Wednesday, September 16, 2015

KN@PPSTER LiveBlogs the Second 2016 GOP Presidential Debate -- The Big Shew

11:13 -- OK, it's over. First impressions ... Rand Paul actually did pretty well, I thought. The only others who weren't complete wastes of time were Trump, Bush and Kasich. Not that I like any of them, but Trump was entertaining and Bush and Kasich tried to be substantive. Hopefully this wraps things up for Carson, Fiorina and Cruz, none of whom are anywhere near ready for prime time.

11:00 -- You're in front of Reagan's Air Force One. How will the world look difference when your Air Force One is in your presidential library?

Paul: Supported Reagan. I'm a Reagan conservative, with goal of peace, war as last resort and constitutionally.

Huckabee: I would like to leave the world a safe place for US and Israel because I threw more money at the US military than ever before. And I'd like to put every man, woman and child on welfare with the "fair" tax and get rid of abortion and make everyone do whatever cops say.

Rubio: Reagan understood America was unique. I'd fly Air Force One to our allies to carry a bunch of money. And to China and Russia to destabilize their governments. And I'd like it to land in a free Cuba even though I'm busting my ass to keep Castro in power.

Cruz: Reagan stood with our allies and I will too. And with Israel, even though nobody seriously thinks they're an ally. And I'll kill all TEH MOOSLIMS.

Carson: I was a radical Democrat before I listened to Ronald Reagan. I hope that I can be as logical as him to unite. Government is fiscally irresponsible is and hides it. I want to bring real leadership.

Trump: If I become president, we will do something really special. We'll make America greater than ever and will be respected like never before because I'm Donald Trump.

Bush: Six million more people are in poverty than when Obama was elected. The next president has a lot to deal with and must create a strategy of high economic growth. We need to lead the world.

Walker: I turned 13 just as Reagan was elected. He was an optimist. I am too. Send powers back to states and people. I took on the unions, and I'm going to pretend again that that has something to do with something.

Fiorina: America must be symbolized by Lady Liberty and Lady Justice. Now I am going to babble like a senile auctioneer for a little bit.

Kasich: I will make this a nation that will solve problems by having elected officials act like they've never, ever, ever before acted in history. I will rebuild relationships with allies. Finally, a little bit of Carly's psychobabble.

Christie: My first vote was for Ronald Reagan. A Christie presidency won't be about me, it will be about you. You're frustrated because you work hard and feel like the system is being gamed. I'll enforce the law, level the playing field. I will not shake hands with Iran.


10:34 --  Woman on the ten dollar bill?

Paul: Susan B. Anthony.

Huckabee: My wife.

Rubio: Rosa Parks.

Cruz: Wouldn't change ten, would change twenty to Rosa Parks.

Carson: My mother.

Trump: My daughter Ivanka, or Rosa Parks.

Bush: Margaret Thatcher ("Ronald Reagan's partner" -- I wonder if Nancy knows).

Walker: Clara Barton.

Fiorina: Wouldn't change the 10 or 20 dollar bill, it's just a gesture. Should recognize women are half the nation, not a special interest group.

Kasich: Mother Teresa.

Christie: Abigail Adams.

Ronald Reagan's Secret Service name was Rawhide. Yours?

Christie: Trueheart.

Kasich: Unit Two.

Fiorina: Secretariat.

Walker: Harley

Jeb: Everready.

Trump: Humble.

Carson: One nation.

Cruz: Cohiba.

Rubio: Gator.

Huck: Duck hunter:

Paul: Justice Never Sleeps.


10:28 --  Paul, Christie plans to re-criminalize marijuana. Would you? Paul: Americans don't like hypocrisy. There's at least one rich kid on this stage who smoked pot, but poor kids go to jail. I want more rehabilitation and less incarceration. The 10th Amendment says the states get to decide this (he leaves out the people too).

Bush: 40 years ago, I smoked marijuana. I admit it, even if my mom isn't happy about it. But we have a serious epidemic of drugs. Colorado should be a state decision, but drugs are a problem. Appropriate for government to play a consistent role.

