Or at least I had hoped to make it live. WISN is the worst ABC affiliate in the nation, as they’re blathering on local crap for a second hour.
8:17 – Forgot to mention that Free Republic, as always, has a rolling live thread. Meanwhile, Jim of bRight & Early has an equally-sucky affiliate.
9:00 – Missed the current ABC/WaPo poll, but The Other Thompson is a dead duck.
9:01 – We start with the Brownback robo-call pointing out that Romney wasn’t always pro-life. Brownback sticking by it. Romney trying to say it’s untrue, and Steffie trying to draw out what is untrue about it. Romney ducking and shucking.
9:03 – Brownback ain’t afraid of no YouTube. Next hit piece aired; Romney slamming Rudi for being essentially a ‘Rat. Romney soft-pedaling, and Rudi pushes the pro-abort line.
9:06 – Next hit piece – The Other Thompson on Rudi for stating the obvious; a pro-abort candidate will put the Pubbies against the Catholics (specifically). Tommy trying to get this out of the abortion gutter that Steffi drove it into.
9:08 – To McShame from Steffi – Shouldn’t we de-emphasize abortion in favor of national security? No, but the transcendent issue is defeating Islamokazis.
9:10 – YouTuber – “What would be your strategy for ending the war in Iraq?” Paul – “Just march home; this is an illegal, undeclared war” (I guess that authorization of use of force never happened </sarcasm>. Hunter – “I was here when the Rooskies threatened Central Europe, and when the Sandanistas threatened Central America…. The Marines have turned around Al Anbar… and the ‘Rats to a person didn’t pause in their rush to the exits to thank them.”
9:13 – Steffi – Is there a middle ground? Huckabee – Yes. Let’s become energy independent. “If we can feed ourselves, fuel ourselves and manufacture for ourselves, we’ll stay free.” Brownback – The problem is political (say, isn’t Congress taking most of the month off?), and make it 3 states.
9:15 – McCain – “We are winning. We must win. If we lose,… we will be back…. The morale is high.” To Rudi – Is there any difference between you and McCain. Rudi – “I noticed that no ‘Rat has mentioned the words ‘Islamic terrorism.'”
9:18 – To the Romney third of Rudi McRomney – Are you all of the same mind on Iraq? Romney – Yes. On Obama – “He’s gone from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week.” “It’s time to give the troops a surge of support.”
9:19 – Immediately to the Tanc to find differences – “Can we win? Yes.” Review the rules of engagement and let loose the dogs of war without the muzzle. “Iraq has got to take control of Iraq”
9:21 – To The Other Thompson – I’ve got a plan, and that’s to demand payment from Iraq and state elections.
9:22 – To the Toofer Paul – “I’m in the wrong primary.”
9:24 – To McCain – “The war was mismanaged for 4 years, but now it’s being managed right…. I’m going to be judged by history and not by public polls.”
9:25 – Steffi and company pushing CubaCare for the kids by raising taxes – “Do you side with Grassley or Bush?” Huckabee – “Either give America the same kind of health care Congress has or Congress the same kind of health care America has.” We’re not going to fix it until this country focuses on wellness and prevention. TOT – Neither. Huckabee is right. Don’t raise taxes.
9:28 – To Tanc – “It’s not the responsibilty of government to provide womb-to-tomb health care to America.” Let’s expand HSAs (good), reimport drugs (bad), and boot the illegals.
9:29 – Steffi – “Are you in favor of expanding CubaCare for Kids?” TOT – Not the way they did it. Tanc – No. Romney – We have to make “private” health insurance mandatory. Rudi – Points out that this is a step toward full-blown CubaCare.
9:32 – Hunter – Allow interstate commerce for health insurance.
9:33 – Stupid question of the day – “How do you provide health care without raising taxes?” Brownback whacks it out of the park – “Keep it private.”
9:34 – Barack Strangelove comments up now. Debate between Rudi and Romney on this. Rudi (who would keep the option open) – Obama had diarreah of the mouth. Steffi brings up Rudi’s diarreah, and he backs off somewhat. Romney (who was portrayed as he wouldn’t do it) – Points out the paradox of Obama. Steffi tries to draw out what Romney would do if Pakistan tries to block an extraction of Osama bin Laden. He’ll keep the option on the table.
9:37 – Hunter pointing to what Pakistan has done (er, it isn’t much).
9:38 – Free elections in Iran? That’s funny; the Mad Mullahs banned just about everybody except their boy Ahmaddhimmijob. Brownback Huckabee – We can’t force everybody to accept our way of life (well, we managed in Germany and Japan; of course, we killed just about everybody who waged war on us first). Let’s spread it by example To Toofer – “I’m definitely in the wrong primary.”
