2nd Tier Huck, 3rd Tier Paul Steal G.O.P. Debate

"Maybe it's past his bed time."

John McCain had the best one-line response to why Fred Thompson didn't attend the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire Wednesday night.

Thompson skipped the debate for a much bigger audience on The Tonight Show, where he officially launched his candidacy.

I watched the replay of the entire debate on FOX Newschannel because you probably didn't have time to. Here's the rundown: (Psst . . . if you can only read one bullet, scoot down to bullet 5, and the debate between "lower-tier candidates" Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. It's the moment of the night.)

• On illegal immigration, McCain recalls attending a 4th of July ceremony in Iraq where 128 green-card holders re-enlisted. 2 had died prior to that ceremony. "These people are brave, they're wonderful and they want to be citizens of this country, and I'm proud of them," McCain says. Nice pivot on the touchy topic for the Arizona Senator to humanize the issue. Mitt Romney wants to come down hard, and cut federal funding for so-called "sanctuary cities." He notes New York City. A direct jab at Rudy Giuliani.
• On abortion, Romney calls for overturning Roe vs. Wade, but then allowing each state to make its own abortion law. Mike Huckabee wants to adopt a national "human life amendment," recognizing that life begins at conception.
• Sam Brownback gets some boos for calling for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Welcome to the Granite State!
  
• "I was once the commanding officer of the largest squadron of the United States Navy. I didn't manage it, I lead it," McCain says, in a sideswipe at Giuliani's national security credentials. Giuliani says he's not running on 9-11, he's running as the former mayor of America's largest city.
• "The surge is apparently working," says Romney. If that's true, we can bring down troop levels, he adds. "Governor, the surge is working," McCain replies. "Not apparently, it's working." McCain says the great debate will be in the U.S. Senate later this month on whether or not to set a date for withdrawal. "I can assure you, it's more than apparent, it's working." McCain has emotion and gets big applause for this answer. And, oh yeah, he don't like Romney. Ron Paul gets even bigger applause for calling for the withdrawal of troops. Chris Wallace asks if Paul if he takes his marching orders from Al Qaeda. Paul says he takes his marching orders from the Constitution. This independent-thinking crowd seems to give Paul a slight edge over Wallace. Huckabee says "we have to continue the surge." Huckabee then hat-tips McCain for his "honor." Classy touch, but that's Huck. "We bought it, because we broke it," Huckabee tells Paul. Paul blames the neo-cons, not the American people. Huckabee says the nation needs to stay united for the cause of Iraq, even if some disagreed. "We're the United States of America, not the divided states of America," Huckabee says. Paul says it's the obligation of the country to correct the mistake, not make it worse. He says "we've dug a hole for ourselves, and dug a hole for our party." "We're losing elections and we're going down next year if we don't change it," Paul says. "Even if we lose elections, we should not lose our honor and that is more important than the Republican party," Huckabee retorts. **THIS IS THE MOMENT OF THE DEBATE** Fox gets props for allowing this exchange to go on. It's real and raw. The G.O.P. needs it, the nation needs it. And of course, it's great television.
• A questioner in a diner skewers Romney for comparing his sons' service in Iowa to his son's service in Iraq. He also says he doesn't gets Romney's end-game plan in Iraq. Romney won't yet say the surge is a success. Wait for the report, he says. On civil liberties: "The most important civil liberty I expect from my government, is my right to be kept alive," Romney says. Tom Tancredo doesn't believe water-boarding is "quote, torture." McCain says anything we'd ever gain from torturing can't be counterbalanced by the damage it would do to America's reputation. "The retired military . . . sided with me. Those who had no military experience, took the other side," McCain notes. Giuliani says Guantanamo has to stay open because there's nowhere else to put the terrorists. Duncan Hunter (remember him?) also says it has to stay open.
• McCain won't sign the official pledge against raising taxes. He says his record speaks for itself. "I don't have to sign pledges," he says. He then pivots to attacking spending. "I pledge to the American people I will veto every pork barrel bill that comes across my desk," he says. He says he voted against the Bush tax cut because there was no restraints in spending. McCain says we'd be talking about additional tax cuts today if spending hadn't spun out of control. Giuliani won't take the American for Tax Reform pledge either. "It's a matter of principle. I think if you're president of the United States, you take one pledge, to uphold the Constitution of the United States," Giuliani says. He says he lowered 23 different taxes as Mayor of New York. Romney didn't raise taxes in Massachusetts, he raised fees. Difference? You decide. $260 million bucks in fees, according to moderator Chris Wallace. Romney says he was forced to close a budget hole in a Democratic state. Huckabee supports the "Fair Tax." Wallace cites a study that says it only benefits the poor and the rich. Huckabee says it ends the underground economy. "Everybody has to pay," Huckabee says.
  
• A questioner asks Rudy about his family values, kind of. "I'm not running as the perfect candidate," Giuliani says. He's also not taking the bait of talking about his ex-wives or the relationship with his kids.

So who won? I think Huckabee and McCain did well. Rudy had his moments. And Romney continues to take fire, whether it's from his opponents, or even right-of-center journalists at Fox. He seems to always be depending some sort of flip-flop or contradictory position. The question becomes, when does his body armor begin to wear?