Paul: Bush campaigned against medical marijuana. Kids get taken away and parents in jail, but Bush skated.

Jeb: I opposed medical marijuana on the ballot because it led to legalization, but supported the legislature making small concessions.

Christie: New Jersey is first state to not jail first-time non-violent drug users, just make them get "treatment." That doesn't mean we should be legalizing "gateway drugs." Drugs are not victimless crimes.

Paul: If they're going to enforce the federal law over the state law, they don't believe in the 10th Amendment. I would let Colorado decide for itself, not decide at the federal level.

Christie: I support medical marijuana, just not recreational.

Paul: Which part of 10th Amendment does Christie not understand?

Fiorina: I buried a child to drug addiction, so we need to "invest" in me running everyone else's life.

Bush, you want to keep guns away from people you say are mentally ill. How far do you take your anti-social tendency toward victim disarmament? Bush: Not very far, should be done by states and not by feds. In Florida we have background checks and condition concealed carry on a bureaucrat's permission.

Rubio: Pass all the gun laws you want, criminals will ignore it. The issue is not what people use to commit violence, but why are they committing violence. We need strong values, strong families. Obama is undermining all that.

Cruz, are you afraid of losing 2nd Amendment rights? Cruz: I have defended 2nd Amendment in front of Supreme Court and in US Senate. I am strongest supporter of  2nd on stage.

Trump, you're really rich. Christie says billionaires like you should not get Social Security. Do you agree? Trump: I'm OK with it, but I'd mostly leave it up to the people instead of making it policy.

Christie: Can't be voluntary, but with Donald in it's a good start. I want to save Social Security.

Rubio, will you be on climate change like Reagan was on ozone? Rubio: No, because it would destroy the economy.

Christie, what about you on climate change skeptics like Rubio? Christie: I don't think Rubio is a skeptic, and New Jersey has already met its 2020 emissions reduction goals. We shouldn't destroy our economy to chase some wild left-wing idea, but we can address climate change.

Rubio: I'm not a skeptic of climate change, I'm a skeptic of the changes the left wants us to make. They will not work, but they will hurt America. I am not in favor of making it harder for Americans to make a living.

Walker: Obama's Clean Climate Plan would cost Wisconsin thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Carson: Backlash against vaccines blamed for measles outbreak. Trump links vaccines to autism. Should Trump stop saying this. Carson: Numerous studies say no correlation between vaccines and autism. Some vaccines are important, some should be optional. Trump can make up his own mind about what to say.

Trump: Autism has become an epidemic. I favor vaccines, but I want smaller doses over a longer period. I've seen kids pumped full of vaccines, get fever, now autistic.

Carson: Trump's an OK doctor. The fact is it's well-documented that there's no autism associated with vaccinations, but yeah, we should reduce the amount over short time of vaccines.

Paul: Parents should have more discretion.

Huckabee: Next president ought to declare war on four diseases (cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart disease).

Break.

10:11 -- Rubio: Radical Islam can't be solved by being smart. We have to be really, really dumb if we want to solve radical Islam. Also, I think that the Sinai is in Libya.

Huckabee: The intelligence has been doctored. If you don't have good intel, you can't make good decisions.

Walker, more US troops to ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Graham says you're not serious unless you'll do that. You say that the 3,000 troops there is enough. Are you serious? Walker: I said we need to lift the political restrictions Obama has put on troops, then listen to military experts and send them as much money and as many body bags as they demand.

Paul, you've said boots on ground to fight ISIS should be Arab boots. But there are only 4 or 5 of them after Obama send money to train them. Paul: If you want war, there are all those other candidates. That's not me. The first war in Iraq was a mistake, and I'm not making that mistake again. The Saudis are funding the jihadists, won't accept refugees, why are we always the patsies who have to go fight for them?

Kasich: I called for boots on the ground many months ago in coalition with allies. The bigger war is battle of ideas. We need to call out Jewish and Christian principles in defense of western civilization.

Fiorina: We need an even bigger military.

