This will break quite some hearts I am sure:

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson dropped out of the race for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination tonight, a day after he finished a disappointing sixth in the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa.

Thompson explained:

“I have no regrets about running,” Thompson said in a statement released by his campaign. “I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as President, but I respect the decision of the voters.”

I really have no idea why Thompson decided to run in the first place. To call him irrelevant is and was an understatement. If someone drops out in August of the year preceeding the actual election year there is only one conclusion possible: he was in way over his head.

MSNBC Breaking News: Tommy Thompson ending presidential bid, campaign official says

Other than John McCain, who has a son at the Naval Academy and another about to report to Marine Corps boot camp, none of the Republican presidential wannabes have sons or daughters serving their country although most are foursquare for the Iraq war and call their Democratic opponents antiwar pansies.

Unless you’re Mitt Romney and you claim that your five sons are serving the country . . . by working in daddy’s campaign.

Are we too inured to hypocrisy in its many forms, large and small?

Should any of this be a campaign issue?

If not why not?

I’ve been out for a few hours - I was speaking as the Jewish representative at a Gay Pride Week Interfaith Service. What did our Republican candidates have to say?

Chris Cillizza at Washington Post’s The Fix

New York Times’ The Caucus

CNN’s Political Ticker

Some Comments from Blogtopia:

John at AMERICAblog: The “gay stuff” from the GOP debate

Joe and John at AMERICAblog: GOP debate open thread

Pam at Pam’s House Blend: Open thread - GOP debate

During the first Republican debate, you could say “They’re off” — because several were off of their game.

But in the second Republican primary debate for the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination you could say “They’re off!” — meaning off and running, scoring points against each other and tossing out snappy soundbite zingers (most likely prepared in advance).

And, in the end, in a debate marked by Fox News moderators quizzing candidates on whether they were REAL conservatives, plus questions to probe whether they had their positions prepared on gun control, abortion and tax cuts, it was clear that the GOP battle for the Presidential nomination is now out of its pro-forma orientation stage. Let the battle — and the negative ads, op research and defining of political opponents — begin.

And the result? Here are some thoughts on the debate from this independent voter (who has voted for candidates from both parties over the years): Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t pay extra for Fox News (CNN, MSNBC etc…) so I’m trying to watch/listen on foxnews.com. I can see them but can hardly hear them, even at top volume. I wonder if I can get it on the radio instead. It’s not on C-Span TV or Radio, apparently.

CNN is blogging it HERE.

Chris Cillizza of WP’s The Fix is blogging it HERE.

OK - I got good audio from Fox Radio and turned off the video.

Gov. Huckabee basically called John Edwards a homosexual while insulting Congress: Washington in recent years has “spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop”

Captain Ed says

Tonight, the second Republican presidential primary debate airs at 8 pm CT — and Blog Talk Radio and Heading Right will team up to cover it. The entire team at Heading Right will be posting live at the site, offering a running conversation as the 90-minute debate progresses. Over a dozen top conservative BTR hosts will debate the debate, live, at the site. In fact — we’ve already begun!

Americans are unique because we worship potential life in the form of fetuses? That’s what I thought I heard Gov. Huckabee say. He really thinks a fetus is a person!

I got a phone call and missed a whole chunk here.

I think the debate is over now.

UPDATE: We posted another post after this one. See our extensive analysis and roundup HERE.

They were identical decaplets, split ten times from the same zygote, and hard to tell apart.

Tonight, all ten GOP men who want to be president of the free world, lined up behind tiny podiums as though they were about to play Jeopardy. They vied just as hard as any time-limited contestant on a game show. They were eager to hit the questions running as soon as they were called on by the moderator, Chris Matthews.

But the deciding factor in the presidential race is going to be authenticity, realness with people about real issues. Not just clabber. Tonight, most of the candidates flunked. Most of the men’s responses were caseworked. Most seemed to have rehearsed facts and figures too hard beforehand. Instead of sounding thoughtful, leaderly, unique… if you closed your eyes and listened only to the words, all of the words could have come from any one of them, or all of them. No differentiation.

Except perhaps for Sen. McCain’s suddenly bellowing about being willing to follow Osama Bin Laden to hell, precisely, the gates of. McCain’s rise in redness and volume whilst saying that, was like listening all evening to muzak but then all of a sudden someone had spliced in three bars of a screaming Robert Plant. Startling ‘pounce and blurt’ followed by ‘a flash and then gone’ sardonicus smile.

The most natural sounding were Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Tommy Thompson… all consummate politicians: old school, deeply experienced as politicos. Regardless of what they say, any pre-planned torque was barely evident.

The one who stumbled badly was Tom Tancredo, giving too long a preamble to answer the question, then failing to pinpoint the year of the Ben Franklin quote he had planned to use. The hook came for him as he stuttered and stumbled, naming the wrong year, correcting himself, sounding rattled and addled. One of those horrible gaffes where “this great quote I want to use to wow you,” overtakes authenticity, and thereby sinks the speaker

It was peculiar too, that in a pack of men, wherein each one professed to be ‘a stand out’ candidate in the GOP nomination race, each one saying in their own way, “I’m the one, I’m the man, the only candidate who is different from all the rest…” all the men were dressed identically…

All were dressed in mourning suits of black and darkest blue, all with moderate lapels. Shirts white and palest blue with short collar points. Their haircuts, all as though cut using the same shallow bowl. Gestures, the same… though the seasoned politicians’ gestures were graceful and relevant to the words being spoken… other men’s gestures seemed fresh from the ‘animated speaking gestures’ course at Dale Carnegie.

The only things to differentiate one man from the next man, were their neckties. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been out running errands and just got home. Not sure if the debate is still going on - here’s some coverage.

