't clear on what she'd actually beyond not raise the debt ceiling and not raise taxes, and she's in the Pro-Police State camp.

6. RICK SANTORUM - Wants to profile Muslims who fly, fumbled the compromise question. Otherwise he was his usual self.

7. HERMAN CAIN - He had the same answer for every question. He would gather some experts together and then look at the information and then make a decision. Maybe fighting AIDS in Africa is a good thing, maybe it's not.

8. RICK PERRY - He was lost. Any answer he gave, someone else could counter with "Actually, that's not how it works." You could see the little wheels in his head fighting to remember the answers from his 3x5 cards. I'm amazed Texas has let him win two re-elections.

GOP InTrade Watch 11/17

As of November 17
1. (1) - Mitt Romney - 70.5%
2. (4) - Newt Gingrich - 13.3%
3. (5) - Ron Paul - 4.7%
4. (5) - Jon Huntsman - 3.9%
5. (3) - Herman Cain - 3.4%
6. (2) - Rick Perry - 3%
7. (7) - Mich. Bachmann - 1.1%
8. (8) - Rick Santorum - .6%
9. (10)- Sarah Palin - .3%
10.(8) - Gary Johnson - .2%

I imagine Tim Pawlenty and Mitch Daniels sitting at a bar somewhere, watching the NationalJournal debate on foreign policy cut off so CBS can show some reruns, then they flip the channel to one of the smaller cable-news channels where they talk about the inevitability of Mitt Romney, and how it's now Newt Gingrich's turn to surge.

Pawlenty: "Coulda been you."

Daniels: "If you hadn't dropped out after Ames, it would've been you."

(simultaneous sips from their brewskies)

Pawlenty: "One-point-six million from Freddie Mac for advice as a historian."

Daniels: "You're telling me.  Why did we become governors?"

Pawlenty: "Think Ron Paul will get a turn?"

Daniels: "Why not?  Then everyone will suddenly remember he'll be 77 years old in 2012, and they'll spin that story of some Paul blog defending a neo-Nazi, and it'll fizzle and die."

Pawlenty: "Then Huntsman?"

Daniels: "Right before Christmas.  Then down on New Years Day."

Pawlenty: "Think Santorum will get a turn?"

They look at each other, then bust up laughing. They finish their beers, pay the tab, and put the Mitt 2012 buttons back on their jackets.

CNBC Debate

CNBC Debate

What will you do to make sure Italy's financial problems don't drag down the U.S.?

CAIN - 1. Grow the economy. 2. Assure our currency is sound. Grow the economy, cut spending.

ROMNEY - Europe can take of their own problems. They can bail out their own banks. We don't need to bail out banks in Italy or banks in the U.S. with Italian debt. Europe can help Europe.

Cramer is beside himself we'd actually let Italy fail.

PAUL - No, let it fail. Liquidate the debt. Debt, debt, debt, debt. Let thema ll fail, let all the mortgages go under.

HUNTSMAN - "Too big to fail." We need properly sized banks and institutions. (Which would mean more government intervention, right?)

Romney confronted about his being against the auto-bailout.

ROMNEY - Speaks about his attachments to Detroit. Said whether by Bush or Obama, they should have gone through private bankruptcy and restructuring process. John Harwood then asks Romney again about his flip-flop image. Calls himself a man of steadiness and constantcy, uses his marriage, church, and company as examples of being steady. Pledges to be true to his country and he will never apologize for America.

Harwood gives examples of Reagan (raising taxes) and Bush (bailouts) using flexibility and asks Perry about it.

PERRY - "America is going to be America again." "If you are too big to fail, you are too big."

GINGRICH - Fire Ben Bernanke. (applause) Audit the Fed. (applause) Operation Desert Storm. (just kidding) Slams Saul Alinksy radicalism, class warfare... lots of buzzwords, but not a real answer.

BACHMANN - Taxes lead to jobs leaving the country. Our biggest burden is regulation, our biggest regulation problem is ObamaCare. Repeal Dodd/Frank, build a fence to deal with immigration.

Harwood asks Santorum about 0% manufacturing jobs. Isn't that picking winners and losers?

SANTORUM - It's not picking winners and losers, it's a section of our economy. Some have suggested we need tariffs. That just taxes you. I don't want to tax you. I'll get rid of subsidies.

Maria asks Cain about his four accusers, gets booed.

CAIN - The American people deserve better than someone being tried in the court of public opinion based on unfounded accusations. (rousing applause) This country's looking for leadership. This is why people are still enthusiastic about my campaign.

ROMNEY - When asked, he said Herman Cain can answer these questions, and he just did.

Harwood, "Let's go back to the economy..." (sarcastic applause)

HUNTSMAN - I want to be the president of the 99%, and the 1%. I agree with the Occupy crowd in that this country will never again bail out a corporation. (tiny applause) We have banks that are too big to fail, and as long it remains that way, we're setting ourselves up for long-term disaster.

Cramer's on one.

ROMNEY - Our Democratic friends don't like profitable companies. I want to make American businesses successful. Obama doesn't like successful businesses. (loud applause)

PERRY - My 20% flat-tax plan will get this economy going. We need to plant a flag in the middle of America that says "Open for business again."

GINGRICH - The Occupy Wall Street crowd need a clue about history. Cites Henry Ford and Bill Gates' humble beginnings, are they the 99% or the 1%. Media is inaccurate about reporting on the economy. Maria stops him. "What is the media reporting inaccurately on the economy?" What? She asks again. He says he has yet to see a reporter ask a OWS person about who pays for their park they're occupying.

Man, Cramer's an annoying questioner. The other two are good. He asks about oil in Alaska.

SANTORUM - Quick answer, then goes to manufactuers. His grandpa was a coal miner.

Maria asks Cain about tax fairness.

CAIN - My 9-9-9 plan is the only one that solves the problem of the messy tax code. The complexity costs us $460 billion a year. Brings out Webster definition of fair. Maria asks how he can guarantee 9-9-9 doesn't turn into 19-19-19. "Tax codes don't raise taxes; people do." Says voters won't let politicians raise taxes above those rates.

