The Other McCain

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CNN SOUTH CAROLINA DEBATE:
GOP MADNESS @ FINAL FOUR

Posted on | January 19, 2012 | 65 Comments

by Smitty

UPDATE (RSM): Shortly after the exchange among the candidates about abortion, Rick Santorum’s press secretary Matt Benyon appeared in the media filing center, distributing a stack of papers headlined: ROMNEY SIGNED PRO-ABORTION PLEDGE.

On the questionnaire by the Planned Parenthood ADvocacy Fund of Massachusetts is dated April 9, 2002, and signed by Mitt Romney. To the question, “Do you support the substance of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade?” Romney answered, “Yes.”

To the question, “Do you support state funding of abortion services through Medicaid for low-income women?” Romney answered, “Yes.”

21:55 EST Santorum: agreeing with Romney on the stakes. I am the candidate with the true contrast.

21:54 EST Mitt: liberty is the pursuit of happiness. BHO is creating an entitlement society.

21:53 EST Newt: we must defeat #OccupyResoluteDesk. His radicalism will be truly frightening in a second term. We must have a series of debates to convince Americans that a Saul Alinksy radical must be avoided.

21:52 EST Paul: I will protect individual liberty. That benefits everybody. The debt is the threat. I will cut $1 trillion from the budget.

21:51 EST SC has the record. Make your case.

21:47 EST Wow. The Santorum/Paul exchange on abortion really made the debate. Santorum played the Declaration of Independence card, and Paul shot back with the the 10th Amendment, arguing that returning the question to the states would repeal Roe v. Wade overnight. My head ‘sploded.

21:44 EST Paul: hey, medical topic, and I’m a doctor. When a woman is pregnant, you have two patients. The morality tanked, and the law reflected it. Abortion is an indictment of government-run medicine.

21:43 EST Newt: I have an enviable pro-life record. Did my best.

21:42 EST Mitt: I have further details supporting my pro-life record. Did my best.

21:41 EST Santorum: if you don’t explicitly preclude abortion, you know the courts will require it. Social issues are not a check in the box.

21:38 EST Mitt: I have excuses for every detail raised on every issue by every rival. So there.

21:37 EST Newt: why yes, Mitt has some weird details about his pro-life record.

21:36 EST CNN: can I get you to fight on abortion positions?

21:35 EST Newt: Drop federal prosecutions of states for supporting the law.

21:33 EST Paul: we are not looking at the economic incentives.

21:31 EST Mitt: I’m holding my position of four years ago. Mitt deftly co-opts any position that gets applause.

21:30 EST Santorum: I’m the son of an immigrant. Mitt has flip-flopped. Newt is like BHO. We need a clear contrast; somebody who has always held the correct position.

21:27 EST Romney: illegal aliens is among the more manageable challenges.

21:25 EST Newt: controlling the border, English as the official language of government, and modernize visas, and speedier deportations. A better guest worker program. And, yeah, some kind of way to handle people who are here for multi-decades.

21:25 EST CNN: ‘amnesty’ is such a lonely word. What about immigration.

21:24 EST Paul: no big changes, but maybenotspeakingsofast.

21:23 EST Santorum: wouldn’t change a thing. I am proud of doing it the old-fashioned way.

21:22 EST Mitt: I would take back all the time spent on other candidates and drop in on #OccupyResoluteDesk.

21:21 EST Newt: I would scuttle the first three months of standard rent-a-dolts.

21:21 EST CNN: admit your biggest screwup.

Linked at The Camp of the Saints and The Lonely Conservative.

21:15 EST Santorum: I agree with the need for freedom, and SOPA goes too far, but that intellectual property needs protection. The internet is not a wild-wild West.

21:14 EST Paul: I was the first Republican to side with Democrats against SOPA.

21:13 EST Mitt: we need freedom, and use existing law to go after pirates.

21:12 EST Newt: I favor freedom. The World’s Youngest Blogger concurs.

21:11 EST CNN: Time Warner wants SOPA.

21:10 EST Santorum: I’d sign a national right to work bill.

21:09 EST Paul: don’t oversimplify the trade question. Car companies are a bigger problem. The union problem is worse. We need more right to work states.

21:06 EST Santorum: cut the corporate tax to 0 for manufacturers.

21:05 EST CNN: Apple computer. Half a million employees in Chinese sweat shops. What gives?

