No Runny Eggs

(H/T – Instapundit)

Before I begin, allow me to give the customary warning – due to adult language, reader discretion is advised.

Brian C. Ledbetter at Snapped Shot dug up a certain web site that is exclusive to Capitol Hill types (warning; very strong language) to allow them to vent anonymously. Let’s start off with something moderately-innoculous:

Yes, the Metro in July. Honestly, is there some kind of charter that says that you must be 50 lbs overweight, dress in clothes that don’t fit, and reek to high hell from all the sweat generated by walking five feet before you are allowed to tour this city. Also, don’t flock like lemmings to the one escalator that is working, walk up the stairs, to the left at all times, and don’t crowed around the doors, the rest of us would kike to get on as well.

6/21/2007 – 10:21 am

That’s one of the tamer ones. Here’s what they think of us exercising our First Amendment rights to petition Congress:

Senate staffers: Please tell your members to vote in favor
of the immigration bill"¦.so these ignorant fuckers will stop calling us!!!!

6/21/2007 – 9:35 am

I’ll wager the same is being said about Owen at the state Capitol. I can only hope to get that kind of notoriety (though today was a good step).

This sequence of three almost-consecutive posts is illuminating, especially since the bosses of these asshats get free access to the mail and can only get fired if they get voted out (italics in the original):

letters, letters, letters–lets raise stamp prices to 5 bucks a pop–that’ll stop people from writing to their reps!

6/19/2007 – 9:50 am

lets raise stamp prices to 5 bucks a pop–that’ll stop people from writing to their reps! Good idea. Now how do we deal with emails?

6/19/2007 – 10:01 am

lets raise stamp prices to 5 bucks a pop–that’ll stop people from writing to their reps!Hear, Hear. Now if only we could stop people from voting, we might have something!

6/19/2007 – 10:08 am

No rant is complete without the obligatory pro-Islamokazi post:

God bless Dennis Kucinich. I’m glad someone has the balls to go down to the House floor and defend the much maligned and misunderstood President of Iran, whatever his name is. Good peeps defending the honor of other good peeps. That’s what it’s all about.

6/18/2007 – 4:42 pm

Let’s see; a racist bigot who wishes you, me, the dumbass staffer, and everybody who isn’t a Shi’ite-flavored Islamokazi dead with delusions of being the second coming of Xerxes, who likely had a hand in the Iran hostage crisis. Yeah, he’s just “misunderstood” </sarcasm_moonbatty>

This is just screaming for a Friday Freefly.

I don’t know how so many people somehow got the 2007 Confidence in Institutions poll and the June 2007 Congressional approval poll mixed up. Maybe it was the same-day release of the Congressional numbers for both; maybe it was the focus on the former poll, and maybe it was wishful thinking. I can only hope it wasn’t me; I did put both in the same post and then focused on the Confidence poll. We need to tighten up before the mid-20s approval July numbers come out; otherwise, you’ll be wondering how Congress got its groove back when it didn’t, and I’ll be out here spitting into the hurricane.

Let’s go over the approval numbers again. 24% of those surveyed by Gallup approved of the job that Congress is doing a good job, and 71% disapproved. That spread was not matched by the Pubbies until after the November election. Surprisingly, nay, shockingly, approval among fellow Dems was only 29%. That’s right; not even 1 in 3 Dems support their own party. That is not exactly a new phenominon either; at no point this year did a majority of Dems support their own party’s performance in Congress.

(H/T – RedState)

No, it’s not Tommy “The Other” Thompson. He got less than 1%.

Instead, in the freshest Rasmussen national poll, it’s Fred leading the pack with 28%, ahead of Rudy Giuliani’s 27%. This is only the second time somebody not “from” New York has led a Rasmussen poll; Barak Obama led Hillary Clinton at the end of April (4/30), only to lose the lead the next poll (5/7).

There are, of course, several caveats. The first is that Thompson has not yet announced, even though he now has an exploratory committee. The second is that this is a national poll, and the primaries (as well as the general election) are a series of state-by-state contests. Has anyone seen current numbers for Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Florida and South Carolina (the first 6 GOP contests)?

(Cross-posted from the TownHall version of NRE)

I’ve promised this for, what, 2 1/2 weeks? Every time I had something started, I’ve run into something that caused me to drop it. Not this time; not even a glitch that rejected my attempt to publish over there yesterday morning. Heck, I’m glad that I was delayed because some things happened that caused me to rethink my answer (at least my national answer; things just got even worse in Wisconsin). Now, on with the post….

If one were to simply look at what the Republican Party has put out there lately, from the anmesty bill to the three purported front-runners for the 2008 Presidential nomination, from the focus of tax cuts as not cutting the flow of money to and thus the size of government to the massive expansion of the federal government in areas that it has no business being, one could say that conservatism was not only out of gas, but dead and in the casket waiting to be buried. Indeed, in its push for the amnesty bill, the White House attempted to bury conservatives who opposed amnesty by using tired liberal name-calling. Those few announced candidates who can accurately be described as conservative aren’t getting any traction, at least according to the opinion polls.

However, we’re not quite dead yet. Sites like TownHall, Free Republic, Hot Air, Boots and Sabers, and even my little hole in the wall are thriving. Conservative talk radio is still so successful, the Democrats are scheming ways to shut it down. We’ve just defeated amnesty despite the wors…er, best efforts of the leadership of both parties. Even if they’re flaming liberals, Republicans still at least attempt to speak our language at election time. Heck, even the Democrats are so insecure in their liberalism that they’re once again trying to run to the right (from The Wall Street Journal).

On the Presidential nomination front, the two most-liberal of those three front-runners are skipping the historically-important Iowa straw poll in August, likely because their internal polls are showing something that the public opinion polls aren’t. We have the 6’5″ gorilla of a (more-or-less) conservative forming an exploratory committee in the wake of the third less-than-inspiring debate.

So, we’re not necessarily out of gas. Rather, we’re at a crossroads trying to decide which way to go while a tornado of bad liberal ideas is almost on top of us, indeed, so close that some of those bad ideas are raining down like so much debris. We need to find conservatives to run against the bipartisan members of the liberal Party-In-Government. We need to hold everybody’s feet to the fire. Now, I am not an expert, so I can’t tell you who to run against who; you’ll have to do your homework and figure that one yourselves. However, I do know that we have to get that done now or we will get swept up and spit out.

I promised that I would put that over at TownHall, and after some hemming (on my part) and hawing (on Townhall’s part; they’ve glitched up lately), that’s up. It’s a lot more positive than my Wisconsin-specific take.

Contestant #1 is Wisconsin’s Own (embarrassment with a trunk, as opposed to multitudes of those with furless tails) Tommy “The Other” Thompson. With the news that the first two-thirds of Rudi McRomney are skipping the August 11 Iowa straw poll that TOT was hoping to use to catapult into the top tier, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting he is now “completely rethinking” the straw man poll gambit (H/T – Owen).

Contestant #2 is somebody who I didn’t have pegged as an early quitter, Tom Tancredo. Fresh off of stepping on his tongue in Tuesday’s debate, the Rocky Mountain News is reporting that once he’s done with his previously-scheduled appearances, he’ll be targeting Pubbie Congresscritters that want amnesty (H/T – Slublog).

If I could find mhking’s “Place Bets Now” graphic, I would be using it. FOUND IT!

The action is not only on who is first, but on whether one or both drop before Fred Thompson announces that his exploratory committee has been converted to a campaign committee.

I know I already did this on Sunday, but it got buried as part of my Dem debate liveblog. Supposedly YouTube will eventually be converting their format, so (hopefully) I’ll be able to listen to embedded videos, but in the interim, mash here and fast-forward to 5:01 of the YouTube/John Edwards interview (or if you want to hear Breck Girl express some shock at the YouTuber calling the segment “shotgun”, 4:45). I’ll repeat my quick summary of the shotgun round of “right or privilege” –

College education – “Right.” Health care – “Right.” A livable wage – right. Owning a handgun – (pause) “Privilege.” American citizenship for someone not born here but worked here one year – “That’s a hard one because I think people have to earn citizenship… Has to be longer than 1 year…. Privilege” 5 years? – “Right.” Access to the internet – “Right.”