ROMNEY - Would like to see flatter, simpler tax. Take our tax dollars and focus on those who are hurt the most - the middle class. Median incomes have dropped 10% the past few years. I focus a tax break for middle America. Right now let's do the job that needs to be done now, help the middle class.

BACHMANN - Obama's plan for job creation has nothing to do with job creators.

PAUL - The tax code is the consequence. Spending is the cause. You have to address spending. Cut $1 trillion in first year from five departments. Get rid of price fixing, raise interest rates.

Commercial break.

GINGRICH - If we repealed Dodd/Frank, we'd see the housing market improve overnight.

Maria Bartiromo asks why Romney's 59-point jobs plan doesn't address housing.

ROMNEY - Because it's a jobs plan, not a housing plan. (applause) We know how to improve the economy. Do the exact opposite of what Obama has done. The reason we are where we are is because the fed govt interfered with housing market.

PERRY - It's the regulatory world that is killing America. Doesn't matter if it's Dodd/Frank or the EPA, or whatever, audit every regulation since 2008 and ask "is it creating jobs or killing jobs?" If it's killing jobs, get rid of the regulation.

BACHMANN - Fannie and Freddie give bonuses to their executives?!

GINGRICH - I got $300,000 from Fannie/Freddie for giving advice of what they didn't do. It was my advice as a historian. (Something tells me there's more to what Newt did for Fannie/Freddie that offer advice as a historian for $300k.)

CAIN - When asked about Fannie/Freddie, he says you don't start there, you start with fixing the economy, 9-9-9. "Get the regulators off the backs of the banks." Then I'd unwind Fannie/Freddie so they'd be private.

HUNTSMAN - It's not right to have too big to fail. Let's right-size them. Goldman-Sachs has grown huge; is that right? Charge a fee to these institutions to protect taxpayers.

How to repeal ObamaCare?

HUNTSMAN - I'd meet with the 50 governors and address cost-containment. How do you empower patients? Harmonize medical records. Close the gap on the uninsured. Let the free market work to get truly affordable insurance.

PAUL - Get govt out of health care, we need medical savings accounts. It's a bipartisan problem.

PERRY - Send Medicaid back to the states; they know how to work it.

CAIN - The legislation has already been written, but "Princess Nancy" sent it to committee but it never came out.

ROMNEY - Health-care in 30 seconds is tought but let me try. Send Medicaid back to states, let individuals get their own insurance and don't discriminate against them. Do what Ron Paul said, get insurance to work like the market. Finally, get rid of our malpractice system.

GINGRICH - It's an absurd question. 30 seconds isn't enough time. I'd challenge the president to seven 3-hour Lincoln-Douglas style debates. Maria keeps trying to get Newt to answer the question about health care, then he rattles some stuff off, mostly covered by others but he goes into brain science for a bit.

BACHMANN - The main problem with health-care is cost. It's too expensive. First, let Americans buy insurance across state lines. Make all medical expenses tax-free.

SANTORUM - This is the difference between me and the other candidates. I led the discussion on medical savings accounts. I was always for private-sector health-care. I was one of the ones warning about the bubble before it burst.

ROMNEY - Govt is playing too heavy a role in health-care. Consumers need to be more involved, informed of what's happening. 18% of our GDP spent on health-care, more than anyone else in the world.

PAUL - My plan of cutting $1 trillion preserves Medicaid, but we deal with the bailouts, the banks; we'll probably wind up bailing out Europe, which would be a tragedy.

Commerical break. Rick Santelli joins the panel and gets a pop from the crowd.

SANTORUM (who has one uncomfortably toothy smile) - We need to look at plans that bring people together, that's why I'm focussing on manufacturing. (gets it oh-so-subtle digs to Huntsman and Cain).

ROMNEY - I had to find Democrats in Mass. who cared more about their state than their next election to get things done. We're headed toward Italy and Greece. We need a leader who can bring Reps and Dems together who care more about their country than their next election.

PERRY - Americans are looking for a regulatory climate that doesn't strangle the life out of their businesses. Yeah, we can all work with Reps and Dems, but you need a plan that'll fix the economy, and my flat-tax plan. I'll cut three govt departments: Commerce, Education, and uh, what's the third one.... and uh...

ROMNEY - EPA?

PERRY - Yeah, no! EPA needs to be rebuilt. The third one... uh... oops.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a campaign dies.

CAIN - My 9-9-9 plan makes every sector grow, not just one sector. It's bold. Yes, it's BOLD! I provide a compelling solution.

GINGRICH - I'm not going to raise taxes on middle Americans in an economy this bad. I'll take Soc-Sec out of the general budget; deal with it as a stand-alone issue. Give young people option of pursuing Galveston or Chilean model.

ROMNEY - This issue of the deficit is a moral issue. We can't pass all this debts to future generations. We need to cut spending. 1. Cut programs, like ObamaCare. 2. Move some programs back to states. 3. Finally bring some productivity to federal workers, cut fed jobs by 10%.

BACHMANN - I'm opposed to the payroll tax cuts becuz it blows hole in Soc-Sec trust fund. We sent $2.2 trillion in tax money to DC but they spent $3.7 trillion last year.

HUNTSMAN - The Fed has purchased trillion in securities. I'd clean up the balance sheet. We have a trust crisis in this country. Congress, the executive branch, Wall Street. There's no trust in our institutions of power. I'm the only one here who's done a flat tax. The WSJ called my tax plan the best. Phase out corporate welfare.

PAUL - Gets student-loan debt question. The policy of student loans is a total failure. Fed govt shouldn't deal with education. Inflation is the problem.

GINGRICH - Pres. LBJ started student-loan program. It made students take longer to graduate.

PERRY - Department of Energy! That was the third program. People on Soc-Sec need to understand it'll be there for them. The young people out there, who's going to stand up for them. I will do that.