21:04 EST Mitt: Hey, why don’t you quit carrying the Democrat party water and attacking people for being successful?

21:03 EST CNN: Mitt, will you follow your father’s example and drop 12 years?

21:02 EST Santorum: they’re on my computer, I do them myself, I’m not home to release them.

21:02 EST Mitt: I’ve been successful, and will release them if the nominee.

21:01 EST Mitt: I’ll get them out.

21:00 EST Paul: don’t intend to, too embarrassingly broke.

21:00 EST Newt: did an hour ago.

20:59 EST Question: what about releasing your taxes?

20:57 EST Newt: let me double down on history by contrasting Carter and Reagan. Let me pat my self on the back while sound just a little teeny bit like Elizabeth Warren.

20:56 EST Mitt: yeah, this Santorum/Gingrich catfight is perfect evidence of the need for an outsider.

20:54 EST Newt: I have shown 88 miles of courage, against the wishes of the party’s leadership.

20:52 EST Santorum: Pelican beak, hummingbird backside. I was in the House at the time of the anti-Newt coup, and the House checking scandal.

20:51 EST Newt: My resume can thrash anyone. Grandiose? I shop at BMF Wallets.

20:49 EST CNN: Newt said you should just punt, Santorum. Rick: Grandiosity has never been a problem for Newt. Beat him in IA and NH, for all he outspent me. I should get out? I’m steady, solid, and going to beat Barack Obama.

Photo curtesy of RSM:

20:43 EST Paul: I thought you were prejudiced against doctors. ObamaCare can be diminished, but government involvement in medicine is going to be hard to walk back. And Santorum has supported government involvement. We need to protect those dependent on medical care, and we need to follow the money.

20:42 EST Santorum: you ate the individual mandate for ten years.

20:41 EST Newt: I fought against HillaryCare. I will debate ObamaCare Lincoln-Douglas style.

20:41 EST Mitt: man, I got wrecked on taxes last time, and now RomneyCare. These debates suck.

20:40 EST Santorum: you’re defending a turd.

20:38 EST Mitt: Santorum is wrong, and the people of Mass. favor it 3:1. [Really?]

20:37 EST Santorum: RomneyCare sucked, and we should worry about trusting him when he’s standing by it. And Gingrich has been for an individual mandate. Mitt and Newt don’t have the clear contrast that I do. Wow.

20:34 EST Newt: people don’t trust Congress. To the people: elect Republicans, so the kids can move out and get their own insurance.

20:32 EST Mitt: the Day #1 Executive Order is the beginning, and then follow up with the Congressional repeal. Replacing it with a Bill That Does Not Suck.

20:31 EST Audience: can you really stop ObamaCare?

20:30 EST Newt: my dad went to college on the WWII GI Bill, and the tax cuts that kickstarted the economy. We should emulate it.

20:29 EST Romney: watch me break hard federalist, since Perry ejected. Furthermore we can’t eat BHO’s DoD cuts.

20:26 EST Santorum: veterans should have some preferences. BHO says he will cut benefits and military budget, but not a penny out of social welfare programs. Why does Rick not understand Democrats buying votes?

20:25 EST Paul: if we fix the economy, the veterans would be taken care of. Veterans need medical support.

20:23 EST CNN: should federal government tweak the market in favor of veterans returning from Iraq?

20:22 EST Santorum plays a strong populist capitalism card, in contrast to ‘high finance’. Points to economic squalor from Barack Obama. Rather well played.

20:20 EST Mitt had invested in Dominoes? No wonder “Godfathers” Cain had to be taken down. He’s going to stuff Adam Smith down BHO’s throat. Woo hoo!

20:19 EST Mitt parries the Bain jobs number by pointing to capitalism.

20:18 EST Mitt understands the need to speak slowly, and focus on #OccupyResoluteDesk. Crony capitalism. Solyndra, Keystone XL, NRLB.

20:16 EST Newt is determined to outspeak Ron Paul, going from the Panama Canal to the USACE to ports. My neck nearly snaps. Newt slows down for a gentle Bain drive by.

20:14 EST Ron Paul gets the ball and beats the currency, regulation, policy and mali-investment drums. Washington DC nearly executes evacuation plan.