Others unburying it…
Patterico
See-Dubya
Ace

I don’t know whether President Bush and Karl Rove are cynical enough to do this, or whether that is a wise course of action, but Lance Burri seems to think that their trashing of us conservatives is designed to allow the Pubbie nominee to run against the incumbency of the Presidency. Maybe it’s my sleep-deprived mind (I didn’t do alcohol tonight, believe it or not), but it doesn’t sound completely far-fetched.

The fun/looniness starts at 1800 CDT (that’s 6 pm, and as you know, I’m too lazy to type the “pm”, especially when I live-blog). Same place (New Hampshire, the first primary state after a pair of caucuses in Iowa and Nevada it’s only the Dhimms that are caucusing early in Nevada – D’OH!), same channel (CNN), same sponsors (WMUR-TV, Manchester Union Leader) as last time, though I don’t know if the local station will be doing the webcast, or if CNN will be offering the free video again. Once again, William Smith will be in attendance and live-blogging (I’ll have to remember a link to his liveblog when he puts it up).

I haven’t heard any changes in the format, so unless you see different below, we’ll have a couple of New Hampshire pressitutes offering up questions for the first hour and pre-screened locals (will they be the equivalent Pubbie/Indies or the same Dhimm/Indies as Sunday?) offering up questions for the second hour. The candidate chosen to answer the question will have 1 “soft” minute (no buzzers/lights/gongs) to answer, then Wolf Blitzer, the moderator, will at his discretion offer up to 4 minutes for follow-ups.

This time, I will remember to give you the customary live-blog warning that I do a lot of paraphrasing. Though I am a decent typist, I cannot accurately keep up with long quotes. Besides, I haven’t found a viable candidate to back yet (though if I had to choose among the current crop of 10, I would take Duncan Hunter), so I probably will be insulting them (if you doubt I insult Pubbies, read my send-up of the 2nd Pubbie debate)

My conventions, which you may have figured out before, remain unchanged. The questions will be in italics. Direct and near-direct quotes from the candidates will be in quotes. Updates will be in 24-hour-time format. I’ll try to keep checking the comments (both in-thread and in the admin section just in case my anti-spam suite flags them) and will answer them (either in the comments or in the main thread), so feel free. I don’t bite (I prefer the shotgun), I don’t require registration or even cookies to post a comment, and I usually don’t edit them. Just remember to enter the anti-spam word before you hit the “Post” button and we should be golden.

1656 – Time to move this thing to the top of the blog for the next 3 hours. I will be away from the keyboard for about the next half hour enjoying an early dinner so I don’t miss this. Also, at 8 o’clock, I’ll be clicking the up-channel button 4 times to move to Fox News and Fred’s appearance on Hannity and Colmes. I’ll also be covering that one.

1703 – The live threads are starting to come up. Free Republic will have a lively one.

Entry question; What candidate or candidates (if any) will drop out before the August 5 debate in Iowa?

1715 – Speaking of questions, Sean Hackbarth has a few. To answer just his last (Will Tommy Thompson finally find a government program he wants to cut?), nope. The Other Thompson (I’ll probably shorten it to TOT) is a spender, not a cutter.

1729 – Add some more to the liveblog roll (thanks, Jim) – Heading Right (who will be doing a BlogTalkRadio post-debate show), and Iowa Voice. William Smith has not yet put up his live thread, though he’s there in the spin room hoping for chairs.

1741 – Allah is in the house (how many years has that been?) with tonight’s subplots – Marcia! Marcia! Amnesty!, Round 2 of Rudi vs Ronni, the miraculously-vanishing Fred!, and 30 months or less?

1749 – Add Red State (though I can’t get their site to open at the moment).

1754 – Red State is up, and one of Brownback’s web spinners is doing a liveblog. Dunno if I’ll be any fairer than him :-)

1757 – Sister Toldjah is taking a break from the active liveblogging, but she opened up a thread. I wonder if the WaPo is right on their “preview”.

1759 – William Smith and Heading Right are now live.

1800 – And away we go. First things first, TownHall is up and running. Same rules as Sunday (see above).

1802 – Intro time. Tancredo pushes his 10 years, TOT – “I’m the candidate, not the actor”. Rudi – “I agree with the motto of your state, live free or die.” Brownback – Makes fun of S(l)ick Willie’s Hope line. Ronni – “I’m the champion of the Constitution.”

1804 – To Romney – Was it a mistake to invade Iraq? – “If Saddam had complied with the UN Resolutions, we wouldn’t have been there…. We were underprepared…. Unlike Harry Reid, we did not lose in Iraq.” Blitzer pushes – If you know now what you knew then,…. – “It’s a non-sequitor.” Blitzer to Rudy – same question – “Absolutely not a mistake.” Goes onto Iran and smacks down the 10-years-to-nukes line. Blitzer to McCain – Did you read the SNIE – “No, but I attended a lot of briefings…. We did the right thing, but it was mismanaged.” Blitzer to Brownback – same question – “We held hearings on the topic…. I’ve got a 3-state plan, and you’ll have it tomorrow.” Blitzer to Gilmore – Is it responsible for Congress to vote for war without reading that SNIE? – Sidesteps nicely. “Saddam was unstable, but we didn’t anticipate further unstability.”

1810 – To McCain – If the surge doesn’t improve things quickly, what next? – “This strategy needs a chance to succeed…. If we fail and withdraw, they will follow us home, and Iraq will become a base for Al-Qaeda…. I didn’t say that Bosnia and Kosovo was Clinton’s war.” (smack of Hiliary). Blitzer pushes – “Then you have to examine the options…. We MUST SUCCEED and give it a chance to succeed.” To TOT, same question – “Push it on the Maliki government, force the states to vote, split the oil revenues 1/3 to feds, 1/3 to states, 1/3rd to the people.” Same q to Hunter – “This thing depends on one thing; reliable Iraqi forces. As we get them online, rotate our people home.” Paul – How long? – “The sooner the better. Repeats the moonbat line.” Missed the question to Huckabee – “We underestimated the fight in the dog and the determination of them to destroy every last one of us.” Tancredo – “Tell the Iraqis it’s up to you to keep it.”

1816 – To Brownback – Did Bush make the right call to open up dialogue with Iran? – “We need to confront them aggressively, work with the labor movement in Iran….” Same to Hunter – “With 2 conditions; stop the flow of arms to Iraq, and we reserve the right to preempt Iran’s nuke program.” Follow-up to Hunter Would you use tactical nukes to stop Iran’s nukes? – “If there’s no other option, but I think there will be.” Same to Rudy – “I think it can be done with conventional weapons, but you don’t take anything off the table…. This war is not a bumper sticker, this is a real war.” Same to Gilmore (Blitzer slipped and said “Iraq”) – “Dual approach, work both with with the Europeans and direct, but make it clear that Iranian nukes is unacceptable.” To Romney – “You don’t take options off the table. People are testing the US all over. We need to move Islam to moderation with a broad response.”

1822 – There’s a storm about, which Blitzer is blaming for the odd sounds. To Tancredo – What are the consequences of the McShame-Swimmer-Bush Amnesty bill becoming law? – “Serious, serious…. We’re talking about whether we survive…. We’re testing whether we hold together or Balkanize….” Same to Rudy – “There’s no unifying purpose; it’s the typical Washington mess…. It’s quite possible that it will make things worse…. We should have a tamper-proof database of the immigrants.” To Romney – What do you say to McCain for calling you a flip-flopper on immigration? “We’re friends, so I won’t go after him. There’s one big problem; the Z-visa, which lets all the illegals stay here in the line ahead of everybody who followed the rules.” To McShame – “Rudi, you described our legislation.” (right, and I’ve got a bridge to sell you) “This is a national security issue since 9/11.” (so build the fucking wall and militarize it, you dumbfuck). “This isn’t the bill I would’ve written.” (so it’s not full amnesty?) Back to Rudy – “I read all 400 pages, and you just lied, Johnny boy. There is no database.” To Romney – What would you do to the 12 million illegals – “Enforce the law as it exists. Make the Z-visa temporary.”

