Moderator claims immigration is one Iowans do not think they need more info on. If so, the candidates sure are wasting a ton of money since that is the focus of ads there!

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:03:21 PM EST

Moderators always mishandle "no precise times" formats.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:04:11 PM EST

Rudy is first. fiscal discipline and spending caps, no rehire when workers in gov. retire, reduce corporate tax. Says he would not say economic debt is a risk to national security, Islamic fundamentalism is.

Duncan Hunter: communist China cheats on trade. Twin deficits, budget and trade.

Paul: absolutely a threat to national security. Will destroy the currency.

Tancredo: importation of oil from people who are not our friends (he is on trade deficit, not budget deficit). Did not mention immigration!!

Thompson $9 trillion debt squeezes defense spending. Entitlements are the problem.

Romney: this is a time of extraordinary challenges. The future is bright. Pablum. schools, health care, etc. No answer! Don't look to Wahsington.

Huckabee -- is a threat -- need to feed itself, fuel itself and fight for itself. Outsourcing everything enslaves us.

McCain -- a nation without economic strength loses mil. strength. Oil dollars go to terrorists, too. Manhatten project FIVE YEARS to oil independence!!!!

Keyes: secure the blessings, spigot of ambition, political clicques.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:11:31 PM EST

Rudy: fed gov lower its spending, the problem is not lack of sacrifice by American people. Follow up: what sacrifices to cut fed spending? A: they have to try to find other ways to do it (non answer). Nanny health care is bad. Heal thyself!!!!!

Paul: freedom is not a sacrifice. 700 overseas bases. Cut there.

Huckabee: "do things differently" "prevention based health care model" "like American businesses . . " "kill the snake, not just address the snakebites."

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:15:01 PM EST

Romney: we can cut a lot of stuff first. "Private sector" teaches . . . Massachusetts, school choice.

Tancredo: there is a clear way to decide what to cut -- "follow the constitution." No gov. "womb to tomb protection" for your life.

Thompson -- yes, military, infrastructure, R&D. I am the risk taker by talking about entitlements. Tell the rich no medicare for you!!

 

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:18:49 PM EST

Keyes: incumbent political ambition sermon. Phonies.

McCain: I do not know.

Huck: Fair Tax (no answer).

Romney: I am concerned about middle class families.

Thomson: I want to be rich like Mitt! Just preserve the old cuts (no answer).

Tancredo: need a new system (no answer).

Paul: inflation hits poor and middle class the hardest.

Hunter: I was interrupted by phone call but who cares, it was Hunter.

Rudy: dead people (death tax is unfair!)

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:23:47 PM EST

timeout from debate, candidates just get to give their elevator speeches.

Hunter built that border fence, btw.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:24:40 PM EST

and little follow up.

Paul is supposed to do trade policy in 30 seconds. Says Cuba embargo and monetary system.

Romney: "private sector" "education" "innovation" "level playing field" "off of foreign oil"

Huck: excessive tax, excessive regulation, and excessive litigation are the triple threats to domestic jobs and business.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:27:16 PM EST

McCain -- will open every market in the world to Iowa's products and, redundantly, ethanol. Subsidies are a mistake that distort markets, however. (Also just contradicted his Cuba stance).

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:28:30 PM EST

just enforce it. Trade good. "level playing field" says Rudy.

Fred: free and fair trade good. I have "nothing in particular to point out."

Tancredo: Mexican immigrants prove NAFTA does not work. Sovereignty and Mexican trucks, too.

Hunter: bad deal (not say how to change it).

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:31:24 PM EST

this time Paul, Fred (strong, consistent, common sense conservative)

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:32:45 PM EST

Candidates refuse!!!!!!!!!!

Good for them.

audience applauds to refusal to do yes/no on climate change serious and caused by human activity.

Finally, McCain says, "Me!!"

Rudy: I agree with John.

Who does not agree?
never mind

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:35:07 PM EST

Mitt: there is a free lunch, except for people who are not Americans.

Keyes: "who represents the voice 'they' are determined to overlook, 'the very elites' . . . total bufoonery without an answer.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:37:16 PM EST

Huck, would you increase the mandate? I do not think that is what's necessary. Take better care of the planet. The fed gov is a built in market. let them use alt. fuel.

Hunter: incentives, not mandates.

Tancredo: no mandates. Market best.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:40:14 PM EST

Tancredo opposes immigration in case no one knew.

