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9:50 — Second commercial break. Quick takes: Paul winning the crowd, Pawlenty seems to be playing it safe.
9:49 — And we've got our first Donald Trump question, but it's about his call for a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports. Johnson says "I'm a free-market guy... I don't favor tariffs."
9:48 — Paul: "I think Israel has to do what's in its interests and not ask us for our permission. ... But I think they've become too dependent on us."
9:47 — Asked if he'd cut off aid to Pakistan, Santorum: "We have tolerated a lot of bad behavior on the part of Pakistan... and we have not done what President Bush said originally, which is that either you are with or against us." He speaks of an ultimatum before aid. "We need strong leadership. We need at a dangerous time for our security, a president to say, 'you either cooperate with us, or there will be consequences.' ... They have to be a partner, not an antagonist."
9:46 — Asked if he'd cut off aid to Pakistan, Santorum: "We have tolerated a lot of bad behavior on the part of Pakistan... and we have not done what President Bush said originally, which is that either you are with or against us." He speaks of an ultimatum before aid. "We need strong leadership. We need at a dangerous time for our security, a president to say, 'you either cooperate with us, or there will be consequences."
9:45 — Pawlenty says he was first to call for Libya no-fly zone. "Had the president been decisive at that moment... we could have shoved [Qadhafi] out. What the president did is wait, the better part of a month."
9:41 — Johnson: "I think we should make it as easy as possible to get a work visa. ... Immigration needs to be about work. Not welfare."
9:39 — Cain says Arizona didn't go too far with immigration law.
(Way to win the Hispanic vote!)
9:37 — Quick take: Moderators treating Pawlenty like the front-runner on the stage.
9:36 — Pawlenty being confronted with his record, deficits he left behind. TPaw says every budget he did was in the black, and the deficits are projected deficits based on too much spending that he held back. "The idea that I left a deficit is just wrong."
9:35 — Johnson's upset. "It's like 9 questions for these guys and none for me."
(Call the Whaaambulance!)
9:34 — When Chris Wallace tells Cain that experts say a fair tax would result in tax cut for wealthy and tax increase for the middle class, Cain says: "With all due respect, your experts are wrong."
9:32 — Paul, asked about debt limit, "I'd sort of like to follow the Constitution and then we wouldn't have these problems." Gets more applause for anti-Fed rhetoric.
9:30 — Santorum asked if blocking health care reform is more important than keeping the country from debt-limit default. "We are at a critical country time in our country with debt. ... What Obamacare does is... take control of people's lives. To me it's a game-changer and it has to be stopped. As conservatives we have to stand up and stop this."
9:27 — First commercial break, focus goes to government spending upon return.
9:24 — Santorum asked if he'd repeal prescription Medicare drug benefit, a vote he's said he regrets. Says he'd make it a more private sector design, a la Paul Ryan's plan. "We need to have a plan that is run efficiently, that is private sector, and is not an unlimited entitlement."
9:22 — On to health care, Pawlenty asked about criticism of Mitt Romney's health care plan. "Gov. Romney's not here to defend himself, so I'm not going to pick on him... the direction for health care reform is to empower individuals and businesses to make the choices that are best for them."
9:21 — Cain says president can "establish a real energy independence plan," could be done "if we had the leadership. ... If the world believed we were serious about energy independence... the speculators would stop speculating up, and they'd speculate down."
9:19 — Johnson says elimination of corporate income tax will "literally creates tens of thousands of jobs overnight." Implies unemployment compensation makes it harder for people to get back to work.
(Fuck, yeah, let 'em starve)
9:17 — After 15 minutes, we're on to the economy.
9:16 — Scuffle over whether candidates would approve resumption of waterboarding under certain circumstances. Paul says no, Santorum says waterboarding helped find bin Laden.
(LOL!)
9:15 — Pawlenty takes a more aggressive tack, saying it's the government's first responsibility to protect Americans. "We need to do everything we can, within our values systems and our legal structures, to protect Americans."