20:12 EST CNN does Santorum want to take a swing at Newt? No, Rick leaves Newt to the people. Mitt wants to get to the issues. Paul piles on the corporations that run the media. And is proud to have his wife of LV years with him.

20:11 EST CNN has just given Newt a couple of points in the Primary. Newt turns the attack on him into an attack on the ‘elite media’ that is ‘protecting Barack Obama’.

20:09 EST Newt: I am appalled that you would start with that.

20:08 EST CNN: Newt, are you, or have you ever been, a member of the Swinger Party?

20:07 EST Introductions: Santorum celebrates his late Iowa victory, Romney has 16 grandkids, Gingrich is glad to be there, and Ron Paul is the only veteran.

20:05 EST The Citadel cadets, in a surprise attack, win the entire debate with a rocking rendition of the national anthem. Game over, we can all relax.

20:03 EST All four on stage, Santorum looking alive, while the other three stand stiffly.

20:00 EST 35 hours to the SC primary. The intro is fitting for a WWF spectacle. Get some!

19:51 EST Vodka Pundit is drunkblogging.

PREVIOUSLY. . .
Stacy will be in fine form, reporting live from the debate:

Lesser mortals such as myself shall have to settle for live blogging via TV, with the occasional phone-in from RSM.

The polling going into the primary on Saturday has Romney by a carefully positioned follicle over Newt, splitting under a third of the vote each. The Perry departure and endorsement of Newt has the potential to give Gingrich his first taste of triumph thus far. Or not. The Newt Ex-Wives Club is deploying Marianne, unexpectedly, to sandbag him in an ABC interview. Expect a statement from the Romney campaign decrying such tawdry muck-raking in 3. . .2. . .ummm, wait.

Rick Santorum goes into Saturday polling in the caboose, despite the news that the final Iowa result had him winning by 34 votes over Mitt. Welcome to the modern age, Rick, where the facts are less important than whatever news leaked first out of the media diaper.

Slightly ahead of Rick in the SC polls is Ron Paul, featuring some of the best domestic policy ideas around. . .in some of the least electable packaging.

Also happening in SC this week: Herman Cain is to appear with Steven Colbert.

In support of their non-candidacies, this Friday, January 20th at 1:00 P.M. at the Cistern in front of historic Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston, Colbert and Cain will co-hold “THE ROCK ME LIKE A HERMAN CAIN: SOUTH CAIN-OLINA PRIMARY RALLY.” The area will open to guests starting at noon.

and, four days later:

Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest tea party political action committee, is announcing that Herman Cain will be delivering the Tea Party State of the Union response at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on the evening of January 24th, 2012.

Herman Cain has endorsed “We the People” on CNN, and promises to support the nominee. Reacting to Marianne’s character assassination of Gingrich, he declares her “irrelevant”. Cain says we’re sick of the negativity and lack of focus on issues.
Go, Herman!

U.S. Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, appearing on CNN, with a ‘highly coveted’ endorsement. . .of no one. It’s your decisiveness we admire. Oh, you’re against SuprePACS. “We’ve got to regulate them.” Hockey puck Linsdsey: why don’t you let people spend money on ads, and viewers make up their own minds? Graham: “The wind is to Newt’s back.”

Category: Election 2012, Republicans

Comments

65 Responses to “CNN SOUTH CAROLINA DEBATE:
GOP MADNESS @ FINAL FOUR”

  1. Don Surber
    January 19th, 2012 @ 8:15 pm

    Did Newt just win the presidency? That was the best answer in any of these debates. Paraphrase: How dare you open a presidential debate by asking me about my weaselly cheating serial marrying ways? Pure BS but he turned the tables on John King and CNN.

  2. Tonight’s Debate In South Carolina « The Camp Of The Saints
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  3. M. Thompson
    January 19th, 2012 @ 8:27 pm

    The Blogfather had the best comment on Newt’s lady problem:  at least he’s screwing women, not America.

  4. Another Debate? | The Lonely Conservative
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  5. smitty
    January 19th, 2012 @ 10:01 pm

    I really can’t say.

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  8. Mike G.
    January 19th, 2012 @ 10:28 pm

    Newt made a good showing. I think Paul won by default. Romney had his worse debate. Santorum seemed hateful and vindictive, although all the candidates had good answers.