Commercial break.

CAIN - It's wrong that Cali hired Chinese company to help rebuild San Fran bridge. That's why we need 9-9-9.

ROMNEY - China is cheating. It is good for US to have free trade, but they're playing by different rules, stealing copyrighted materials, hacking into our systems, they're stealing our jobs. 1. I'd label China a currency manipulator. 2. I'd make charge to WTO. 3. I'd apply tariffs if necessary.

GINGRICH - I'd be curious to hear what Huntsman has to say, but we need to dramatically increase competition.

HUNTSMAN - 30 seconds to respond?! Bottom line is tariffs start a trade war. Mitt's pandering.

ROMNEY - I've seen predatory pricing where they try to drive others out of business by keeping prices low, then raise them when their competitors go out of business.

BACHMANN - Chinese are bad actors. Chinese are housing nuclear weapons in new tunnels. We're in hoc to them for $1 trillion.

CAIN - Volatility is caused by uncertainty. To restore trust, we need to grow the economy.

Cramer: "People were getting ripped off when the economy was going great!"

CAIN - Repeal Dodd/Frank!

PERRY - Too cozy a relationship between govt and stock market. When there are individuals breaking the laws, prosecute them for criminality.

PAUL - Punish crony capitalism.

----

I'm tired, so I need to think about this one. My impressions right now are Romney won, Cain did fine even if he doesn't have anything beyond 9-9-9, Gingrich's answers were a house of cards, Ron Paul was his usual Libertaraian self, Huntsman was helped by being a little more memorable than Santorum or Bachmann, and Perry's "Oops" was the equivalent of the Howard Dean "HYAAA!"

GOP InTrade Watch 10/23

As of October 23.

1. (1) - Mitt Romney - 66.5%
2. (2) - Rick Perry - 14.7%
3. (4) - Herman Cain - 7.2%
4. (7) - Newt Gingrich - 3.1%
5. (6) - Jon Huntsman - 2.5%
5. (8) - Ron Paul - 2.5%
7. (9) - Michelle Bachmann - 1.2%
8. (-) - Rick Santorum - .5%
8. (-) - Gary Johnson - .5%

My first thought might have been "Wow, Newt's fourth" but he's fourth at a mere 3.1%. He's fourth because Chris Christie and Sarah Palin have finally fallen out of the running.

Now that we have a few weeks' break from debates, the candidates can go out and capitalize.

Mitt Romney is in the best position and people with money know it. Rick Perry had a really good quarter, but have you noticed how much of that was raised before the debates started? With the last debate as the last taste in voters' mouths, I think Perry's going to go for a scorched-Earth sourthern strategy. He's going to go mean and negative and go farther than what the Bush team did to McCain in South Carolina in 2000, guaranteed. I think it will backfire, but only backfire enough to secure the nomination for Romney. After that, Mitt will be battered and bruised (we ain't seen nothin' yet) and Obama just has to hope for some positive ecominic number to combat Mitt with.

Obama's strength might be foreign policy, but you know who else had a strong foreign defense argument but a weak domestic one? George H.W. Bush. What happened to him?

As for Herman Cain, InTrade has never taken him too seriously. Cain strikes me as a guy who ran for president to increase book sales and speaking fees, and he's as surprised as anyone that he's suddenly at the top of the polls.

GOP CNN Debate in Vegas

6:01 - That was one of the dumbest intros I think I've ever seen. Picture Movie-Trailer Guy narrating. "In a world where political mudslinging is another day at the office..."

6:02 - What the freak is Michelle Bachmann wearing? She looks like the eager young ensign ready to prove to her admiral that women can be in the Navy too.

6:04 - Perry looks like he's puffing out his chest on purpose. Remember in junior high when kids would come out of the weight room and act like their muscles were so huge their arms couldn't go all the way down to their sides, and they'd have this little strut? Kinda like that.

6:06 - My Twitter feed is already hilarious. @daveweigel @murphymike @gaypatriot @publiusdb @pattonoswalt @albertbrooks @randytayler @gopTODD #cnndebate

6:07 - Rick Santorum is the first opening statement and h uses it to convey some personal messages. Surprised it doesn't end with a request for his wife to text him if he needs to pick up anything at the grocery store on the way home.

6:08 - Herman Cain's lighting is weird. It's like the color on my TV disappeared.

6:09 - Rick Perry introduces himself as an AUTHENTIC conservative. Yes, he apronounced it in all caps.

6:10 - I'm not going to recap everything said, just give my impressions as I watch. My impression is that Bachmann should not have opened with a "what happens in Vegas" joke.

6:11 - First question comes from the audience, looks like Toupee Kevin from The Office, asks about replacing federal income tax with federal sales tax. Anderson Cooper interprets that as a question about 999 and wants Bachmann to answer first. Bachmann calls herself and her husband "job creators" before slamming the 999 plan.

6:12 - Herman Cain wants folks to read his analysis before they give "knee-jerk" reaction to his 999 plan. And the color is much better on Cain. Santorum then says "Herman's well-meaning, but..." and then rips apart the 999 plan. "It's not good for families." Cain counters Santorum with "that's simply not true."

6:13 - Bachmann tries to walk us through levels of production to demonstrate how Cain's plan is a value-added tax but it doesn't really go anywhere.

6:14 - Perry: "Herman, I love you, brother..." and then 30 seconds later calls him "brother" again. Really? Well, at least he didn't call him "son."

6:16 - Cain says it's not correct to compare apples to oranges. Then he throws in bread in there.

6:17 - Anderson brings in Ron Paul, hey you called it dangerous. Paul goes on for a while, but I can't help but think he has the same optic effect Dennis Kucinich had in 2007. But older.

6:19 - Anderson just now brings in Romney. Romney tries to clarify the 999 plan as far as state tax is concerned. Cain keeps saying apples and oranges, and Romney says "Well, Nevada doesn't want to pay a whole bushel basket of state and federal taxes." He then emphasizes how the middle class needs help. I realize that the arguments between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats want to tax rich people and Republicans want to tax poor people.