Bush, Cruz criticized your brother for appointing Roberts to SCOTUS. Is he right? Bush: Cruz supported Roberts. We need justices with record of upholding Constitution. Recent history is appointing people with no record. We need to change that.

Cruz: I've known Roberts for 20 years, but he was a bad pick for SCOTUS. Conservatives are frustrated because we keep winning elections and then screwing up SCOTUS appointments and now TEH GAYZ CAN GET MARRIED, OMG!

Bush: You're rewriting history, Cruz. But we do need better justices.

Cruz: I wouldn't have appointed Roberts, but yes, I did support his confirmation once he was appointed.

Huck, will you have a SCOTUS litmus test? Huck: Oh, yeah. Abortion. Do you believe that Kim Davis should get to keep collecting her paycheck without doing her job? Do you support the right to bear arms? Do you support the 5th and 14th Amendment (as I want to apply them to abortion). And do you support states rights (he left the "people" part of the 10th amendment out).

Break.

9:52 -- Trump, Rubio says he's concerned that you don't know the names of everyone in Iran and therefore can't be CINC. Trump: Hewitt apologized for quizzing me on names and mispronouncing stuff. He gave me name after name and few people would know all those names. I will have finest team and we will solve problems.

Rubio: If you're running for president, you need to memorize the Tehran phone book. And also Beijing's and Pyongyang's and Moscow's. I will memorize all the names and try to look Kennedyesque, and that's what we need in a CINC. Oh, and someone who throws money at our bloated military and at Israel.

Trump: Rubio has worst voting record (absentee) in Senate, and I will learn those phone books.

Rubio: Yeah, I've missed some votes because the establishment is out of touch. I'm leaving Senate, running for president.

Bush, you said you're not burdened by your name, but then took on the same advisors as those other Bushes had. WTF? Bush: If you're looking at Republican advisors, you have to get them from the last two Republican administrations, which are my dad and my brother. But I'm my own man. US needs to lead the world by throwing more and more and more money at the military and at the people who spy on Americans and torture brown people.

Trump, you promised us great leaders, Bush has a list. When will you give us names? Trump: I'm meeting people. I'm the only person on this stage who fought against us going into Iraq. I'm militaristic, but you have to know when to use the military. (Paul interjects, Trump mutters something about his 1%).

Bush: When Trump talks about judgment, he thought Hillary Clinton was good negotiator. He doesn't understand the way the world works.

Trump: Your brother gave us Obama because he was such a disaster, Abraham Lincoln couldn't have won after him.

Jeb: My brother kept us safe. Remember 9/11? He kept us safe. Errrrrrrr ....

Walker: Obama is to blame for everything, Dubyah was good to go. And now I'm going to pretend again that fighting unions in Wisconsin is like fighting a war as national CINC.

Paul: I was opposed to Iraq war, I was opposed to Syrian war, I was opposed to arming our enemies. When we complain about Iran, remember it was the Iraq war that empowered Iran. We're still paying for W's idiocy and now idiots are talking about toppling Assad.

Bush: The lesson of history is that anytime me or someone from my family fucks things up badly, we should blame the Democrats and see if we can drown the noise out with the sound of some more Americans getting killed by our stupidity.

Rubio: The belief that not acting like idiots is a good idea has been disproven over and over by experience. When we act like idiots, good things happen. I promise to be the most idiotic president ever.

Carson: I suggested to Bush that he not go to war in Iraq. But what cause Islamic jihadism wasn't invading Iraq, it was pulling out of Iraq. We have to be mature enough to recognize that Osama bin Laden is hiding under our beds, and just fork all of our cash over to the Pentagon.

Christie, 14th anniversary of 9/11 attacks. Carson wouldn't have gone to war in Afghanistan. What do you think? Christie: I was made US Attorney on 9/10/01. Couldn't reach my wife who worked near WTC on 9/11. Scary. What the dead people of 9/11 wanted was for us to lose two ground wars in Asia and turn America into a police state.