1830 – To Hunter – Who’s going to do the jobs Americans “won’t” do if we deport? – “Bravo Sierra; when the illegals were forced out of a factory in Iowa, the next day, a whole heap of Americans lined up the next day to apply…. This administration has the case of the slows on the fence, but if they build the wall, McShame-Swimmer-Bush might fly.” Brownback – Do you like the new paths? – “No, but I would let them in at the back of the line…. We did enforcement-only in the ’90s when we had 7 million illegals, and we have 12 million now” (because nobody enforced it from Slick Willie to Bush). So you support this? “If we put the illegals to the back of the line, yes.” Same to TOT – “Fix the border first, and no amnesty. This is amnesty.” To Paul – Is there a need for a fence along Canada? – “No. I wanted the enforcement more than the fence. Why wouldn’t the illegals bring their families because of the welfare state.” Wolf to the group – Speak up if English should not be the official language. McShame does, bringing up the Indians, but says that his amnesty bill has an English requirement.

1837 – Hey Gilmore, are we about to call the top dogs Rudi McRomneyson? – “Fredo’s a good guy…. They’ll (along with Newt) have to stand on their views.” Tommy, should another Thompson show up? – “I’d like as many Thompsons in the race as possible.” (even Brother Eddie?) God has a sense of humor as lightning blots out Rudi’s answer to a question on whether he as a Catholic should be sanctioned by the church for his views on abortion. Romney, are you just a Johnny-come-lately on abortion? – Goes through his current conservative creds well beyond abortion.

1842 – Huckabee, are you a Creationist? – “I’m surprised you’d even bring up this question. I’m not asking to expand the 8th-grade science ciriculum. I believe there is a God who created this, but I don’t know how long it took.” (Mike, it took 6 days). Blitzer pushes on both 6 days and 6,000 years (note to Blitzer, I can’t time it between the creation and the fall of Adam and Eve). Blitzer to Brownback – Where do you stand on evolution? – “I can’t believe you asked that. There is a God, and I don’t know how he did it.” (by his word). To McCain – Do you believe Creationism should be taught side-by-side? – “It’s up to the boards, but they should be exposed to all theories.” To Romney – Explain your Mormonism – “The freedoms of man were derived from inalieanble rights given by God.” To Paul – What is your view on Church v State? – “Bring it to the local level.” (good answer; the 1st Amendment applies solely to Congress and by extension the rest of the federal government, not state/local governments)

1849 – Rudy, is there Gorebal Warming? – “Yes, and it’s caused by man.” (Bravo Sierra) “We need an Apollo project to bring us to energy independence.” (how convenient, the mic cut out again). To Romney – Is the GOP too cozy to Big Oil? – “Rudy’s right on energy independence. We need companies to reinvest in refineries.” (make it easier to make them reinvest by easing restrictions on refineries). “Russia also got rich.” To McShame – You have a problem with the Big Oil profits? – “Yes, and we need to invest in nuclear. Gorebal Warming is a national security issue.” (Bravo Sierra part deux). To Ronnie – Does Big Oil need gubmint subsidies in time of huge profits? – “I’m opposed to subsidies, not profits. No more blood for oil.” To Gilmore – “Profits good, nuclear power good, Gorebal Warming bad, Kyoto bad because it subsidizes Russia and doesn’t include Red China and India.”

1855 – Is it time to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and allow open gays to serve openly in the military? – To Paul – “DADT is a decent policy, because we get our rights from God. If we understood the rights, it would be a problem.” To Brownback – “It’s covered by the Uniform Code of Conduct.” To Rudy – Was it right to oust the linguists that outed themselves? (Where’s the stories? I don’t recall seeing anything on CNN’s site) – “You don’t make changes like this in the middle of a war.” To Romney – Do you still support open gays? – “No. It’s not time to do social engineering, and we’ve got more-important fish to fry.” To McCain – “I’m proud of every one of our military. There just isn’t enough of them, so it’s a mistake to reopen this.” Silence when Blitzer asks if anybodey supports open gays.

1900 – How would you use W? – TOT – “I wouldn’t send him to the UN…. I’d send him to youth because he believes in public service like the rest of his family.” To Brownback – “I’d use him like his dad.”

1901 – Add Mary Katherine Ham and Ace to the live/open blogging.

1902 – To Tancredo, same question – “I’m disappointed in Bush for abandoning conservative principles, so I’d tell him to take a hike.” Huckabee, what happened to the GOP – “We lost credibility. We deserved as a party to get beat over Katrina, corruption and mishandling of Iraq and border.” To Hunter – Would it be appropriate to pardon Libby? – “You’d have to look at the transcripts, and I’d pardon the border agents who were crucified for shooting a drug smuggler.” To the group – Would you pardon Libby? – Right-to-left – (Paul) No, (Gilmore) no, (Hunter) not without seeing the transcripts, (McCain) not without the transcript, (Rudy) probably because the prosecutor overstepped, (Romney) probably for the same reason and I didn’t pardon anybody as governor, (Brownback) yes, (TOT) probably, (Tancredo) yes.

1908 – BREAK!!! Missed Huckabee’s answer to the Libby pardon, but the FReepers say yes.

1913 – We’re back for registered and “likely” Pubbies (let’s see how many public employees are here). Question 1 from sister Sheehan (who lost her brother 8 days before he was to be rotated home) – How would you bring the troops back home? To Hunter – “My son joined up right after 9/11 and did several tours. Freedom in the Middle East is in our interest, so we’ll rotate our troops out as Iraqis stand up.” To Brownback – “It’s not about leaving and being defeated, so I’m pushing the 3-state solution.” To McCain – “We’ve mismanaged this war for a long time, but we now have a strategy that can succeed so your brother’s sacrifice will not be in vain.”

1918 – Another woman – How are we going to get the Iraqis set up so we don’t lose? (how did she slip past the CNN censors?) – To Ronnie – “We’ve already lost, so we shouldn’t patrol anymore.” To Rudy – “Your husband’s service and the first questioner’s brother’s sacrifice is one reason why we’re safe. We created the responsibility to nation-build when we overthrew Saddam, which we did very successfully. We didn’t quite get that nation-building right. Are we going to report it if Petraeus comes back with good news?”

1922 – Broad attorney – Is conservatism and conservation compatible? – Gilmore – “Yes.” Should conservatives do more to protect the environment? – “Look at Teddy Roosevelt. Make it profitable to conserve.

1925 – Town “moderator” – Why are drugs cheaper overseas and what would you do to fix it? (It’s those foreign gubmints shoving the full cost of R&D on the US, gubmint asshat) – To Rudy – “Make it privatized with a $1500 tax credit and expanded health savings accounts…. Socialized medicine will ruin medicine in the US.” To Hunter – What should we do to reduce prices of drugs? – “80% of new drugs are produced in the US, then they recover R&D costs solely in the US. The rest of the world leeches off of us because they can’t afford R&D. Free up insurance across state lines.”

1928 – Anon blogger (probably a Kossite) – Would you support Canada”Care”? – To TOT – “Thank that Kossack for the question. We need to make health care prevention-based, and educate about risk factors. Manage diseases. Electronic records and e-prescribing.” To Romney – What about mandatory health insurance? – “I’m proud of what I did, because we kept it out of Washington and out of Boston without the massive tax increases the Rats all want.”

1932 – An educrat – What is the most-pressing moral issue and how would you deal with it? – Huckabee – “I’m happy to get the moral questions instead of the immoral ones. The value of every single life, whether in the womb or graying. We differ from the jihadis, who celebrate death.” To Rudy – “Gifts that came from God. Our challenge is to share our values, especially respect for life, with the Middle East much like Reagan did with freedom to Eastern Europe.” To Ronnie – “Peace.” (join Dennis the Menace) “We haven’t even taken pre-emptive nuclear strikes off the table against Iran.” (did your memory start in 1997, dumbfuck? How about the embassy hostages? Beruit? Khobar?) To Brownback – “Pro-life is at our core, so we can’t nominate Rudi.” Blitzer pushes, Would you support Rudi? “I don’t think we’ll nominate him, but I’ll support him. It would be a mistake to nominate him though.”