6:21 - Newt has a great one-liner to open. Man, if only Newt didn't have such a crappy personal life.

6:23 - Bachmann says everyone needs to pay something. She also wants to abolish the tax code, then flatten it. So, yeah, she wants to raise taxes on poor people.

6:24 - Anderson asks Rick Perry a question about what he thinks of Mitt Romney's 59-point plan and I can picture Lie to Me's Tim Roth stopping him there and saying, "Did you that tic on his face? He hasn't read it." Perry gets in one last shot at 999, then talks about his jobs plan, which consists of drilling for more oil. And gets as animated as I've ever seen him illustrating energy independence.

6:26 - Romney's answering but CNN keeps including Perry in the picture, and Perry looks like he wants to kill Romney.

6:27 - Santorum says that's fine but points how poor western Europeans are more likely to be able to move into higher income brackets than Americans because the manufacturing base is gone. Then somehow he flips that to ObamaCare and says Romney has no credibility in repealing. Then Santorum interrupts him and talks over him, and Romney gets an extra 30 seconds from Anderson so he can actually answer. Which made Romney look strong and Santorum look like, to put it politely, a jerk.

6:31 - Anderson pulls Newt in to pile on RomneyCare. Newt presents an example from Boston to show RomneyCare's flaws but also says it's not fair to say it's the same as ObamaCare. Romney points out we got the idea for an individual mandate from "you and the Heritage foundation." Bachmann begs for time to interrupt Romney to slam ObamaCare.

6:34 - Anderson throws us to commercial. And honestly, this debate is quite entertaining.

6:38 - Anderson asks Paul about ObamaCare. He gets applause for saying people should be able to "opt out of government medicine."

6:40 - Cain talks about getting government out of healthcare.

6:41 - Perry: Texas has some of the finest health-care in the world. But then he brings up illegal immigration. Um, why would he do that? Ah, he says Mitt hired illegals in his home and that is the HEIGHT of hypocrisy. Mitt can't help but laugh. Mitt starts to answer but Rick interrupts. Mitt actually puts his hand on Rick's shoulder to calm him down, and Mitt finally has to say "Anderson, Anderson, what are the debate rules here?"

So it's as though the candidates got together and said "The only way to beat Mitt Romney is to boldly attack him and then not let him answer. Meanwhile Mitt's shown that he's learned from the McCain/Huck/Rudy gang-beatdowns from 2007.

6:43 - Mitt points out Texas has increased 60% in illegal immigration. Rick then brings back that illegals worked on his property. Rick seriously looks pissed. He interrupts Mitt again. Mitt smacks him down. The crowd's loving it.

6:45 - Anderson points out Cain's "joke" about the border fence being electrified.

6:48 - Wow, First Officer Bachmann just said Obama's aunt and uncle are here in the US illegally and she'd deport them. She then says she wants a fence across the entire border. She will "enforce" English as official language of US.

6:49 - Perry, "by the time that fence gets built, there's a lot better way..." There's a split-screen with Perry and Bachmann. Perry's looking at Bachmann, and Bachmann's looking at the pretty lights.

6:50 - Romney slams Perry again on illegal immigration. Perry accuses Mitt of being #1 in job magnets for illegals. Audience boos; they're not buying it. Mitt even gets in a "sounds like the audience agrees with me.:

6:51 - Question from the audience. A Latino man who points out there are plenty of Latinos in this country and most of them did not come here illegally; what's the GOP going to do for us? Anderson throws it to Newt with the preface that Obama got 67% of the Latino vote in 2008. Newt gives a magnanimous answer that'd shoot anyone else up in the polls. But it's Newt.

6:53 - Paul says we put people in groups too much.

6:55 - Cain says what'll appeal to all ethnic groups is his bold plan to boost the economy.

6:56 - Anderson asks Perry if he'd get rid of the 14th Amendment. (He asked Cain but Cain didn't answer.) Perry doesn't want to answer either; he wants to talk about increases in oil drilling and coal mining to boost the economy. Then Anderson asks again if Perry would repeal the 14th Amendment and he says no. AC swings it to Bachmann and she says "Anchor baby."

6:58 - What will Santorum do for Latinos? "Family, faith, values..." He'll prevent the erosion of marriage and family. "Look, I'm for jobs too."

7:00 - Paul mentions bringing troops home from Afghanistan, and the audience is thrilled.

7:02 - Newt & Paul debate where to put nuclear waste. Mitt comes down on Paul's side.

7:04 - Perry agrees with Mitt & Paul, as though someone slipped him a message that he needs to agree with someone on something STAT!

7:06 - Santorum tries to slam Perry, Romney and Cain for supporting TARP.

7:08 - Bachmann boasts of talking to "moms" across this country losing their "nests." "Hold on, moms, it's not too late!"

7:09 - Anderson now asks about OccupyWallStreet. Cain says OWS shouldn't be in front of Wall Street; they should be in front of the White House. Loud applause for Cain in standing by his statement that if you're unemployed you should blame yourself. These GOP crowds cheer the worst things sometimes. Boo the gay soldier, cheer Perry's executing 200 people, shouting "yes" to let an uninsured man die.

7:10 - Paul says Cain's blaming the victims. Paul on the bail-outs: "If you had to give money out, you should have given it to the people losing their homes, not the banks." Paul's strongest moment of the night.

7:14 - Commercial!

7:19 - Anderson asks Santorum about religion being an issue, specifically about Mormonism being a cult. Crowd boos. Santorum: "Pay attention to candidate's values." Applause. He points out he's a Catholic. AC throws it to Newt. "Does faith matter? Absolutely."

7:22 - AC asks Perry if he'll repudiate the pastor's comments. Perry dances around that but gets to freedom of religion. And people are free to express their opinion. "I didn't agree with it, Mitt."

7:23 - Mitt points out the pastor said we should choose who we vote for based on religion, which is against what the founders would want.