Carson: Loved Dubya, good friend. I didn't suggest that nothing be done, I suggested that Dubya should be Kennedyesque and use bully pulpit like the space race to become petroleum-independent. That would have made the ayrabs turn over bin Laden.

Christie: Screw subtle diplomacy. You need a leader who will always find a reason to go to war, and I will.

Carson: No argument with strong leader and aggression where it's needed, but it's not needed in every circumstance.


9:38 -- Huckabee, raise taxes on hedge fund managers? Huck: I think we should get rid of all taxes on people who produce, and instead go with the "fair" tax so we can kill the economy and put every man, woman and child in America on a monthly federal welfare check. Reagan didn't get elected bragging how great HE was, but by telling American people how great they were.

Carson, you support scrapping tax code and replacing it with tithing-based flat tax of 10%. Trump wants progressive taxation. Why is Trump wrong? Carson: It's all about America. Trump is advocating socialism. But I might be dumb enough to go for the "fair" tax too.

Trump, what do you think of flat tax? Trump: We've had graduated tax for years, that's not socialism. I know people making lots of money, paying very little tax, not fair.

Paul: Our jobs are being chased overseas by the tax code. I want a flat 14.5% rate for everyone, everything, no more payroll taxes.

Walker, Carson wants to raise minimum wage, why is that lame? Walker: It's all about jobs, you wanna help people get jobs, but not government jobs like I've spent the last 30 years in, everyone else should have to actually work for a living to make my schemes function. I'm only one with plan to repeal ObamaCare on day one.

Carson, Walker didn't really answer question. What do you think? Carson: I said "probably" or "possibly" about raising minimum wage, but we need to negotiate reasonable minimum wage and index it so that we never have to have this discussion again. Except we need two minimum wages.

Walker: I did too answer! Answer isn't minimum wage, answer is to get everyone except me to get real jobs.

Kasich, you don't attack Clinton. Fiorina, you do attack Clinton. Which is right? Kasich: I'm busy introducing myself, no time to attack Clinton. Fiorina: People spend a lot of time talking about track records, and Hillary has to defend hers of lying about various things.

Christie: Who's gonna prosecute Hillary Clinton? I will, during debates.

Break!





9:21 -- Cruz, what about Carson's plan to give immigrants six months to pay taxes and seek guest worker status before deporting them? Carson: That's not exactly what I said. Cruz: I'm very glad Trump is in this race and has forced MSM to talk about immigration. I respect Carson, but I'll talk about my own plan. Voters are interested in candidate records. Most candidates have embraced amnesty. I am only candidate on this stage who is too fucking stupid to get it through my head that amnesty is the only policy that's anywhere close to sane.

Rubio: I've seen every aspect of immigration. We have three problems. We have illegal immigrants. We have a legal immigration that doesn't work. And third we have millions already here. Have to deal with all three of these problems and that will take more than one piece of legislation. Must secure border, must track immigrants like Orwell portrayed, must conscript employers as unpaid ICE agents.

Carson, why is your plan not amnesty? Carson: Farmers say they can't hire Americans. Guest workers don't get to vote, aren't citizens. Yuma County was successful at securing border, copy them.

Trump, you hate the Constitution's citizenshop definition. Fiorina says you're pandering. Trump: 14th Amendment doesn't mean what it says, it means what I want it to mean. We're the only country dumb enough to abide by the US Constitution. How stupid is that?

Fiorina, most countries don't follow US Constitution, why is Trump pandering? Fiorina: Why haven't Democrats solved this problem?

Paul: Trump has a point. Constitution should mean whatever the heck we want it to mean, not what it actually says or what its framers said they meant. As I learned from my dad, if you don't like the Constitution, just pretend it says something else.

Fiorina, Trump says you ran HP into the ground and got fired. Why should voters pick you? Fiorina: Being CEO of HP was sooooooooooooooooooo harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd because the economy sucked. Since HP fired me, it has recovered, which proves its near collapse wasn't my fault.

Trump: Some guy says Fiorina/HP were and are a disaster. I'm going to keep talking about her so maybe you'll forget about my FOUR BUSINESS BANKRUPTCIES.