9:14 — Early take: Libertarian foreign policy stances make Paul a crowd favorite.
9:13 — Paul decries secret military prisons, "keeping people there for years without due process. ... It's more typical of an authoritarian government. ... Why are we afraid of openness? ... We should treat people the way we think we might be treated under dire circumstances. ... We do not need these secret prisons, nor do we need the torture that goes on in these secret prisons."
9:13 — Paul decries secret military prisons, "keeping people there for years without due process. ... It's more typical of an authoritarian government."
9:11 — Santorum, confronted with past statement that Muslims are pre-disposed to extremism, says "I'm not anti-Islam." Says he's just realistic, and that there's an opportunity to "engage those in the Muslim world... who want to abandon those radical principles."
9:09 — Johnson says Afghanistan withdrawal should start "tomorrow, and I realize that tomorrow may mean several months. ... We're building schools, roads and highways, and we're borrowing... to do it. In my opinion, this is crazy.
9:07 — Cain on Afghanistan: "It's not clear what the mission is." Says he still doesn't have enough information to formulate his own very specific strategy.
9:06 — Ron Paul: "Nation-building in Afghanistan" had nothing to do with finding bin Laden. "We went to Afghanistan to get him, and he hasn't been there. Now that he is killed, it is a wonderful time to... get out of this war."
9:05 — Santorum says bin Laden mission "was a tactical decision." Says anything Obama has done right was a continuation of Bush policies.
(LULZ)
9:04 — When all five are asked to raise their hands if they would release bin Laden photos, all but Cain raise their hands. "I would not," Cain says.
9:03 — First question goes to Pawlenty, juxtaposing recent criticism of Obama's foreign policy with killing of Osama bin Laden. "I do congratulate President Obama for the fine job he did... but that moment is not the sum total of America's foreign policy. He's made a number of other decisions... that I don't agree with." Criticizes Obama on Libya strategy.
9:01 — And we're off, with introductions of the candidates.
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/perm/0511/050511_debate_liveblog.html
9:49 — And we've got our first Donald Trump question, but it's about his call for a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports. Johnson says "I'm a free-market guy... I don't favor tariffs."
9:48 — Paul: "I think Israel has to do what's in its interests and not ask us for our permission. ... But I think they've become too dependent on us."
9:47 — Asked if he'd cut off aid to Pakistan, Santorum: "We have tolerated a lot of bad behavior on the part of Pakistan... and we have not done what President Bush said originally, which is that either you are with or against us." He speaks of an ultimatum before aid. "We need strong leadership. We need at a dangerous time for our security, a president to say, 'you either cooperate with us, or there will be consequences.' ... They have to be a partner, not an antagonist."
9:46 — Asked if he'd cut off aid to Pakistan, Santorum: "We have tolerated a lot of bad behavior on the part of Pakistan... and we have not done what President Bush said originally, which is that either you are with or against us." He speaks of an ultimatum before aid. "We need strong leadership. We need at a dangerous time for our security, a president to say, 'you either cooperate with us, or there will be consequences."
9:45 — Pawlenty says he was first to call for Libya no-fly zone. "Had the president been decisive at that moment... we could have shoved [Qadhafi] out. What the president did is wait, the better part of a month."
9:41 — Johnson: "I think we should make it as easy as possible to get a work visa. ... Immigration needs to be about work. Not welfare."
9:39 — Cain says Arizona didn't go too far with immigration law.
(Way to win the Hispanic vote!)
9:37 — Quick take: Moderators treating Pawlenty like the front-runner on the stage.
9:36 — Pawlenty being confronted with his record, deficits he left behind. TPaw says every budget he did was in the black, and the deficits are projected deficits based on too much spending that he held back. "The idea that I left a deficit is just wrong."
9:35 — Johnson's upset. "It's like 9 questions for these guys and none for me."
(Call the Whaaambulance!)