7:25 - Bachmann gets a foreign policy question, and she's terrified of "genocidal maniac" running Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

7:26 - Newt slams both parties for their foreign policy stupidity. "I'm a hawk, but I'm a cheap hawk." Laughs and applause.

7:28 - Cain's weakest when talking about foreign policy, like he just started learning about foreign policy a couple months ago. But he knows we need to be friends with Israel.

7:32 - Paul pleads with his fellow candidates to "Cut something!" Be specific!

7:34 - Rick Perry wants to defund the United Nations. Huh.

7:35 - Mitt Romney wants China to pick up more of the international humanitarian-aid slack around the world. And then he rattles off five things he'd cut to Paul. Paul says cutting foreign aid should be the easiest thing to cut. AC says "Even Israel?" "I'd treat all countries equally." Paul says foreign aid is taking money from poor Americans to give to rich people in poor countries, uses Egypt as example.

7:36 - Bachmann says no, don't cut foreign aid to Israel!

7:38 - Cain likes Reagan's foreign policy of "Peace through strength."

7:39 - Paul asks everyone else if they're willing to condemn Reagan for Iran-Contra. Santorum tries to defend it, but Newt points out Reagan himself said it was a terrible mistake.

7:45 - AC asks the room to applaud if they think Romney can beat Obama. Some applause. AC then says to Santorum he's polling at 1%, why does he think he can win? Santorum points out he's the only one who can win in a swing state (Pennsylvania). Um, Rick, you got killed in your last re-election bid. Says Perry ran as a Democrat, Romney ran as a liberal, and that Santorum ran as a conservative and beat "James Carville and Paul Begala."

7:46 - Romney points out the people want to nominate someone who can beat Obama and fix the economy, deflates Santorum. Perry then takes the opportunity to point out Massachusetts had slow job growth. Romney ties Perry into a pretzel and spits him out. Perry tries to counter with "You were a failure as governor" and the crowd boos. Perry keeps forgetting they're in Nevada, not Texas.

7:49 - AC asks Cain if Romney or Perry should be president, and Cain says "No I should be" but Cain's warmer to Romney than Perry.

7:51 - AC says we're out of time, and Newt and Bachmann whine. Bachmann says "The cake is baked and Barack Obama will be a one-term president!" Bachmann drops Reagan's name, then Newt says "Maximizing bickering is not the road to the White House" and gets in his obligatory slam of the media.

7:53 - AC summarizes for us, and we get a shot of one of Mitt Romney's sons shaking Cain's hand.

So how'd they do?

7. MICHELLE BACHMANN - Shrill, whiny, and pro-raising taxes on the poor. Um, yeah. Man, that Ames straw poll was a million years ago, wasn't it?

6. RICK SANTORUM - He can draw blood, but he does not do himself any favors. Giant jerk. He can only weaken opponents; he cannot lift himself up.

5. RON PAUL - He's willing to take positions that no one else will, even though there are Republicans who agree with him. And while it may help him win straw polls, I haven't seen evidence it'll translate into caucus and primary wins.

4. RICK PERRY - He was more animated than he's ever been, but it looked like Romney really got under his skin, like Rick's next plan is to get the rest of Cobra Kai together to jump Romney-san in the parking lot. Perry got the most boos tonight, but that doesn't mean he didn't play well with southern voters. I just think Perry safely eliminated himself from winning Nevada or New Hampshire.

3. HERMAN CAIN - He got piled on for his 999 plan, which is looking weaker by the day. But he's so darn likeable! He defends his plan with gusto, and to his credit, at least he has a plan. It's just one that won't work. I don't see him staying up top much longer.

2. NEWT GINGRICH - The peacemaker. If Jon Huntsman had Newt's ideas and style in debates, he'd be a co-top-tier candidate. But he's Newt freaking Gingrich, the guy who was having an affair while slamming Clinton for the Lewinsky scandal, the guy who left his ailing second wife to hook up with his third.

1. MITT ROMNEY - He was ganged up on a bit there, and yet he emerged from him it, not unscathed, but he didn't lose. He still won. He looks like he's already positioning his campaign to a general-election campaign. He pushed back against the rudeness of the twin Ricks and looked like the better man after the dust settled.

GOP Bloomberg debate

"Hi, I'm Charlie Rose--"

"Hi, I'm Katy Perry..."

That didn't just happen to me, did it? We got a weirdly crammed-in Proactiv commercial with Katy Perry before cutting back to the debate, and who gets the first question? Flavor of the week Herman Cain, that's who. It's on the economy.

CAIN - My 9-9-9 plan is bold.

PERRY - I think my plan's pretty bold for the energy industry. I'll lay out my plan in 3 days. It's time for energy independence. I have experience in reaching across the aisle.

ROMNEY - We need a leader. Obama had no leadership experience.

PERRY - "Youv'e had two months; what's your plan?" We need to pull back those regulations that are strangling the economy, doesn't matter if it's ObamaCare or Dodd-Frank, I'll lay out my plan in 3 days, not telling it all to you now. Mitt's had 6 years to lay out his 59-point plan; I've only been running for prez for 8 weeks.

BACHMANN - "Banks got bailed out and they paid themselves huge bonuses. Do u think it's right no Wall Street person has gone to jail for ruining the economy?" It was the federal govt's fault, it was Frank and Dodd that pushed govt-directed housing goals. Banks had to meet those lending rules. It began with Freddie and Fannie. Dodd-Frank institutionalized the problems with the bank.

GINGRICH - "Do the #OWS protesters have no grievance?" No, they're two groups protesting. One is left-wing agitators, the others are decent, concerned Americans. The former are proud to trash the place, the latter pick up after themselves. If you want to put people in jail, start with Dodd and Frank. Look at the Countrywide deal, the lobbyists they're close to. Everyone in the media who wants to go after Wall St. ought to start with the politicians. (applause) Bernanke has spent billions bailing out one group and not helping another group. It's corrupt and wrong.