Fiorina: Trump, your business model was running up mountains of debt using other people's money and filed for bankruptcy four times.

Trump: I've never filed for bankruptcy, except when I filed for bankruptcy, because everyone has filed for bankruptcy.

Christie: I'm as entertained as anyone by Trump v. Fiorina, but most people could care less about you two assclowns. Stop playing the Carly v. Donald game, we don't give a shit about your careers, it's the middle class we need to care about.

Fiorina: Christie sucks.

Kasich, raise taxes on hedge fund managers? Kasich: No. There's one person on this stage that does have a record. I stage-managed the fake budget-balancing of the late 1990s. Let's pretend that was real.

9:10 -- Trump, what about deportation. Trump: I want to build a really big wall, and deport the really bad dudes, first day. Nobody would be talking about illegal immigration if it wasn't for me. I don't know what I'm talking about, but if I flail my arm, nobody will notice.

Christie, you say Trump's plan will never happen. Why? Christie: I know how to enforce laws. But for 15k people a day to be deported every day for two years is impossible. We need to secure border with more than just a wall. I want to make the Berlin Wall and East Germany's surveillance state look like a walk in the park. Sieg Heil! Mein Fuh ... (foams at mouth).

Carson: We have an incredible immigration problem. Need to look at Yuma County, Arizona. They turned their segment of the border into East Berlin 2.0. We need to do that everywhere, because who cares about freedom?

Bush, Trump suggests that your views on immigration are influenced by your Mexican born wife. Did he go too far? Bush: Yes, and Trump should apologize.

Trump won't apologize.

Bush: Are we going to take Reagan approach (which he does not mention was "open borders") or the Trump approach (complete fascism)?

Trump: Immigration is not an act of love and Bush is weak on immigration.

Fiorina: Trump didn't make immigration come up, we've been talking about it for 25 years ever since we abandoned Reagan's open-borders position.

Bush: We can't deport people that fast. Too expensive, would destroy country.

Trump: We are spending $200 billion a year now. After I magically kick them out, the good ones will come back.

Trump, you say Bush shouldn't speak Spanish. Wassup?

Trump: To assimilate, you have to speak English. This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.

Bush: A high school kid asked me a question in Spanish, I respectfully answered in Spanish.

Rubio: Everyone should speak English, but my grandfather escaped from Cuba and didn't speak English well. He taught me conservative values in Spanish. And I give interviews in Spanish.


9:06 --  Walker: I took away Planned Parenthood's corporate welfare in Wisconsin, we should be able to do that nationally.

Fiorina, in Trump said you're ugly then lied about it. What do you think about him? Fiorina: Trump says he heard Bush clearly. I think women heard Trump clearly.

Trump: I think she's got a beautiful face and I think she's a beautiful woman.

Commercial break.



9:00 -- Wow. I appear to have lost about 40 minutes of liveblogging in a computer crash about five minutes ago, even though I updated several times during that 40-minute period. Sorry, folks.

Christie is talking about shutting down government to take away Planned Parenthood's corporate welfare, and what WOULD we be willing to shut down for. Why not getting rid of ObamaCare, cutting taxes, etc.? GOP Congress is giving Obama a pass. We should force Obama to do what he threatens.

Fiorina: Links Iran and Planned Parenthood. One is about defense of nation, one is about character of nation. I will take two phone calls, the first to Bibi to tell him to bare his ass so I can kiss it, the second to Khamenei to tell him to kiss mine (no, it's not just you -- she isn't making any sense at all). Clinton needs to watch Planned Parenthood tapes. We must take away Planned Parenthood's corporate welfare and make Obama veto it if he wants to.

Bush, you're not sure we need a half billion for women's health. Trump says that will haunt you. Will it?

Bush: No, I am pro-life, I was pro-life governor. I would bring that to DC. Under Reagan rule, can't separate money for actual abortions from promotion of abortion, and Planned Parenthood didn't get funding until Clinton and I will restore Reagan rule.