9:41 – To Rudi – Democracy also requires the rule of law. Question from Steffi – Did we go to elections too quickly in Gaza? Rudy – Perhaps. First, we have to build respect of rights and security. McCain – Rule of law is starting to happen in Iraq. It’s naiive to say we’re going to attack Pakistan without thinking it through. Brings up that Kennedy said essentially the same thing regarding democracy as Bush.
9:44 – Romney – Reach out with all our capabilities. Steffi tries to draw out a cheap shot at Bush, Romney declines. Hey Toofer, they attacked us on 9/11.
9:46 – Steffi to Tanc – Foggy Bottom called your plan to nuke Mecca/Medina “reckless”. Tanc – That’s why they’re called Foggy Bottom. To TOT – It would unify 1 billion Islamokazis against us (true, but there are already 800 or so million unified against us; what’s another 200 million, give or take whoever’s there during the nuclear Hajj).
9:49 – Brownback – If you push democracy in certain parts of the Islamic world now, you’re going to get more Islamokazi gubmints.
9:50 – YouTuber #2 – “Should we raise taxes for infrastructure?” Huckabee – “No on taxes, but we do need to rebuild.”
9:50 part 2 – “Rudy, how can the Pubbies rebuild without raising taxes?” (me – cut the damn spending on the welfare state) Rudy – You don’t have to increase tax rates to increase revenues. And here’s a special for Breck Girl – the last time we raised the capital gains tax, we reduced revenue.
9:52 – Romney – Economic growth is how you grow revenue. Back in Taxachusetts, I said, “Fix it first.”
9:53 – McCain – Everything in that latest transportation bill has been pork, and nothing for fixing.
9:54 – To commercial.
9:59 – BoobTube part 3 – “Would you restrict the role of the VP and put it in the Constitution?” (I think this left tilt is the reason why the Pubbies aren’t warm to the CNN/YouTube debate) McCain – “There’s only 2 roles…be president of the Senate and check on the health of the President daily.” TOT – “Vice President Cheney’s criticized for a lot of things he doesn’t do.” Rudy – The VP has to be capable to take over the office on a moment’s notice, and then the division is something to discuss. Steffi pushes on whether Rudy would take Cheney. You can’t keep the VP in the dark like Truman was.
10:03 – Romney – “They have kept us safe the last 6 years.” Brownback – I wouldn’t delegate, but I would involve. Bush overrelied on Cheney. Toofer – “I belong in the DhimmiRAT primary.” Hunter – Depends on the credentials of the President. I’m a vet, my son’s a vet, and I wouldn’t share the role of CinC with a VP.
10:05 – “Fair”Tax time (23% sales tax) Huckabee – I like a 23% sales tax because “it ends the underground economy” (no; it moves it to the black market). Romney – It’s not that good. One thing; as it is proposed, it would kill the new home construction industry. Rudy – Kill the death tax. Simplify the tax code, and the flat-“fair” tax is intriguing if we were starting at the beginning. Question from Rudy – who would administer it and those exempt from it (guess the IRS isn’t going away).
10:09 – McCain – Get rid of the AMT. Tanc – I’m a co-sponsor (pushes a Boortz book). The power of taxation is that it manipulates behavior (and a 23% sales tax wouldn’t manipulate behavior into a lack of consumption outside of the black market?) Brownback – Flat tax, not a 23% sales tax.
10:12 – E-mailed Q – “What is the defining mistake of your life and why?” Hunter – “I considered running as a ‘Rat my first time.” Paul – “Not speaking out on the Constitution” (not running as a ‘Rat?). Huckabee – “Not taking better care of myself the first half of my life.” Romney – “Taking a pro-abort position when I first ran.” Rudi – “30 seconds isn’t enough time. I’ll explain it to your pappy priest.” McCain – “Moving off the Forestal after nearly getting blown off. (missed the other one). Brownback – “Not telling my wife and kids I love them often enough. TOT – “Not being supportive enough when my mother-in-law died of breast cancer.” Tanc – “It took me 30 years to accept Christ.”
10:15 – Steffi – “What will you restore to the Oval Office?” Tanc – Hope. TOT – Be bi-partisan and un-PC in the war on jihad. Brownback – Rebuilding the family, and providing Justice #5 to reverse Roe v Wade McCain – Fight Islamokazis and never surrender. Rudy – Hope part deux, oh and the top 3 ‘Rats didn’t run anything. Romney – Strengthen the military, strengthen the economy and strengthen the family. Huckabee – Put a frame that says “Boss” in the Oval Office and put ordinary Americans’ mugs in it like I did in Arkansas. Toofer – Openness. Tell Congress everything (which would tell everyone everything including our enemies). Hunter – Economic patriotism.
10:22 – And we’re out of here.
10:38 – I see that Matt Lewis also has a sucky ABC affiliate. He’s declared Rudi the winner almost by default. I’ll decide later.