PAUL - "Where do you come down on the Fed?" (laughter) $5 billion went to bail out foreign banks. We need to audit Fed. To understand the recession, you have to understand the Fed. The cause is the booms, bubbles, easy credit. They burst.

SANTORUM - "Can manufacturing jobs return?" Yes. I don't know any businessmen in PA who wanted to lose those jobs. [um, how many CEO's did he talk to?] The cool thing about my plan as opposed to Herman's is mine would pass.

HUNTSMAN - "Shouldn't the focus now be on the innovative jobs of tomorrow." I would disagree with Rick that PA is gas capital of country. DC is gas capital of country. When we lose out on innovation, entrepreneurship, we lose jobs to Chinese and Indians. We need a marketplace where we can transform innovation into products. Taxes, regulations holding us back.

GINGRICH - "Medicare is going broke; considering 1/2 of all Medicare spending is done in last 2 years of life, do u consider this wasteful spending?" Glad you asked. Do I want some DC bureaucrat to have say in med treatment? No. Palin was right about death panels. I'm opposed to class intervention for these things.

BACHMANN - "How can we be sure our Medicare spending isn't wasteful?" We know Medicare's going broke. We asked Obama 3 times what his plan was to save Medicare. 3rd time he said ObamaCare. [I'm sure that's exactly what he said.] 15 political appointees will make all the medical decisions under ObamaCare. [My bullcrap meter just went haywire.]

HUNTSMAN - "Who do you seek for economic advise, what type of people?" My father. Started with nothing, built up a great company. Our flat tax in Utah took it to #1 in job creation. Who on Earth from private sector would want to give up privacy to get into govt? We have a professional governing class on one end and private-sector on the other. Let's go back to a more open system where private-sector people can serve for a time and then go back to private life. "What do you think of Cain's 9-9-9 plan?" I thought it was the price of a pizza. (Laughter.) We need a bipartisan approach to tax reform. Simpson-Bowles had a lot of good in it.

CAIN - 9-9-9 will pass and it is well studied. Throw out the current tax code. This is why we developed 9-9-9. It will pass. "Who do you turn to for economic advise?" The American people. Also, Rich Lowrie. He's created wealth most of his career.

ROMNEY - "European debt has worsened. Global financial system is on the brink. What would you do different from Bush, Paulsen, Bernanke did in 2008?" That's a hypothetical. "No it's not. It's a very real threat." It's still hypothetical. But I can tell you I won't need to call Tim Geitner and say How does the economy work? If you think the entire world's finances are going to collapse, you take immediate action. I'm not interested in bailing out individual institutions. "Would you be open to the idea of another Wall St bailout?" No one wants that. "But would you do it again, you supported it in 2008." We were on the precipice. Was it perfect? No. Should they have used the funds to bail out GM & Chrysler? No. 'Do you agree with Gingrich about Bernanke?" I'd choose someone else. "Who?" I haven't chosen a replacement, I haven't chosen a VP, I might not be the nominee, slow down. I wish we could find Milton Friedman again, but I have respect for [lists three names]. I believe in drawing from the best minds in the country. I know how to protect American jobs. "So there's no institution too big to fail?" No, but you need to make sure we don't lose our country. Bailouts of individual institutions? No one wants that.

CAIN - "Did you support bailout?" I agree with Romney; the way it was implemented was wrong.

GINGRICH - Can I say something before we move on? Paulsen and Geitner didn't have a clue. Not that they're not smart; they just didn't know what was going to happen next. We're no better prepared now than we were then.

PAUL - Remember we need to get rid of the debt. It is the main burden on the economy.

Commercial break. The cut-away music sounds like something out of The Dark Knight.

When they come back, we get the last word of a Reagan quote.

PERRY - Different times. He was willing to raise taxes in exchange for spending reductions, but the reductions never came. We need a Balanced-Budget amendment. (quick light applause).

ROMNEY - "Don't we need compromise, like Reagan suggested?" The % of fed spending on economy keeps increasing. We need to get our economy growing. Raising taxes and cutting spending might work, but we really need to get the economy going. "Do you want to cut defense, or--" It's a terrible idea to cut defense, but to raise taxes is wrong. I want to see that supercommittee take responsibility to reform entitlements. "W/o any increase in revenue?"

GINGRICH - I want to say something here. The prez showed no leadership so they passed a stupid bill, where the choice is for a supercommittee to say around Thanksgiving, do you want to shoot yourself in the head or cut off your leg? It's stupid.

BACHMANN - Let's not give Obama another $2.4 trillion blank check to spend. {*sigh*. If it's for $2.4 trillion, it's not blank.] The travesty is that they spend $1.5 trillion mroe than that. Every year we spend 40% more of what we take in.

Here's a clip of Herman Cain giving his 9-9-9 plan.

CAIN - "The analysis shows your plan would've brought in less revenue and would still add a 9% natl tax on food and medicine." The analysis is wrong. 9-9-9 expands the base. [i.e. raises taxes on the middle-class and poor.] Independent firms scored it. "Under your plan, all Americans will pay more for milk, bread and beer." [someone jokes 'and pizza!'] The people will have the flexibility to choose how they spend more of their money.

BACHMANN - 9-9-9 is not a jobs plan, it's a tax plan. It gives Congress a pipeline of natl sales tax. This'd open the doot for VAT. [then she makes a joke about turning 9-9-9 upside down and the devil's in the details.]

Here's a clip of Romney calling China a currency manipulator.

HUNTSMAN - "If China's keeping its currency low, that means everything we buy from them is artifically cheap." I don't subscribe to the Donald Trump or Mitt Romney school of international trade. Trade wars disadvantages our small businesses and agricultures. We have no choice; we have to find common ground.

ROMNEY - You think China doesn't want a trade war? They're artificially keeping their prices low which is hurting jobs here. They're a currency manipulator. If you're not willing to stand up to China you'll get run over by them.