  9. ThePaganTemple
    January 19th, 2012 @ 10:32 pm

    This debate wasn’t as good as the last one. But it was different in one regard. This is the first one Paul might have actually won. Somebody may need to remind Santorum that we aren’t governed by the Declaration of Independence. You know, just in case he doesn’t really know and stuff. Newt reminded me of a man who roars with outrage to disguise the pain when he’s kicked in the nuts. It takes a lot out of you for a while. I also just realized my main problem with Romney. I want a President I would like to have a beer with. Or at least a cup of coffee.

    Many more debates like this and I’m going to look pretty funny walking around town with a sign saying “Non-Bugger Eaters For Ron Paul.”

  10. Anonymous
    January 19th, 2012 @ 10:41 pm

    Not quite sure whether or not Gingrich won the debate — although he got a strong start with that first question.

    I am absolutely sure that Romney lost. He stuttered and stammered the whole time, and had a look in his eyes like a rich kid who just got thrown in the drunk tank about 4am on Saturday and looks around to see that he’s in there with three dudes who got hammered and busted after finishing the night shift at his daddy’s sweatshop.

  11. Adjoran
    January 19th, 2012 @ 10:58 pm

    Nah, it won’t go away if there is anything more than has already been leaked – but it might be enough to carry SC.  King had to ask, though, it’s the top story on Drudge and many news hubs for the last 24 hours, how could he NOT ask it without being accused of a cover-up?

    God save America if this guy is our nominee. Especially if he wins.

  12. Adjoran
    January 19th, 2012 @ 11:05 pm

    Great debate with highs and lows for each candidate.  If Paul had been able to resist injecting his isolationism into a couple of answers, he might have been the winner.  If any of the others had pointed out why his policy outlook is insane, they might have won.

    The big three each had strong and weak moments.  Romney blew it on his taxes, he should have pulled a Newt out of his butt and blustered “When the hell did it become mandatory to release returns in February?  Because Newt and Obama demand it?”

    Santorum did well and scored some points against Gingrich, but he is far behind in known support.  Organization may be the key as many precincts gets consolidated when it is a one-party primary in SC; people turn up at polling places to see a sign telling them to vote 5-10 miles away and some will and some won’t make the drive.

  13. ThePaganTemple
    January 19th, 2012 @ 11:11 pm

    Now you shouldn’t be that way, if Newt is out nominee you absolutely must give him your unbridled support because otherwise, you know, you will be supporting Obama and stuff.

  14. Djduane1
    January 19th, 2012 @ 11:54 pm

    If  Gingrich gets to be President and gets pissed at some other country, no telling what he would do to retaliate. That`s scary thing to me, besides he would have take an extra plane just to carry the baggage he packs from passed days in office, where is trying to live off of other presidents records. Duane.

  15. Duke Chesnut
    January 19th, 2012 @ 11:55 pm

    Didn’t Romney support NDAA  & SOPA &PIPA only last Monday night? Tonight all candidates spoke out about how badly this bill was written, not that it won’t be reconsidered.

  16. Adjoran
    January 20th, 2012 @ 12:02 am

    Oh, I’ll vote for the nominee, even Paul.

    But I’ve been around for a long time, and Newt is not the prototype of a successful general election candidate – especially since the independents already hate him.

    He served with over 300 Republicans in the House over the years, most of them as Speaker.  How many of them have endorsed him?

    Why not?

  17. Adjoran
    January 20th, 2012 @ 12:04 am

    Yeah, that will win over the independent females in droves.

  18. richard mcenroe
    January 20th, 2012 @ 12:06 am

    Newt was frantic and  ineffective when during the government shutdown.  How do you think he would be if Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz?

  19. Scholar
    January 20th, 2012 @ 1:52 am

    Paul’s 10th amendment fixation on abortion is a non sequitur — you can’t “return it to the states” without repealing “Roe v. Wade” first. there isn’t an alternative to the Supreme Court haggling that he says he wants to avoid.

  20. MrPaulRevere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 2:15 am

    I’m floored as to why so many Republicans do not comprehend the magnificence of the only world historical figure on the stage. Why should this great man be held to the standards that we little people are held to?

  21. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 2:59 am

    Actually there is. Read Article 3: “the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and
    Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress
    shall make.”

    Congress can pass an exception on the issue of abortion, taking it out of SCOTUS’s appellate hands, any time they like.