1939 – Direct from another RAT plant to Romney Why do you do bilingual communications? – “I’m not anti-immigrant, and I’ll reach out any way I can to those here legally. I don’t want a special pathway for the illegals.” Runs well over and off the rails. To Tancredo – Would you do Spanish? – “No. Bilingual countries don’t work. McShame would codify printing all gubmint documents in boku different languages.” Respond, McShame – “Mucho gracias. The illegals are just the latest wave of migrants.”

1943 – Self-employed engineer – I blame 2006 on Booosh, so differentiate yourself. To McCain – “Spending, spending, spending, spending, spending, which led to corruption. Stop earmarking. I’ll veto every bill that has pork in it.” Call to limit to 10-15 seconds – What was Bush’s biggest mistake? To Rudy – “I’d establish accountability programs.” To Romney – “Vision.” To Brownback – “Spending, and I want to cure all cancers in 10 years.” To TOT – “Washington changed us. Health care, wind down the war, be conservatives because those addicted to big gubmint will elect the pro spenders.” Tancredo – “Bush lost his conservativism.” Paul – “I’d act like a RAT and cut and run from the GWOT to spend on domestic issues.” Gilmore – “Immigration.” Hunter – “Pubbies have to reunite with the American family.” Romney – “Cut taxes and regulation.”

1949 – A part-time pastry chef – What does it mean to be an American? Tancredo – “Cut your ties to the past. It’s time to stop almost all immigration so we can assimilate those who already came here until we don’t have to press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish.” Do you agree with Tancredo? – To Huckabee – “No, because we have a need for skilled immigrants.” Same to Rudy – “Very uncomfortable with it. Answers the original question with Lincoln’s definition – ‘It’s how much do you believe in freedom and the rule of law?'” To McCain – “America is a land of opportunity. Supposedly, we’ll be working on the border for 18 months before the rest of my, the Swimmer’s and Bush’s amnesty plan goes into effect.”

1954 – RINO legislator – How do you appeal to us lieberals? – Gilmore – “When I ran for governor, I was told I couldn’t appeal to you with conservative values. I was told wrong.” To Hunter – Shouldn’t the national GOP follow Ahnold’s RATification of the Californica GOP? – “NO!” and takes out all 3 members of Rudi McRomney. Response from Romney – Trots out how Reagan carried Taxachusetts. From Rudi – “Nominate me.” (no thanks) “Be on the offense against Islamic terrorism and bigger taxes.” (still won’t make me vote for you). From McShame – “Protect the family and fight against radical Islamic extremism. It will be a long fight, but we will prevail.”

1959 – We’re over. Next debate on July 23rd (was that the Pubbies or the Rats?).

2000 – Transition to Fred! – “I’d rather be here with you, Shawn, rather than in NH debating…. I’ve never lusted for the job, but I’ve become convinced I should run.”

2002 – What are the differences between you and the announced candidates? – “We ought to think about the day after Iraq. The people haven’t been told about our enemy, and our enemy has had a several-hundred year plan…. Tax code is hopelessly out of date…. Our entitlement programs are going to bankrupt us unless we do something different.”

2004 – Where are you now? “Part of my testing the waters is a site called imwithfred.com.” When are you announcing? “I haven’t decided yet.”

2006 – Expound on the civilization v Islam thoughts – “We need to get the rest of the world to recognize that Islam is trying the divide-and-conquer route.” Was Iraq the right move? “What if we didn’t go after Saddam defied the UN 17 times and corrupting the Oil-For-Food program? Saddam would still be doing what he did in the 1980s and 1990s. Look at what Iran is doing now. Deposing him was a good thing.”

2008 – Where do we go from here? – “Wait to see what Petraeus says in September. Also, listen to the parents of the troops there. The troops are full of hope and optimism, so I’m full of hope and optimism. We should be disgusted over Reid’s call of defeat…. Hiliary wants to be President more than anything else in the world.” Commercial break.

Quick review of the debate while I wait for Fred! to go back on Hannity (less Colmes) – Comparing the questions asked Sunday to those asked Tuesday, it was a shameful performance by the Communist News Network. They did to the Pubbies precisely what the ScaredyRATs thought that Fox would do to them.

Now, how did I miss Michelle Malkin’s liveblog? She’s doing the double-dip as well.

2013 – We’re back, and and on Iran. “Iran might fall if we gave it a bit of a shove. There’s a lot of unrest there. They’re trying the Krazy Kim North Korean model.” If it’s clear they’re close to getting nukes, would you take pre-emptive action? “Yes.”

2015 – On to Libby – “It was a travesty of justice. They knew shortly after they started there was no crime on the ‘leaking’ of Plame’s status because she wasn’t recently covert, then they found out it was Armitage. They kept digging for 2 years until they found some inconsistent statements from Libby in a case full of inconsistent statements from the gubmint witnesses, and then the judge went way beyond the recommended sentence.” Would you pardon him? “Yes.”

2021 – Sum up the RATs – “They’re wrong. It’s moral bankruptcy to not acknowledge the war on radical Islam.” Explain your 3 conservative failings. First, the abortion box in 1994 – “It’s not my voting record. Abortion should go back to the states.” McShame-Slimeroad – “Part was right, part wasn’t. The part that was right was to kill soft money, and I was responsible for doubling and indexing the hard-money limits. The part that doesn’t and shouldn’t work is the 60-day gag order.” Impeachment – “I followed what I thought the Founding Fathers considered impeachement, so I split my vote.”

2025 – “It’s a badge of honor to get attacked by some of these bozos.” (direct quote). Top 5 priorities in first 100 days “Explain the war on radical Islam, reform the tax code, reform the welfare, get back to basic Constitutional values.” WE’RE OUT OF HERE!

Second-tier candidates, out of the pool! Fred! is jumping in at least as far as a few of you turkeys.

One more live-blog – John Hawkins at Right Wing News (thanks, Brian from Iowa Voice). He is a Hunter consultant, so there is a bit of a pro-Hunter spin to his stuff (that’s okay; if Fred! wasn’t jumping him, I’d take Hunter).

(H/T for the pic – Jessica McBride)

Since it’s duck season, open fire on this pic from last night’s Dhimm debate…

Breck Girl – “You da man!”
Hiliary – “I’ve got bigger balls than you, Johnny boy.”

It would be nice if Michelle Malkin opened up comments more often, especially for stuff like this caption contest:

How many people do you think actually believe what you’re pitching?

If I had Photoshop, I would’ve been able to give life to Michelle’s caption – Quick, hand them their white flags!

Comment away.

Guess I should’ve put the warning up before, but I figured my regular readers would recognize that I don’t have much if any respect for the Dems, and I wasn’t exactly expecting a whole heap of guests. Since I’m not the fastest typist in the world, I use paraphrasing liberally. How I handle it is I put the questions in italics, quotes and near-quotes in quotation marks, and my comments in parentheses.

Dunno why I’m going to do it, but in a bit less than 2 hours, CNN will be airing the second Democratic Presidential debate, with everybody showing up, including the Kook Twins, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. I’ll be here with live coverage and humor breaks, mainly because Sister Toldjah is taking a well-deserved break from the madness.

17:12 (CDT – again, deal with it; it takes too long to type “p.m.”, and I’m not on the Least Coast) – As usual, Free Republic has a live thread up.

17:18 – List of questions that should be asked but won’t from the Politico (H/T – FReeper TornadoAlley3):

Questions for:

Sen. Hillary Clinton:
"” Were you at the caucus meeting where former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., suggested that all Democratic senators read the full classified National Intelligence Estimate? Why didn’t you read it?

"” If you were briefed on the classified intelligence, how can we trust you to make the right decision in the future with all the facts in front of you? And if you didn’t read the classified intelligence, how can we trust you to get all the facts in front of you?

"” You’ve often talked about the importance of unions, but when you were on the board of Wal-Mart, you reportedly were silent while Wal-Mart actively and publicly opposed union organizing. How do you explain this contradiction?