PERRY - We're missing this so much. We need to focus on getting America working again. We're sitting on treasure trove of energy. Pull regulations back. The manufacturing will come back. Free up this country's entrepreneurs.

Question from Honeywell CEO. "What would be on your American competitiveness agenda? Please focus on specifics."

SANTORUM - I already put forth a plan. I don't want to go to war with China; I want to beat China. How many people here want a national sales tax; raise your hand. [very few] There you go, Herman.

Charlie Rose then mentions if you keep mentioning 9-9-9 I have to go back to Herman Cain for every other question.

CAIN - Thank you.

SANTORUM - Wait, I've only had one question. I have experience-- "Time!" and I get it done-- "Time!"

CAIN - They want to pass what they think they can pass. 9-9-9 is a bold solution.

ROMNEY - We have to appeal ObamaCare. We have to return it to the states. We all agree with repeal and replace. And I'm proud I actually have a plan of something to replace it with.

HUNTSMAN - It's disingenuous. You can't just waive it away. ObamaCare is here.

Commercial break. Cut-away music is like something out of Braveheart, when the men are cleaning their swords right before they go to battle.

We're back. Matt Dowd and Trenchcoat Lady give their halftime analysis. Dowd's amused so much attention has been applied to Cain. Also found Perry weak for saying "I'll give you my plan in three days." Interested by the tension between Romney and Huntsman on China.

Another commercial break. And we're back with the Dark Knight-esque music.

Charlie Rose lets us know the candidates can now question each other. Going alphabetically.

BACHMANN to PERRY - "Reagan produced an economic miracle in the 1980's, but you were campaigning for Al Gore. Debt increased 50% in Texas. How can we trust you not to go down the Obama way?" I grew up a Democrat. I came to the GOP sooner in age than Reagan did. Texas has the 6th lowest debt per-capita when I started. Now it's 2nd.

CAIN to ROMNEY - "My 9-9-9 plan is transparent, fair and neutral. Can you name your 59-point plan and is it transparent, fair and neutral." Simple answers are nice but sometimes they're inadequate. Part of my plan deals with jobs, part with trade, we stop the cheating that goes on. It deals with rule of law. We have to have institutions that create human capital. We need great schools. We need govt that doesn't spend more than it takes in. 'So it's not simple." To get this economy going it'll take a lot.

GINGRICH to ROMNEY - "There's a lot in your plan I like, but it surprises me in your plan you have a capital-gains tax for only those lower than $200,000 a year." We give a tax break to middle America becuz they're the ones hurt most by this economy. I want to focus on the middle.

HUNTSMAN to ROMNEY - "I promise this won't be about religion." (uncomfortable titters) "Sorry about that, Rick. As former CEO of Bain Capital, a company that breaks down businesses and sells them off, and as governor of Mass. which was #47 in job creation when Utah was #1, how can you win the job-creation debate given your background?" Well, my background is much different than you describe. Bain Capital helped start businesses. We started Staples, the Sports Authority, we started a steel mill in Indiana. We net-created 10's of thousands of jobs.

PAUL to CAIN - "Since Fed is engine of interest rates and our ecomony, in the past youv'e been critical of those who would want to see them audited. You said no need for audit. Now we've found out how special businesses and companies and foreign countries get picked, do you still feel this way?" You've misquoted me. Be careful of what you get off the internet. When I was on Fed board in 1990's, we didn't do anything this Fed board is doing. I do not object to the Fed being audited. If someone wants to do that, go ahead. It doesn't bother me; it's not my top priority. My top priority is 9-9-9.

PERRY to ROMNEY - "Your advisor said ObamaCare is RomneyCare. How do you respond?" The great thing about running for prez is you can boast about your record. In Mass. we saw we had 8% uninsured so we dealt with them. Obama's not just dealing with the uninsured, he deals with everyone and he's raising taxes. And cutting Medicare. Obama cut Medicare. Mass. has lowest state of kids uninsured, Texas is highest uninsured. It was going down under Bush, it went up under you. As prez, I will repeal ObamaCare.

Rose tries to go to Santorum, but he points out ROmney's next. R before S. Many laughs at Rose's expense. Romney: "You'd think a PBS employee would know that."

ROMNEY to BACHMANN - "You've laid out bold ideas for scaling back govt, but expand on your ideas on helping Americans get back to work. Beyond tax policies, how are you going to help young people get back to work?" Go to my website. It's not just the tax-code. It's dealing with the regulations. I started my own business; I get job creation too.

[I think Romney pitched a softball to her to help her out. If she can rise back up in the polls, it only helps Romney.]

SANTORUM to CAIN - "I opposed the TARP program, it violated the spirit of our Constitution. The people on this panel who supported TARP are trying to saying they're the anti-DC crowd. My question is since Cain is naively giving DC a tool to Congress with natl sales tax, how do we know you won't give DC more tools?" There are three deterrants. The American people will hold Congress's feet to the fire, and as prez, I won't sign anything that raises taxes above 9-9-9.

Commercial break.

PERRY - "Health care." People are sitting around the kitchen table [about the fifth reference tonight to people sitting around the kitchen table] trying to figure out how to pay for insurance. The real issue for us is giving flexibility to Medicaid. Govnrs Jindal in LA [endorsed Perry] and Martinex in NM understand this too. "Texas has had 16 waivers for Medicaid." States shouldn't have to go to DC and ask Mother May I every time they have an idea.

CAIN - "One of the most important appointments you'd make would be Fed chairman. Who have you liked over the past 40 years?" Alan Greenspan. The way he oversaw the Fed, the way he coordinated with banks, I thought it worked fine in the 1990's. I have two names I will not give I'd considered to appoint as new Fed chairman if elected. I've got to keep them confidential.

PAUL - Spoken like an insider. Greenspan was a disaster. (applause). I'd say Paul Volcker at least knew how to end inflation. Nobody satisfies me. Greenspan ushered in the biggest bubble, but Bernanke inflated worse than Greenspan.

Audience question: "Business like mine have difficulty attaining credit. How to help?"