Washington Post’s The Fix: GOP Debate Underway

WP The Fix: Giuliani casts himself as candidate of change
WP The Fix: Giuliani struggled with abortion issue

WP The Fix: Romney on Religion

WP The Fix: McCain vs Mitt on Osama
WP The Fix: McCain on the Age Issue
WP The Fix: McCain: Iran poses one of the greatest threats

Are there TEN candidates here? I’ve only heard from 3!

Another Country Heard From! WP The Fix: McCain v. Tancredo on Immigration

All 10 Are Asked About Stem Cell Research: McCain & Giuliani Support It While Romney Waffles - The Rest Oppose It Out of Hand

Once Again, They’re Beating the Late Terri Schiavo - McCain, Romney & Giuliani Now Think Congress Should Have Butted Out

Apparently, Mike Huckabee made a comment earlier:

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) refused to take a shot at Romney, simply insisting that his faith explained him. “A person’s faith should not qualify or disqualify for public office,” said Huckabee.

AP: Giuliani’s Only One to Express Support for Roe v. Wade

Alone among 10 Republican presidential contenders, Rudy Giuliani said in campaign debate Thursday night “it would be OK” if the Supreme Court upholds a 1973 abortion rights ruling. “It would be OK to repeal it. It would be OK also if a strict constructionist viewed it as precedent,” said the former New York city mayor, who has a record of supporting abortion rights.

Joe at AMERICAblog:

Well, Tommy Thompson, that great defender of family values (uh hum) says it’s okay to fire people simply for being gay.

AND

Rudy says it would be “okay” if Roe v. Wade was overturned, i.e., if all abortions were banned.

Brownback says he would support a pro-choice presidential candidate. Yikes, honey I just stabbed the religious right in the back.

Pam’s House Blend: Ten dunces at the Reagan Presidential Library, 8PM

[It was a crappy debate. The main points - McCain looked old, feeble and shaky. Tommy Thompson said it’s ok for employers to continue to have the right to fire gay employees, and we’ve got at least three evolution deniers (Tancredo, Huckabee and either Romney or Brownback). The flip flopping continued — Mitt now thinks getting OBL is worth moving heaven and earth. All of them would like to see the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Everyone thought the running of the Iraq conflicted was FUBAR, but somehow no one pointed the finger directly at Bush The Decider — it was everyone else’s fault. Hey, it was the GOP Congress that gave him a blank check…]

WP The Fix: Debate Wrap-Up

In the first Republican presidential debate of the 2008 race, the ten Republican presidential candidates engaged in a high-spirited debate although none of them were willing to directly criticize each other or President George W. Bush.

George Will wrote an interesting column about Republican candidate Tommy Thompson. He highlights Thompson’s resumé and describes Thompson’s ‘plan of attack’. In short: no Republican candidate is going to win Ohio. Instead, the Republican nominee should focus on carrying Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. So, Republican voters should consider who, of all the Republican candidates, understand this and is able to do it. Thompson’s answer: Tommy Thompson.

Well, I am happy for Thompson that he is confident about his own abilities. Without this confidence the race would have already been lost for him.

That being said, there is - of course - no chance whatsoever for Thompson to win the Republican nomination. But, since he is running, it is nice to spend some attention to him, and people like him (say a Huckabee and a Tancredo) every now and then.

At least they’re trying to make a difference.

Oh, and there is certainly something to say for his reasoning regarding Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. I think, however, that other Republicans will be able to carry (some of) those states.

UPDATE: Apparently Tommy goofed up even more than initially reported.

This cries out for one of Joe’s jokes about Chinese food!

Tommy - L’Chaim!

Republican presidential hopeful: Money making a Jewish tradition

WASHINGTON - Former Wisconsin governor and Republican presidential hopeful Tommy Thompson told Jewish activists Monday that making money is “part of the Jewish tradition,” and something that he applauded.

Speaking to an audience at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington D.C., Thompson said that, “I’m in the private sector and for the first time in my life I’m earning money. You know that’s sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that.”

Thompson later apologized for the comments that had caused a stir in the audience, saying that he had meant it as a compliment, and had only wanted to highlight the “accomplishments” of the Jewish religion.

The hype lately has surrounded former Tennessee Senator (and current movie/TV star) Fred Thompson — with conservatives looking for a celebrity candidate to bolster a field of (in their view) less-than-desirables, he may be both suitably conservative and suitably famous — but it was Tommy, not Fred, who entered the race yesterday.

Appearing on ABC’s This Week, the former Wisconsin governor and Bush II cabinet secretary referred to himself as a “reliable conservative,” the one people “can count on”. Although well behind the leading candidates — Giuliani, McCain, and Romney — in terms of name-recognition, he sees himself as “the dark horse candidate,” “the underdog”.

So — can he win? Let’s turn to Ed Morrissey: Thompson was “a popular governor in the Upper Midwest,” which will help him in Iowa. “He has plenty of executive and legislative experience” — indeed, he was governor for 14 years — and he was secretary of health and human services for four years. Although he was at HHS for Bush’s pharma-friendly prescription drug benefit bill, he “has some credibility among centrists and independents on health care”. And his promotion of welfare reform and school choice while governor gives him credibility among conservatives.

In short, Morrissey sees Thompson as “the doppleganger for Bill Richardson in the Democratic race,” that is, as a second-tier candidate with a lot more experience than the current first-tier candidates: “He has the best resume of any Republican in the race so far. With fourteen years of executive experience, he has more than Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney combined. He has a national presence, and his continuing popularity at home in a purple state cannot hurt him, either.”
Read the rest of this entry »