"” The Washington Post said that "[your] loyalists describe [you] as the least-known famous person in politics, by which they mean they do not believe people know the real Hillary Clinton. They hope to use town hall meetings, living room coffees and interactive Internet conversations to reintroduce her to voters." However, you’ve hired an expert in "thought leadership," and a corporate branding expert to confront potential "character issues." Why did your campaign hire these consultants? What have you learned from them?

Former Sen. John Edwards:

"” You had access to classified information, including the National Intelligence Estimate, during the days before the vote to go to war in Iraq. However, your campaign recently admitted that you did not read the NIE, one of the only documents that provided key caveats to the Bush administration’s justification for war. Why not? And do you wish that you had?

"” You’ve now been running for president as long as you were in the Senate. Should Americans trust that you have the experience to be commander in chief?

"” Over the past four years, you have collected approximately $580,000 in salary from three jobs"”Fortress Investments, your poverty center and the Senate"”where you often didn’t show up for work. You talk a lot about the importance of hard work and the work ethic your father instilled in you. Was it right for you to get paid so much for what amounted to very little work? Isn’t that the kind of inequality your campaign is fighting against?

"” You’ve railed against offshore tax shelters but you’ve still got money in the Caymans through your investments in Fortress hedge fund. Will you divest yourself of those holdings?

Sen. Barack Obama:

"” You rose to prominence as an anti-war candidate who opposed funding the operation in Iraq in your 2004 Senate primary race. But when you got to the Senate, you went underground, failing to speak out on the war for the first 18 or so months in office and voting to fund the war. Why did you wait until you became a presidential candidate to speak out about the war? Are you pandering to the left?

"” Do you honestly think you can convince voters that there’s something new, different, better in the way you do politics when, since entering the Senate, you chose to conduct a real estate deal with a known"”now indicted"”Chicago criminal?

"” You’ve promised universal health care but failed to include the one thing in your plan that experts across the board think is needed to ensure coverage for all"”a coverage mandate. Isn’t it misleading to promise universal health care when leading academics have concluded that a mandate is needed to cover everyone?

"” Your website says "We need to take steps to stop climate change." If you believe this, why do you support liquid coal technology, which would worsen global warming?

For Gov. Bill Richardson:

"” You’ve based your campaign on your resume. But recently, many aspects of your resume have been called into question"”from the trivial, like your baseball career, to the more significant, like your claim to have brokered a peace deal in Darfur. Do these exaggerations undermine the rationale for your candidacy?

"” As governor and representative from New Mexico, you’ve been a supporter of gun rights, including voting against background checks. But as a Democratic presidential candidate you’ve come out in favor of them. Are you moving away from your New Mexico record to appeal to the Democratic primary voter?

For Sen. Joe Biden:

"” Your plan for Iraq would establish three separate self-governing regions. Wouldn’t this plan act as a prelude to a violent and uncontrollable breakup of that country?

"” In 2006 you supported the Senate’s immigration reform bill "because it was the best option available." You also recently said better border security, employer punishment and a guest worker program were important to the current immigration reform bill. What would a perfect bill look like?

For Sen. Chris Dodd:

"” Why are you stalling on holding a hearing about the executive pay bill that would give shareholders more say on executive pay?

"” While you have said you support rolling back the Bush tax cuts, you’ve also said the estate tax should be "moderated" or eliminated for some. How precisely should the estate tax be changed?

17:21 – Look for the Dhimms to run from CNN; they brought in JC Watts to help decipher the spin (which will also be coming from his fellow “analysts” James Carville and Donna Brazille).

17:40 – For those without cable but with broadband, CNN and WMUR are both streaming the video (note, the WMUR feed is currently inactive). CNN has 4 live feeds up on that link.

17:45 – Allahpundit is also on top of this, and he’s got some interesting items, including a WaPo poll that says it’s still Hiliary’s to lose and a YouTube interview with the Breck Girl. Interesting exchange called the “shotgun round” starting at about 5:04 called “right or privilege”:

College education – “Right.” Health care – “Right.” A livable wage – right. Owning a handgun – (pause) “Privilege.” American citizenship for someone not born here but worked here one year – “That’s a hard one because I think people have to earn citizenship… Has to be longer than 1 year…. Privilege” 5 years? – “Yes.” Access to the internet – “Right.”

18:00 – Add 2008central.net to the live blogs. Blitzer laying the ground rules. The first half will be presstitutes, 2nd half will be CNN-vetted locals. No gongs, no bells, and the candidates have 1 minute to answer, and Blitzer will give up to 4 minutes for follow-up.

18:02 – No opening statements, just an opening sentence. Gravel – “I’m back from the past.” Richardson snuck in “proud”, and Kucinich called Cleveland “city of champions.”

18:04 – Obama up first. Could it be that Bush has been successful? “No. World’s more dangerous, Iraq is a distraction.” Blitzer follow-up for Hussein Obama – Has Bush done anything right? “No.” Now calling out Breck Girl on his “bumper sticker” slogan. Breck sticking by it. Hiliary whacking Breck Girl, pointing out she’s the senator from New York. Blitzer continuing on Kucinich, pointing out that the Patriot Act helped catch the JFK plotters. Menace blindly wishing for 9/10 world.

18:08 – To Biden – Why are the rest of the Congresscritters wrong to vote against funding Operation Iraqi Freedom? – Biden trotting out the armor line, not blaming them. Blitzer – “Why are you reluctant to say they’re wrong? – “I won’t blast them, but I won’t defund the troops.” Blitzer To Hiliary – Why cut funds now? – (paraphrase) “I want to bleed the troops dry to show my support.” Same to Hussein Obama – same answer as Hiliary. Blitzer to Breck Girl – (paraphrase) “I would’ve pushed for a timetable come Hell and high water, and they folded.” Blitzer trying to get Breck to name names – “Obama and Clinton didn’t lead, and pushing to health care.” Obama responds – “You’re about 4 1/2 years late because I opposed it from the beginning. Don’t play politics on this.” Hiliary – (paraphrase) “It’s all Boooosh’s fault”. Back to Breck – “There are differences between making it very clear on voting to defund and staying silent.” Blitzer to Doddering – “I wanted a date certain.” Blitzer to Richardson on Darfur – Since you want us out this year and you’re pushing for us to get into Darfur, what moral responsibility does the US have if Iraq turns into genocide? – (paraphrase) “I don’t give a rip about Iraqis.” MOONBAT TIME as we go to Gravel – “I blame the ‘Rats. Domino theory is irrelevant.”

18:20 – To Kucinich, an e-mailed question – Can you tell me if the mission we accomplished during our deployment in Iraq was worth our effort and sacrifice or was it a mistake? – “Mistake. Repeat Vietnam’s defunding.” Biden – “Booosh lied, let’s not lie. You need 67 votes or a DhimmiRAT President to end the war.” Blitzer to Hiliary – Do you regret voting for the war without reading the briefs? “I read all the briefs. I wanted to give Blixie more time.” (to make a WMD-massively-armed Iraq a reality?) Same to Breck – “No. We have to re-establish trust.” (BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!) Blitzer to Hussein Obama – Is a vote for the war a DQ? – “No, they were making the decision with the best intel available at the time. I don’t need your civil war. It feeds Haliburton while it buries the poor.” Same to Gravel Bat – “It’s a DQ.” Hiliary responds – “If I knew then what I do now, I wouldn’t have voted for it.”

18:27 – Add William Smith to the live-blogging ranks

18:29 – To Richardson – Why is McShame-Swimmer-Bush Amnesty Act of 2007 not amnesty? – “I don’t want to separate families.” (So deport them all! Continuing Richardson’s answer…) “Increase patrols on the border, earned citizenship program including paying back taxes and learning English, and penalize employers who employ illegals.” When pushed by Blitzer, Richardson continues – “This bill separates families because of the fence. I want to unionize the ‘guest workers'”. Blitzer to Biden – Why do we need a fence? – “It was the only option, and I voted for it because it was to stop drugs, not my future voters.” To Hussein Obama – “We need to patrol Canada’s borders more-aggressively.” (Like Friday night?. Please, continue, Barak, paraphrased) “We need to balance compassion with laws.”