ROMNEY - Dodd and Frank were the wrong guys at the wrong time to usher in new legislation to implement financial regulations. Small businesses can't possibly deal with it. Small banks are starving becuz inspectors are making their jobs impossible.

BACHMANN - Dodd-Frank is the Jobs & Housing Destruction Act. I spoke with a banker who said he'd lose $20 million this year becuz of all the compliance. That's why we see this new $5 debit card fee. We need to end payoffs to political donors.

CAIN - I agree, repeal Dodd-Frank. Get rid of the capital gains tax. We know which plan gets rid of the capital gains tax.

PAUL - Yes, get rid of Dodd-Frank. Sarbanes-Oxley needs to be repealed too. [Woo-hoo!] Republicans did that; we hurt ourselves. Not all problems started in the last 3 years.

PERRY - "Your own state auditor had problems." We feel like there's been extraordinary oversight in Texas. That's why we went up in jobs net while US went down.

Video clip of G.W. Bush saying the more that own homes, the better off we'll be.

GINGRICH - There's a stream of American thought that wishes the US would wither and weaken so the govt could take over. It started with Carter and the malaise speech. I'm shocked the House reps haven't repealed Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley.

CAIN - The Wall St. protestors should be targetting the government, not Wall Street.

ROMNEY - "If the Bush tax cuts are not extended, that means a tax increase for everyone." No one wants to see tax increases. Obama's jobs plan keep yielding no results. You need to not have temporary tax cuts. That creates uncertainty. "You'd be okay with the temporary payroll tax cut expiring...?" I don't like little temporary band-aid tax cuts.

PERRY - "Over the last 30 years, the wealthiest 1% income has grown by over 300%, but we have more in poverty now than ever. is that fair; what would you do to change that?" The reason we have so many in pvoerty is because this prez is a job-killer. That's what's wrong with US today. He's overtaxed, overregulated. [how many taxes has Obama raised since he's been in office?] They're laying off people.

SANTORUM - Part of the poverty problem is the breakdown of the American family. We need to talk about economics in the home. It's our foundation as a country. You can't have a wealthy society w/o family. We need to encourage marriage.
[someone in the audience yells something angry at Santorum]

Charlie Rose asks for closing statements.

BACHMANN - We don't need Big Govt to step in if we as a society take care of each other.

CAIN - I was po' before I was poor. My dad worked three jobs. Our leaders need to surround themselves with the right people to make the right decisions. We need a bold plan.

GINGRICH - I grew up as an Army brat. Voters aren't going to hire us becuz we say "We sympathize with you. They hire us becuz we say 'This is how we'll solve it.' Every person at tis table is more likely to solve it than Obama. (mild applause)

PAUL - We have to understand what libery is all about. Free market and sound money is key to success. I want to restore American greatness.

SANTORUM - When manufacturing leaves, middle America leaves. Upward mobility is greater in Europe than America today. I will bring back manufacturing jobs.

HUNTSMAN - I've participated in growing a company that creates jobs, I presided over a state with 2.4% unemployment. We're seeing a rise of spousal abuse, suicides, etc. you see the impact of the dignity of having a job.

PERRY - I've got CEO experience and wokring with private sector in creating jobs. That's what people are begging for.

ROMNEY - People are out of work, incomes going down. Being American means confidence in the future. We need a leader who believes in America. I'm absolutely devoted to making America strong.

Charlie Rose thanks us for watching.

Some of my impressions:

- What yahoos are running the Bloomberg channel? Commercials just suddenly start in the middle of the show, then it cuts back too late. I guess they're still young.

- Ultimately this debate won't matter much, but I hope it influences the way future debates go. Having the candidates question each other was more interesting than the moderators doing it.

How would I rank them?

8. MICHELLE BACHMANN - She's fading into the background and seems most likely to say something wildly inaccurate. She really finds NO fault with bankers or Wall Street in our current economic situation? The softball Romney pitched to her, she bunted with platitudes.

7. RICK SANTORUM - He serves as a nice attack dog in the debate, which might hurt those he attacks but never himself. He helped hurt Perry in a previous debate, and he landed the strongest blow against Cain in this debate, but does that mean more votes for himself? No. You don't want to be the only candidate that illicits angry shouting from the audience.

6. RICK PERRY - The moderators and fellow candidates treated him like a second-tier candidate, and he did nothing to dispel that. This is his, what, fourth debate? And he still doesn't have a plan? Has he not noticed what his trajectory is? He's still too general and too simplistic on the economy. Income disparity over the past 30 years is not solely because of Obama.

5. JON HUNTSMAN - Most likely to crack a joke, and half of them fell flat. I'd like to hear Huntsman and Romney debate China more. It's still too crowded a field for him to emerge, but he's more likely to be one of the first to be asked to leave.

4. RON PAUL - The guy wins straw polls no matter what he says in debates. But his slam on Greenspan right after Cain praised him was quite effective. And it would sure make my life easier if Sarbanes-Oxley was repealed.

3. NEWT GINGRICH - For a guy who started these debates as the cranky one, he now seems to be going on a charm offensive. I think it's working. If Cain can suddenly go from "why is he here?" to #1 Not-Romney candidate in less than a month, Newt could pull something off. I just don't see him overcoming his bio.

2. HERMAN CAIN - He hammered his 9-9-9 plan early and often. Doesn't seem to matter that it'll raise taxes on the poor while lowering taxes on the rich. It's simple and easy to understand, and Cain's message is catching fire. He was treated like the co-front-runner and responded well to the heat. I think he may be damaged over time for praising Greenspan as the best Fed head in the past 40 years, and the fact that one of the 9's in his 9-9-9 is a national sales tax.

1. MITT ROMNEY - Again, no one touched him, though Huntsman seemed to be the only one willing to try. The closest anyone came was when one of the questioners tried to pinpoint Romney on Europe's economy possibly collapsing, and he didn't want to answer a "hypothetical." I would say he has New Hampshite sewn up.