9:34 — When Chris Wallace tells Cain that experts say a fair tax would result in tax cut for wealthy and tax increase for the middle class, Cain says: "With all due respect, your experts are wrong."
9:32 — Paul, asked about debt limit, "I'd sort of like to follow the Constitution and then we wouldn't have these problems." Gets more applause for anti-Fed rhetoric.
9:30 — Santorum asked if blocking health care reform is more important than keeping the country from debt-limit default. "We are at a critical country time in our country with debt. ... What Obamacare does is... take control of people's lives. To me it's a game-changer and it has to be stopped. As conservatives we have to stand up and stop this."
9:27 — First commercial break, focus goes to government spending upon return.
9:24 — Santorum asked if he'd repeal prescription Medicare drug benefit, a vote he's said he regrets. Says he'd make it a more private sector design, a la Paul Ryan's plan. "We need to have a plan that is run efficiently, that is private sector, and is not an unlimited entitlement."
9:22 — On to health care, Pawlenty asked about criticism of Mitt Romney's health care plan. "Gov. Romney's not here to defend himself, so I'm not going to pick on him... the direction for health care reform is to empower individuals and businesses to make the choices that are best for them."
9:21 — Cain says president can "establish a real energy independence plan," could be done "if we had the leadership. ... If the world believed we were serious about energy independence... the speculators would stop speculating up, and they'd speculate down."
9:19 — Johnson says elimination of corporate income tax will "literally creates tens of thousands of jobs overnight." Implies unemployment compensation makes it harder for people to get back to work.
(Fuck, yeah, let 'em starve)
9:17 — After 15 minutes, we're on to the economy.
9:16 — Scuffle over whether candidates would approve resumption of waterboarding under certain circumstances. Paul says no, Santorum says waterboarding helped find bin Laden.
(LOL!)
9:15 — Pawlenty takes a more aggressive tack, saying it's the government's first responsibility to protect Americans. "We need to do everything we can, within our values systems and our legal structures, to protect Americans."
9:14 — Early take: Libertarian foreign policy stances make Paul a crowd favorite.
9:13 — Paul decries secret military prisons, "keeping people there for years without due process. ... It's more typical of an authoritarian government. ... Why are we afraid of openness? ... We should treat people the way we think we might be treated under dire circumstances. ... We do not need these secret prisons, nor do we need the torture that goes on in these secret prisons."
9:13 — Paul decries secret military prisons, "keeping people there for years without due process. ... It's more typical of an authoritarian government."
9:11 — Santorum, confronted with past statement that Muslims are pre-disposed to extremism, says "I'm not anti-Islam." Says he's just realistic, and that there's an opportunity to "engage those in the Muslim world... who want to abandon those radical principles."
9:09 — Johnson says Afghanistan withdrawal should start "tomorrow, and I realize that tomorrow may mean several months. ... We're building schools, roads and highways, and we're borrowing... to do it. In my opinion, this is crazy.
9:07 — Cain on Afghanistan: "It's not clear what the mission is." Says he still doesn't have enough information to formulate his own very specific strategy.
9:06 — Ron Paul: "Nation-building in Afghanistan" had nothing to do with finding bin Laden. "We went to Afghanistan to get him, and he hasn't been there. Now that he is killed, it is a wonderful time to... get out of this war."
9:05 — Santorum says bin Laden mission "was a tactical decision." Says anything Obama has done right was a continuation of Bush policies.
(LULZ)
9:04 — When all five are asked to raise their hands if they would release bin Laden photos, all but Cain raise their hands. "I would not," Cain says.
9:03 — First question goes to Pawlenty, juxtaposing recent criticism of Obama's foreign policy with killing of Osama bin Laden. "I do congratulate President Obama for the fine job he did... but that moment is not the sum total of America's foreign policy. He's made a number of other decisions... that I don't agree with." Criticizes Obama on Libya strategy.
9:01 — And we're off, with introductions of the candidates.
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/perm/0511/050511_debate_liveblog.html