  22. Scholar
    January 20th, 2012 @ 3:58 am

    OK, but this is like Newt’s court-stripping rhetoric in that it’s something that is possible, but will never actually happen. it hasn’t happened with anything else recently has it?

  23. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 4:35 am

    If I’m not mistake, it happened with the Military Commissions Act.

    I believe that Paul has introduced legislation of that variety several times vis a vis abortion — that’s exactly what he was referring to in the debate. He wants Congress to remove abortion from SCOTUS’s appellate jurisdiction so that the states can make the laws they want and not have those laws subject to SCOTUS review.

    That would put it right back to pre-Roe v. Wade, where each state would make its own abortion laws.

  24. RoyBeans
    January 20th, 2012 @ 4:57 am

    I can see from conservative readers/commentators of this blog that Mitt’s tax record is going to be a problem. Not sure why since no other candidate up there had released theirs. Newt did today but the issue came up well before today. Santorum will much later and Paul maybe never but for some reason this is a big deal for Romney. The only thing from a tax return we learned from previous past presidential elections is how much was made from speaking fees and given to charity. The dems were notorious stingy charitable givers but that never mattered to their constituency. Speaking fees were interesting but never important to an election. There is no question that Romney was generous to charities in fact the complaint seems to be he gave too much to his church among the many contributions he made. Can’t imagine that being a problem for a GOP candidate.

    So I am very curious as to why this tax return is so important this early in the campaign. And why amongst GOP voters? Not a complaint, I just don’t understand.

    Second amongst curious things is why are answers to questions ignored as candidates are considered. The conservative commentators and writers with the exception of a few are anit-Romney. Not because of his answers in debates but because of efforts to govern in the bluest of blue states. Romney’s answers and demeanor has been to the right of Gingrich on most points except on the NDAA. As far as past political moves every candidate but Paul has evolved on certain points and none more than Gingrich. We should all forgive Gingrich for multiple adulteries that led to multiple marriages, forgive him for AGW beliefs and advocacy for of Cap and Trade, forgive him for advocacy of an Obamacare like solution on the Federal level, and recently forgive him for turning on Paul Ryan’s proposal to turn around the Medicare cost explosion. But Romney … not so much. No forgiveness what so ever. Personal life and adultery..He has no moral problems. He said in the past he believes in AGW but that cap and trade is a bad solution. He steered Mass. Medical insurance act the best he could and signed it into law but never, not even once said it should be the national system. He forcibly fought advocates of a national plan even when he was working on Mass. medical insurance plans. He advocated Paul Ryan’s plan. So now, on some things he has evolved and now takes one of the best conservative stands in the debates. But zero forgiveness for Romney.

    So I guess it boils down to abortion. Only Romney was for allowing abortion (the state law) and now has changed his stance. No forgiveness on that I guess. Romney took a beating in Mass when he ran for office both times. The ads zeroed in on his advocacy in private life against abortion, both as a man and as a mormon leader. The abortion advocates took the lash to him in TV ads and in the debates his opponents tore into him. Many of our great Republican leaders evolved on abortion and other beliefs but the attackers on Romney do not allow for any evolution in beliefs by him and him alone so his debate points do not get heard.

    In one of the debates Newt said that Judge circuits should be defunded if they go off track of constitutional principles. Judges should be called before congress to account for constitutional rulings. The audience went wild. Everyone of us hates the way judges have overruled congress and even the constitution. A good percentage of the time they are eventually reined in but not always. Sometimes the Supreme Court runs off the rails but I cannot think of a worse thing to do, to destroy the checks and balances of our government and the republic form of government than this. Remember whatever we do the liberals can also do. They always seem to have their turn (like 2008-2010) at running things. Remember that terrible unbalance of Democrats to Republican we just a short time ago. This is not the only time this has happened. Jimmy Carter had some time with an top heavy number of Democrats in all branches as did President Clinton when he first came in. Once in power the Democrats could just remove any Republican Circuits and have a field day in congress hauling up Republican judges. Right now we are having redistricting battles all over. Imagine the damage that could be done if judges were politically attacked and even removed. If you want to change the judicial rulings you do it the hard way: vote in decent senators and Presidents and Governors. It is a slow and cumbersome way to change things but there is a wise purpose in the design. To prevent radical shifts in power though all branches of government and setting up a fixed mechanism to slow the power shift momentum. With judgeships changing slowly and non-responsive to the political group in power, radical change is resisted. BUT Newt just threw it out there! In excitement of the moment the audience rose exuberantly. This is classic Newt, big ideas said with classic one liners that raise the blood level but after the exuberant moment some of these ideas turn out to be corrosive. (see AGW and Obamacare above)
    Milquetoast, too steady, and usually unflappable Romney or a steady but sometimes too intense Santorum would be preferable. Newt talks big ideas and big change but Romney and Santorum talk of moving back to founding principles and strong values of work, faith, steady consistent families as the ideals to move back too.