18:35 – Blitzer asks who supports English as the official language. Gravel only one to raise his hand. Hussein Obama objecting – “It’s divisive.” Applause. Hiliary also objecting – “We can’t have ballots in Spanish or translators in hospitals if it were official.” Dodd objecting – “It’s diversity.”

18:37 – To Breck Girl – Your opponents seem to think they can institute Canada”Care” without raising taxes. Are they being liars? “I’m proud to kill Bush’s tax cuts to institute Canada’Care’, institute the phantom S(l)ick Willie middle-class tax cut, and kill the deficit.” Rebuttal to Hussein Obama – Does your health care really provide “universal” coverage? – “If we regulate drug companies to death, we can do it without full Canada’Care’.” Hiliary up – “We’re all talking about my failed HiliaryCare, so let’s stand firm against those that see it for the sham it is.” Blitzer asks whether it will work without raising taxes – “We all are going to kill the Bush tax cuts.” To Richardson – “We insured every chile in New Mexico, and my plan will be mandatory, but not mandatory Canada’Care’.” Doddering – “It’s shameful.” (suggestion; rein in Breck and his ilk. Continue.) “It’s going to take cooperation.” Breck Girl – “I want full Canada’Care’, and I’m willing to make you poor to do it.” Hussein Obama – “I’ll start with making it affordable, Breck will make it mandatory.” To Kucinich – “I REALLY want full Canada’Care’ with absolutely, positively no option other than the gubmint.”

18:47 – To Hiliary – Did your husband get it wrong with “Don’t ask, don’t tell”? – “It was a transitional policy, and we’re beyond that now.” (My follow-up, how many Arab linguists are gay as opposed to bestiality?) Blitzer pushing, Hiliary pushing back saying that DADT was all that was possible back then. To Biden – “The troops in the field aren’t asking, so DADT is wrong.” Blitzer asks if it should end, all raise hands. To Richardson – “I want full African-American-style civil rights for gays, including civil unions.” To Breck Girl – Is it time to drop the “civil union” charade and offer full gay marriage? – “I want to lead.”

18:53 – To Gravel – How would you use S(l)ick Willie? – “I’d use him as a roving ambassador.” (He’ll be roving, or at least his hands will be.) “But I’d keep him on a tight leash because of DADT.” Same to Richardson – “UN ambassador…but seriously, I’d send him to the Middle East.” (because he did sooooo well last time giving Hamas a foothold). Same to Hussein Obama – “He’s a damn smooth liar and must be at least part-French because he hates using the military.” Same to Hiliary – “It’s a fascinating question…. I like using former Presidents.” (indeed)

18:57 – Sure sounded like it to me, Jim. To Dodd How would you reduce record-high gasoline prices? – “Conservation to both reduce foreign oil and global ‘warming’, and taxes.” Blitzer pushes Dodd on the here-and-now – “Taxes and redistribution.” To Gravel – “The tax plan is not good, but we need to get out of the Middle East.” To Breck – “Let’s sue Big Oil! Can my firm get a piece?” To Richardson – “We need an Apollo/WWII major sacrifice program to solve global ‘warming’.” To Biden – “Kill the subsidy.” (Guess he wants all the domestic taps shut) “Investigate Big Oil.” (higher prices) “Raise the gas mileage.”

19:03 – BREAK!

19:10 – Blitzer – We gathered a bunch of Dhimmis. Question 1 from a teacher/wife of a soldier in Iraq – What is your vision on military operations and rebuilding the military? To Kucinich – “We need to get out of Iraq and withhold all the funds. We need to put blue helmets with flowers on the troops. Much of the money isn’t going to the troops.” (Blame your fellow RATs for their pork). To Hussein Obama – “I don’t want the troops going on repeated tours. I want the troops treated with the dignity and honor they deserve.” To Doddering – Are there relics of the Cold War we can cut? “Can we get a round of applause for the troops?” Polite applause. “There needs to be a reassessment of the systems, and use the military as a last resort.” (We’re at WAR, dumbass) Blitzer pushes for specifics – “F-22”.

19:15 – Social worker who has a son in Iraq – Why can’t we get the VA working? To Hussein Obama – “The VA isn’t working too well.” (And the ‘Rats want to have government run the rest of health care?) “At least they could negotiate drug prices. Vets should be able to go to normal hospitals if the VA isn’t working.” To Richardson – “The VA system is good, but I’d give them a card to get them into normal hospitals because it isn’t good enough.” To Gravel – “I get my meds from the VA, and I’m satisfied. Gubmint has always waged war against the veterans.” (mostly your party, bub) Calls out Hussein Obama for not knowing about the problems at Walter Reed, who tried to say we need to spend, spend, spend, spend, spend, spend. “I didn’t know until the story broke.”

19:21 – A public-sector retiree broad (3 in a row, BTW), who lived in Iran in the 1960s – Would you use force or diplomacy? To Hiliary – “I would’ve used diplomacy much earlier.” Blitzer to Hiliary – What if diplomacy fails? – “I don’t get into hypotheticals.” To Breck – How far would you go? – “They rallied for us after 9/11.” (that’s news to me) “Carrot of nuclear fuel…” (Because that worked so well with North Korea) “…and stick of economic sanctions.” (Gee, I recall the E3 trying diplomacy with Iran the last umpteen years with no success). To Doddering – “They’re a decade away from weaponizing the nukes.” (Two words – container ship) “I wouldn’t use force unless they had the missile fueling up.”

19:26 – College prof (finally, a guy) – Would you continue to support Pakistan?. To Hiliary – “I’ll continue realpolitik.” Blitzer to Kucinich – We know where in Pakistan Osama bin Laden is, he’ll be there for only 20 minutes, and we’ll incur collateral damage, would you take the shot? “No.” (Osama and company had no qualms about trying to take you out, asshat.) Same to Hussein Obama – “Osama is a military target, but we let him get away because we were distracted.” (er, Hussein, we weren’t focused on Iraq in December 2001). Blitzer to the group – Would you authorize a hit on Osama? All but Kucinich raised their hands, and Hiliary expounded by saying that S(l)ick Willie “tried” (not as hard as he “tried” on his “middle-class tax cut). Breck Girl brays about what would happen if we took out Musharraf in Pakistan.

19:32 – Another public-sector employee, a psychologist at a high school – Darfur To Biden – He sounds a lot like Bush in fall 2002-spring 2003. Blitzer to the group – Should we use force to end the genocide in Darfur? – Hiliary dodging the hypotheticals again (so what the fuck are you for?) Blitzer to Richardson – Would you use force? – “No. Let’s continue what hasn’t worked, and boycot the ChiCom Olympics.” (because that worked soooo well when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979). To Doddering – “Peanut Farmer was wrong in 1980, Richardson would be wrong now.” To Breck Girl – “We don’t have the moral authority anymore. Let’s set up schools in Africa.” (ignoring that we are setting up schools in Afghanistan only because we used force). To Hussein Obama – Missed it. Blitzer to the group – Would you repeat Peanut Farmer’s boycott? Breck and Richardson say yes. Blitzer to Richardson again – “I would close Club Gitmo.”

19:39 – Skull full of mush – Mandatory service? To Gravel – “Not mandatory, but we’d give you free college if you did serve.” To Kucinich – “Not mandatory, but we would have the feds do what churches used to do.” To Doddering – “I joined the Peace Corps because of Kennedy. We don’t need a draft, but we’ll bribe you with free college.”

19:42 – A self-employed computer consultant – What is “rich”? (how did he slip through?). To Hussein Obama – “$250K/year, and we want 39.6% of that.” Blitzer pushing for what income level would earn a Hussein Obama tax cut – “We want to spend, spend, spend.” To Breck Girl – “I’d rather not say, but it’s $200K/year. Free college for all who slave for the gubmint!”