Huckabee people are looking for leadership and change, a servant class, not a ruling class, represent not the elite, but the ordinary. I AM AN OUTSIDER.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:41:51 PM EST

Yet another issue that does not really divide these guys . . .

McCain: more choice and competition, vouchers, charter schools, home schooling, fire bad teachers. Name checks Bloomberg.

Prediction: others ditto that.

Rudy: ditto.

Hunter: Jaime Escalante Inspiration. Retired high achievers need to teach, not credentialed teachers. Unions are bad.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:45:43 PM EST

Mitt: NCLB testing by Bush was right. English immersion. Scholarships if do well on tests. Fed gov high standards, pay teachers, parental involvement. (Nothing to do with feds). I was great in Mass.

Huckabee: it is a state issue. Fed can share the data.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:48:46 PM EST

your unfairness is so apparent that the voters in Iowa must now understand there is a reason for it.

Judges more powerful than God (my words since they must be if the drove God out of the schools as Keyes claims).

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:50:12 PM EST

dept of ed is the biggest obstacle. Tax credits to teachers plus choice.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:51:06 PM EST

stats do not prove any correlation between teacher unions and poor performance, btw.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:52:21 PM EST

don't need the dept of ed

attacks Huck -- says he should be a governor if he wants to have art and music

Huck says look, I just said share data. I have more exec experience than anyone here. Use the bullt pulpit, communicator in chief. Recklessly irresponsible.

Mitt: says my states (unionized) school kids outperformed yours!

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 02:55:27 PM EST

Rudy: secure against Islamic terrorists, tax reduction, secure the border, reduce size of gov., goal of energy indep.

Hunter: US military "horizon threats" "capability" "border fence" "communist China"

Paul: end the war. become diplomatically credible. end threats of preemptive war.

Tancredo: free that border guard. some vague stuff

Fred: tell the American people the truth that entitlements are bankrupting us, judges have too much power

Mitt: more than talk. Overwhelm global jihad, end illegal immig, end growth in spenfding, Never mind -- he just has list of goals.

Huck: I like the laundry list, too (nice jab at Mitt).nice jab aThe first priority is to be the Pres. of all the United States (I will be the GOP's Obama).

McCain: military. restore trust and confidence in gov by fixing everything!!

Keyes: restore moral sovereignty. womb occupant protection decree.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:03:18 PM EST

Mitt says thank you to Iowa and knows how many counties there are there. Heartland values. I know a lot.

Keyes: GOP has been betrayed with deficits, leaky border, etc.

Rudy: I have been tested, 9/11, US attorney, NYC, "bold leadership."

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:05:39 PM EST

look at our video clips of your answers, guys:

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:07:43 PM EST

Rudy: all the info was available and known. NYC was transparent. Open and transparent gov good.

Keyes wastes our time again but gets in a dig at Rudy and Mitt.

Mitt: not sure I even want to respond, but let me repeat my story on how I flip flopped on abortion. Ronald Reagan did, too, you know.

Rudy: I oppose abortion but keep the gov out of it.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:11:32 PM EST

so how do you know when to trust intel and when not?

Fred: that is a good question. Rely on Brits, Israelis, etc. while we build from bottom up. (Naive and dangerous).

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:12:49 PM EST

Huck on faith, McCain on balancing rights with nat'l security,

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:13:34 PM EST

two examples not previously given on your faith and health care and ed.

Huck: poor people who are sick, all are created equal.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:15:16 PM EST

Another dumb either/or question and Mitt answers with both/and while invoking Ronald Reagan.

Hunter: both. but be sure not to send tech abroad like Bain Capital did to the Chinese.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:17:30 PM EST

Boy does this debate suck.

The moderator is awful, her questions are poorly posed, and she does next to no decent follow up.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:18:31 PM EST

Tanc: "clash of civilizations" sums it up.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:19:36 PM EST

What about Congress and political reality?

Paul: my supporters coined the term. Freedom makes a difference.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:20:46 PM EST

No. I have more legislative achievements and am proud of sticking with my principles. Will reach across the aisle.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:21:48 PM EST

for your opponents.

Keyes.

McCain: raise the level of dialogue in the campaign.

Huck: be more careful about what I say. (them, too).

Mitt: come together when this is over.

Fred: for me

Tancredo: Huckabee needs to change on immigration

Paul: read the constitution

Hunter: buy American

Rudy: realize how fortunate and great we are.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:24:53 PM EST

Awful. Just awful.

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by Ross Smith on 12/12/2007 03:25:51 PM EST