    Lastly, we really do have a problem with the medical delivery system. The doctors, nurses, and research is very good but the system of paying for it is in big trouble. The government has gotten too deep into the private system and now it really does cost too much. Many hospitals are in deep trouble, especially in the rural areas. The payments for Medicare patients is too low, the poor who come in and need assistance and then cannot pay, and illegal’s who use the hospitals and disappear add a tremendous cost to the system; these all must be made up. It falls on the those who work to pay more (a hidden tax). Rural hospitals are being crushed. Hospitals in lower income areas in cities are also being crushed. A one night stay in the hospital with nothing more than an IV or observing cost more than the average working mans wages for a whole month. 12 days and you have lost an entire years salary. This is what the Heritage Foundation, Newt Gingrich, and Romney were trying to remedy. They came up with the idea of getting more people paying for their own insurance. These guys knew that they could not overnight change the medicare, state welfare medical and Chip programs as they are too entrenched so they tried big new idea. It sounded good but will probably fail in the long run and it appears to me that insurance in general shares a big portion of the blame. Insurance as a system of payers has a fatal flaw in the incentive department. A very large portion of Americans know in their hearts that a FEDERAL program of insurance and health care delivery will end up in lousy incentives for health care givers, shortages, and little incentive for research and development. Obamacare must be stopped and that probably also contributes to the dislike of Romney even though he never ever wanted or advocated a national plan. But by all means forgive Gingrich he has repented.

  25. smitty
    January 20th, 2012 @ 5:35 am

    I’m of two minds: (a) Mitt has something really stinky in there. Fine in a court of law, not so much in the court of public opinion, which is where BHO will try him.
    (b) Taxes are merely a device to keep the primaries interesting. A plot thickener. The horse race stays alive, people pay some attention, and build some following through the rest of the primaries, and then Mitt releases his taxes and swoops in.

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  27. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:11 am

    “Romney’s answers and demeanor has been to the right of Gingrich on most points except on the NDAA.”

    As of 10 minutes ago, maybe. The problem is that he’s shown every demeanor possible on every position, and that’s just this campaign. His most faithful position is his support of ORomneyCare… which is the issue above all others that energized the Tea Party to throw as many bums as possible out last election. Sorry, if I want a socialist, I can vote for a real O!ne.

  28. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:14 am

    No, they’ve tried it, and the courts up through SCOTUS have simply ruled that they can’t keep the Court from ruling on a law’s Constitutionality because of “separation of powers”, etc. Unless there’s a Constitutional Amendment, and since no one’s actually done that, they might try to rule the law proposing the Amendment unconstitutional.

    Let’s not forget that judicial review was not the Founders’ intent. Marshall simply arrogated the power because of his politics, and the opposing party didn’t have the votes for impeachment.

  29. ThePaganTemple
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:25 am

    The courts can’t rule an Amendment unconstitutional. The minute they did that there would be riots in the streets, and I would be right there with them, even if it was an amendment I wasn’t crazy about. That would amount to judicial tyranny.

  30. Adjoran
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:27 am

    Well, there is Article III.

  31. Adjoran
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:28 am

    As opposed to Gingrich’s steadfast views?

    Get real.

  32. ThePaganTemple
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:33 am

    I don’t give a rats ass about Mitts taxes. He pays fifteen percent, which is the capital gains rate, because that’s how he makes his money.

    Well, I take that back, I am pissed off about it too, come to think about it, because he should be paying NOT A GODDAMN THING!