19:46 – Ex-hair-salon owner (guy) – How would you balance the budget, taxes or spending? To Richardson – “I’ve ‘balanced’ 5 budgets, so I’d defund the war and spend on domestic programs. I would also like a line-item veto, and ignore the contradiction between my call for the end to ‘corporate welfare’ and call for growth in the economy. The latter, if we could grow it a bit more, would solve everything without any cuts.” To Kucinich – “Stop the war, end the trade deficit by pushing labor unions on the rest of the world via bilateral deals.”

19:50 – Anonymous blogger – Democrats have vowed to weed out corruption and earmarks. Would you vow, if elected, to veto any bill with earmarks? To Doddering – “I won’t commit.” (channeling Hiliary) “PAYGO, espeically on tax cuts.” To Gravel – Is it time to get rid of earmarks? “Yes, and we need a line-item veto, but they won’t give it” (Congress tried, but it was SCOTUS that struck it down). To Hiliary – “We had it 6 years ago” (no thanks to your husband) “AMT needs to be reformed and hopefully, eventually eliminated.” (er, it was your fellow RATs that created it). Back to Gravel – “Why did you raid SocSecurity, you wascally Congresscritters.” To Kucinich – “It’s all money’s fault.” To Biden – “Public financing of elections.” (better to defund gubmint, because money is power, and gubmint has more than campaigns).

19:55 – Back to the public sectors and a teacher – Your 100-day plan?. To Breck – “Respect, poor, and focus on foreign diplomacy.” (the Islamokazis hate our values, and RAT values specifically). To Hiliary – “Retreat and defeat from Iraq.” To Hussein Obama – SAME To Richardson – “Education.” (because federalizing education worked soooo well the last 30 years). To Biden – “Retreat and defeat from Iraq, and ignore that it would make defusing Iran and North Korea impossible.” To Kucinich – “Make the world safe for Islam while instituting Canada’Care'”. To Gravel – “Congress could end the war now by defunding.” To Doddering – “Restore the Constitution.”

19:59 – END!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!

20:32 – Semi-instant thoughts (trying to put aside that I don’t want any of these people in the Oval Office):
– CNN did a pretty nice job of trying to keep this pack of bloviators on track without the distractions of the gong show. Now, will they repeat this on Tuesday?
– Memo to the ‘Rats – You’re not running against Bush. Indeed, unless the rest of the Pubbie field drops out and The Other Thompson (the one that is officially in the race, but barely) is the nominee, you won’t be running against anybody with ANY ties to the Bush administration.
– Memo to Hillary – The 2006 playbook was a unique situation. Hypotheticals are one of two things we the voters have to go on to judge what you would do in office.

And with that, I’m done.

Revisions/extensions (07:36 5/16/2007) – Just so you’re not confused about the “DING”s, that’s the bell that Fox News used to let everybody know one of these jokers passed their time limit, not me agreeing with any particular thing that one of these jokers said.

After proving that they’re braver than the Dems by debating on The Main Enemy’s Network (in the Pubbies’ case, MSNBC), Fox News proudly presents Round 2 among the 10 announced Pubbie candidates from South Carolina tonight at 8 Central. Burning questions:

– Will Rudy Giuliani further alienate himself among conservatives?
– How will John McCain mark the passing of Jerry Falwell?
– How many times will Tommy Thompson have a “hearing aid failure”?
– Do ANY of these jokers have a chance against Fred Thompson when he finally announces?

Joining in the live-blogging – Sister Toldjah, who deserves the break after suffering through MSNBC, and Free Republic, and Hot Air (added at 19:37), and Ace of Spades, who’s hosting the drinking games (added 19:58)

19:27 (I don’t feel like typing “p.m.”; deal with it) – Sean Hackbarth has a few more questions. My favorite, especially since I don’t recall any South Carolina sports heroes – “What local sports hero will Sen. Sam Brownback slight?”

19:32 – Somebody slap some sense into Ted Olson. Ted, you’re a great guy, but Rudy is a liberal.

19:48 – Katon Dawson (SC GOP Chair) advocates pandering. Also, it seems the Fox clock is a bit fast.

19:51 – The candidates are up on the stage for pre-debate photo ops, and Alan Colmes is wondering who will run the furthest away from President Bush (my money’s on Ron Paul).

20:00 – We go live to Brit Hume.

20:01 – Ground rules – 1 minute to answer, 30 seconds to rebut at the discretion of Hume, and we’ve got the bell instead of the buzzer. No react on Falwell because there’s been enough.

20:05 – Chris Wallace – McCain, why should Americans continue to die if Iraqis aren’t stepping up? If we fail in Iraq, we will see Iraq become a haven for Al Qaeda and they will follow us home. The surge is a good strategy. Says war has been mishandled, Maliki government needs to step up.

20:06 – Wallace – Tommy, explain your plan to force the Iraqi government to vote on our presence and split the oil revenues. If the 18 provinces elected their government like we elected governors, blah, blah, blah.

20:07 – Wallace – Romney, would you pull out without victory? No, brings up the Caliphate.

20:08 – Wallace – Brownback, should we as a country pull together? Yes, blasts the DhimmiRATs for pushing for defeat. Pushes a weak federal/strong 3-state solution. DING DING DING!

20:10 – Wallace – Rudi, is your commitment to win open-ended unlike the Senate “Pubbies” who want us out in September if there’s no progress? Brings up the Fort Dix 6

20:12 – Wallace – Tancredo, are you giving the Islamokazis a timetable? Trying to retreat from a retreat-and-defeat. DING DING! Wallace – Paul, “Are you running for the nomination of the wrong party?” – Quagmire! Brings up Reagan’s retreat from Beirut. DING DING!

20:14 – Hunter – As we get the Iraqi Army up, we’re going to get the heavy troops out.

20:15 – Huckabee – You better get the best advice you can.

20:16 – Question from Harry in Boston – “Would you do a pre-emptive strike against Iran?” Gilmore – Continue the EU3 approach.

20:18 – Golner taking over – Whacks “Flip Flop Mitt” on the tax issue. Romney claims he didn’t raise taxes (must’ve went to the Craps School of Tax Issues). Add Michelle Malkin to the liveblogging brigade.

20:20 – McShame defending his opposition to the Bush tax cuts by saying nobody cut spending.

20:21 – Line of the night from Huckabee – Congress “has spent money like John Edwards in a beauty shop”, as he pushes the “Fair”Tax.

20:22 – Golner whacking Rudi on his free-spending ways in NYC.

20:23 – Brownback pushing corn-a-hole, biodiesel, drilling, conservation (in that order) as the answer to high gas prices. Be “energy-secure in North America in 15 years.”

20:24 – Brian from Ft Wayne – “What would you do to control pork spending?”. Tommy not telling the whole truth about Wisconsin (he merely spent like McCain’s drunken sailor instead of the Rat Legislature’s planned passed-out sailor). Would eliminate the CDC stockpile program, couldn’t list 2 others.

20:26-20:28 – Paul would kill Energy, Education, Homeland Security. DING DING!

20:29 – Third Rail of Social Security is out there for Gilmore. Pushes caps, culture change to self-sufficiency, tax cuts. All-but-calls out Rudi and McShame.

20:30 – Hunter on trade – Enforce the trade laws with Red China, zero out the manufacturing taxes. “Arsenal of Democracy is leaving our shores.”

20:31 – Tancredo – Pubbies lost the mantle of fiscal responsibility. Takes whacks at No Child Left Behind, MediScare Part D. DING DING!

20:32 – BREAK!!!

20:36 – Wallace is back. Gilmore asked about the shots taken at the opposition. Breaks out the abortion record of Rudi, the tax-hiking of Huckabee and gubmint health care plan of Romney by name.

20:37 – Rudi, are pro-abortion/pro-gun-grab/pro-DhimmiRAT stands true conservatism? – “I don’t think Rudy McRomney would make a bad ticket.” BOOO!!!!! Starts taking shots at Hitlery’s outright Communism. Didn’t answer in 1 minute, then goes back to Club for Growth.

20:40 – McShame, are tax hikes, amnesty and speech silencing true conservatism? – It’s bipartisanship, baby. Whacking Islamofascism uber alles.

20:41 – Huckabee, are tax hikes true conservatism? – I don’t apologize for raising taxes and government spending.

20:43 – Romney, are gun-grabbing, gay rights (back in 1994, Romney was proud to be more pro-homosex than The Swimmer), and pro-abortion true conservatism? – I’m as conservative as Taxachusetts can stand.

20:44 – Brownback, is amnesty true conservatism? – Yes, just as it was in 1986. DING DING!

20:45 – Back to Wendell asking The Other Thompson about stem cells – There’s enough stem cells, embryonic and otherwise, to not destroy any more embryos.

20:47 – Rudi – slavery bad, abortion good.

20:48 – Huckabee – Life begins at conception. Amen.

20:49 – Wendell trying to goad Brownback into allowing abortion on demand for rape victims. No dice, as it IS a child.

20:50 – Wendell trying to goad Romney into going back to his pro-abort state. Romney’s “Road to Damascus” moment was looking at rows of embryos destined to be destroyed for research.

20:52 – Finally back to Wallace asking Tancredo about immigration. Line of the night part two – “I believe those conversions when they happen on the Road to Damascus and not the Road to De Moines”.

20:53 – McShame proud of the pending Amnesty Lite.

20:56 – Romney wants those here illegally to first go home then apply legally. McShame-Swimmer will do to immigration what McShame-Slimeroad did to campaign finance.

20:57 – Rebuttal from McShame – I’m proud of the McShame-Slimeroad Lieberal Protetion Act.

20:58 – Rudi pressed on his old line of wanting illegals in NYC. Pushes biometrics and a national ID. DING DING!

20:59 – Scott from Colorado Springs – “How would you prevent illegals from using social services?”. Hunter – I built the San Diego border fence. Rips Bush for a “case of the slows” on the border fence. Removal of the revolving door would help.

21:00 – Wendell back – Paul, since you’re an isolationist, are you running for the wrong nomination? – Paul ignores recent history to spew ancient history. DING DING! Wendell whacks back by asking whether 9/11 changed anything – Paul still wants to go back to Fortress America.

21:03 – Rudi whacks Paul for saying that Iraq was the reason for 9/11. Make that WHACK.

21:04 – Royce from Philly – “Should SC fly the Confederate flag from state buildings?”. McCain – It shouldn’t have been a state issue (follow-up, whose issue is it then?), and I’m glad it’s no longer on top of the state Capitol.

21:06 – Huckabee asked about some guy who got paroled while he was governor who committed a heinous crime. Started blaming the parole board and the previous governor, said he denied clemency but fessed up to not having perfect foresight when it came out he said the con met the conditions for a parole hearing.

21:07 – Wendell brings up Gorebal Warming. Tancredo – I don’t quite buy it, but I want to cut petroleum products for security reasons. Oh, and Paul, you’re an ass.

21:10 – BREAK!

21:13 – Brit large and in charge. Premise – We’ve been hit by suicide bombers 3 times at shopping centers and a 4th attack was averted when we caught them and sent them to Club Gitmo. We think they have info on more planned attacks. McCain, how far would you go? It’s on my head, and I still oppose torture.

21:15 – Rudi, should waterboarding be used? – If we knew the terrorists had the info, use every means necessary.

21:16 – Romney, same question. – The key’s prevention. I’d be glad that they’re at Club Gitmo away from the lawyers. “We should double Guantamino.” “Enanced interrogation”, not torture.

21:17 – Brit adds to this – we’ve found out they trained in West Africa in a country that is hostile to us. Tommy, what would you do? – Trust, but verify, then kick ass.

21:18 – Brownback, would you go to the UN? HELL NO! American lives matter more than international opinion. Shoot first, apologize later.

21:19 – Hunter, same questions – Let’s kick ass quickly.

21:20 – McShame, are “enhanced interrogation” techniques torture? – Yes (I hope you don’t watch “24”, McShame).

21:21 – Gilmore, what would you do to protect the economy in this attack? – I have the experience because the Pentagon is in Virginia. I would tell the UN we’re kicking ass, and if you want in, come on in, and if you don’t, stay out of our way. Pushes info sharing. DING DING!

21:22 – Huckabee, what economic policies would you change? – It was good for President Bush to urge us back onto planes and into malls, but it will never be business as usual. Sacrifice as in WWII.

21:23 – Paul, same question (pointing out tax cuts helped) – Cut taxes, cut spending. Dances around the torture issue, and adopts the DhimmiRAT line on Afghanistan.

21:25 – Tancredo – “I’m looking for Jack Bauer.” I don’t recall Brit saying these were nukes.

21:26 – Finishing with Wallace – What does it say that there’s no woman or minority in the Gang of 10? Gilmore – Brought up the church burnings. Wallace pushes for an answer. They haven’t stood up yet.

21:29 – Romney, what flip-flops did you do that made you less popular with Pubbies? – No Child Left Behind, because I supported killing Dept. of Ed. back in 1994.

21:30 – Wendell – Hunter, is the ChiComs holding boku Treasury bonds a security threat? – Yes, and their arming is also a a threat.

21:30 – OVER AND OUT!

So, who won? I think the easier answer is, “Who lost?” Let’s start with Truther Ron Paul. He’s a 19th-century Fortress America guy in a 21st-century world. John McCain definitely is a one-note pony, and he’s not even all that strong on that one note. The Other Thompson is way out of his league, and considering that this league doesn’t have any stars, that’s saying a lot. Mitt Romney once again has proven that he’s the Republican John Kerry. Rudy Giuliani, while incredibly strong on his one note of national security, is anything but conservative. The rest of the field didn’t get much face time.

Bring on Fred!

One last update (22:32) – Allow me to explain The Other Thompson’s “1,900 veto” claim. Wisconsin has the broadest partial veto in the nation, and Tommy took it to such an extreme, the state Supreme Court said he could no longer strike individual characters (funny how they went to the tall grass when Jim “Craps” Doyle rewrote entire pages via the partial-veto pen). The 1,900 number is the number of times he struck letters/numbers/words from the budget.

First, Tommy (The Other) Thompson turned a minor gaffe in the MSNBC South Carolina debate when answering a question on whether a small business could fire a homosexual (a trap question if there ever was one) into a big one by apologizing again and again and again and again and again and again after first blaming his hearing aid. Memo for Tommy; unless you are the most-liberal Pubbie in a primary or a ‘Rat, apologizing again and again and again and again after inserting your foot in your mouth is only going to encourage the presstitutes to keep going after you. Last I checked, while you’re no conservative, there are at least 2 candidates more liberal than you in the Pubbie primary.

Then, ABC News tries to make a big deal over a donation that Ann Romney, Mitt’s wife made to Planned Parenthood back when both Romneys were pro-abortion (H/T – Matt Lewis). Do note that there is no evidence that Mitt, the Republican version of Flipper Kerry, donated to Planned Parenthood.

Now, mere hours after that meltdown, The New York Times is reporting Rudy Giuliani, who actually did donate to Planned Parenthood in the past, is planning on reaffirming his pro-abortion creds in a bid to use the large liberal states of Super Duper Tuesday to get him the nomination (H/T – Allahpundit and Jim Robinson). I don’t think I can put it better than AP – “Or, to put it slightly differently, ignore the deep red states he needs to win in November in favor of blue states he has little chance of stealing from the Democrats. Sounds like a plan.” (emphasis in the original).

And this one is a special for Nick. Ace dug up a few video and audio clips of Ron Paul channeling Rosie O’Donnell on Iran, 9/11, and the Fed. OOPS!

I think Uncle Jimbo is right when he said that Fred Thompson doesn’t need to get in just yet. By the time September rolls around, I expect nobody will be left on the Republican side to oppose him.

(H/T – Phel, who wishes it would work for her)

This little gem comes to us out of the mouth of Barak Hussein Obama explaining away his “10,000 dead” line –

“There are going to be times when I get tired,” he said. “There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes.”

Every Pubbie wishes that it would work for them. Unfortunately, unless you’ve got the “D” after your name and you have a natural tan or a last name of “Clinton” or “Kennedy”, it doesn’t.