  33. ThePaganTemple
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:39 am

    When people talk about the Clinton economy they should be precise and call it the Clinton-Gingrich economy. Gingrich might well be the greatest House Speaker in US history. Why should we care about all the little toadies who wanted him gone so they could have all the power and the glory, and of course the crony contracts for their friends. I’m always hearing this shit about how bad Newt was and how he was kicked out by these so-called “conservatives”, like Denny Hastert (ROFLMFAO). So what exactly did Gingrich do? And what exactly did Hastert and his ilk accomplish after Gingrich was gone. Bear in mind, losing the 2006 mid-terms doesn’t amount to much of an “accomplishment” in my book.

  34. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 7:39 am

    The difference between the two is that Gingrich hasn’t kept doubling down on his screw-ups. He admits he was wrong.

    ORomney and ORomneycare? Never happen, just like his Man-Tanned twin.

  35. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 8:11 am

    I wish more Republicans remembered those days.  Sigh.

  36. Sven
    January 20th, 2012 @ 8:21 am

    Best moment of irony: when Newt responded to questions about his serial adultery by saying “decent people” don’t run for office because of the prurient press.

  37. Sven
    January 20th, 2012 @ 8:38 am

    Fun to discuss the debate after the fact, but I’ve got to say…I don’t get why bloggers bother covering live television broadcasts.

    Liveblogging is mere stenography. It’s so rushed and abbreviated that it doesn’t even adequately convey the facts of an event–never mind add some value. If I were that interested in the debate, I’d watch the debate instead of punching F5 every minute to follow somebody else’s frantic note-taking.

  38. ThePaganTemple
    January 20th, 2012 @ 8:52 am

    Well, I myself watch the debates, and then I read the live-blogging, because its good to get a bloggers first initial impressions of what happened. You get the immediate impact on that blogger, which can be valuable, because it can be a reflection of how its impacting many viewers, as opposed to how they might feel after they’ve had time to digest it, which can be influenced by spin.

  39. CNN SC GOP Presidential Debate (1/20/12) | From the Desk of Lady Liberty
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:09 am

    […] CNN SOUTH CAROLINA DEBATE:GOP MADNESS @ FINAL FOUR : The Other McCain […]

  40. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:12 am

    Just to be clear here, I’m not advocating for the “take it away from the court” approach.

    But, could they get away with it? Probably.

    The last two administrations have basically done whatever the hell they want regardless of what congress or the courts say, with a few rhetorical flourishes for deniability.

    Newt has thrown down a Jacksonian gauntlet and then some, pretty much threatening to send any judge who looks at him cross-eyed to Gitmo.

    So I’d say we’re rapidly moving toward the day when a sitting president openly tells SCOTUS to go f-ck itself.

  41. CNN SC GOP Presidential Debate (1/19/12) | From the Desk of Lady Liberty
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:14 am

    […] CNN SOUTH CAROLINA DEBATE:GOP MADNESS @ FINAL FOUR : The Other McCain […]

  42. Bob Belvedere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:32 am

    Regarding Rick Santorum and the DOI: He may be an adherent of the Hadley Arkes / Clarence Thomas view of jurisprudence which stresses the importance of natural rights in making decisions and, therefore, believes the DOI can be sited in decisions of the courts and in justifying certain legislation.

    I’m not an adherent, but it is a a very legitimate argument, well-within the bounds of Right Reason.

  43. Bob Belvedere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:32 am

    Is that experience talking?

  44. Bob Belvedere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:34 am

    Funny, ain’t it.

  45. Bob Belvedere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:36 am

    That statement could apply to both Newton Leroy and Willard.

  46. Anonymous
    January 20th, 2012 @ 9:38 am

    Nope. I wasn’t a rich kid, and I’ve never been in that particular part of the jail 😉

  47. Bob Belvedere
    January 20th, 2012 @ 10:07 am

    While never rich [and this is all I will say on the subject], I do know the meaning of the term ‘protective custody’.

  48. Tennwriter
    January 20th, 2012 @ 10:15 am

    If you wanna say Romney is a squish, and Newt has a lot of problems….you wouldn’t be wrong.

    Let me propose a solution.

    Rick Santorum.

    Its the logical choice.

  49. republicanmother
    January 20th, 2012 @ 10:21 am

    No he’s already screwed America with GATT and the other things he did as Speaker under the radar that set the stage for what we’re experiencing now.

  50. republicanmother
    January 20th, 2012 @ 10:24 am

    Because he’s a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot?
    Apologies to the boss in 9 to 5..