Trump: I think it's a terrible statement that will haunt him. I will take care of women. Back to Iran, the agreement was terrible and incompetent. Nobody ever mentions North Korea that actually has nukes.

Bush: Back to Planned Parenthood, they shouldn't get money, other organizations should.



8:22 -- Kasich: If I was watching this crap on TV I'd turn it off, how about we talk issues instead of ad hominem.

Christie, Carson says campaign is easier for him because he's not a politician and can just tell truth while politicians have finger in the air. Fair? Christie: I don't think he was talking about me. As far as outsiders concerned, I am a Republican in New Jersey and wake up every morning as an outsider. We can talk credentials. I've vetoed 400 bills from Democrats. Vetoed more tax increases than any governor in history. I can get the job done. The people want to hire someone who believes in them. It's not about me, it's about all of you.

Carson, who WERE you talking about? Carson: Typically politicians to the politically expedient. That is not why I got into this. I am concerned about direction of country.

Fiorina: People are supporting outsiders because insiders are like fish in water and don't understand the system is broken. 75% think government is corrupt. A leader challenges the status quo and solves problems. My whole life has been about driving HP into the ground and losing my only election.

Bush, Trump is frontrunner because people think he's not bought and paid for by wealthy donors. Trump says you're a puppet for donors. Are you? Bush: No, absolutely not. I have a proven record of leadership. Trump is the only guy who ever tried to buy me off for casino gambling.

Trump: If I wanted that I would have gotten it. Lots of people have raised lots of money from special interests, I'm spending my own money. I turned down special interest money. I understand the game and am not accepting any money from anybody.

Bush: You paid Hillary Clinton to go with your wedding.

Trump: I get along with people.

Bush: So he supports Schumer, Pelosi, Clinton, and when Florida told him no for casino gambling ...

Carson: When I entered race, pundits said no way, no money, can't do it. I am not willing to get into bed with special interest groups. I have asked the people to fund me. The pundits forgot about the people.

Trump, you say you can do business with Putin. What would you do to get the Russians out of Syria?

Trump: Putin doesn't respect Obama. We should let ISIS and Assad kill each other. I would get along with lots of leaders that America isn't getting along with. We get along with nobody, they rip us off, I will get along with them and make things stable.

Rubio, you've called Putin a gangster, why would Rubio be more effective than Trump? Rubio: Because I understand that Putin wants to bring back the Soviet Union and destroy NATO. Russia will fly combat missions to prop up Assad, and he will try to steal our allies and replace us as power broker, and Obama is allowing it.

Fiorina: I've met Putin, I wouldn't talk with him at all. I'd begin rebuilding the 6th Fleet, missiles in Poland, maneuvers in the Baltic states. Iran's Quds force talked Putin into aligning with Assad. So I'd see if I can get us in a war because I bet Putin will blink first. I'm going to try to out-hawk Lindsey Graham to cover up for my complete lack of any qualification for office whatsoever.

Cruz, next president inherits Iran deal. Kasich says threatening to rip it up on day one is an idiot. What do you say? Cruz proves he's an idiot, claims deal is catastrophic. Talks about sending money to Iran, doesn't mention that it was Iranian money that US stole. Pretends Iran has a nuclear program, and on day one he will try to get into a war with Iran. Obama wants to use UN to take away our sovereignty. I was Texas general solicitor and I beat Medellin in the Supreme Court so I know all that better than Obama.

Kasich: Bad agreement, would not have done it. But problem in the world today is we don't have good relationships with allies. We don't know what will happen in 18 months. If they cheat, we slap sanctions back on. We are stronger when we work with our friends than when we just do idiotic stuff on our own.

Paul, should Obama cancel state dinner with China's leader? Paul: If Reagan had pulled this "I won't talk with people" crap, his presidency would have sucked. I will vote against agreement, but if elected I won't cut it up unless I see Iran hasn't complied. Got to keep lines of communication open to China, etc. Other guys are isolationists, we need to engage with other countries and talk.

Walker, Paul suggests canceling state dinner would be rash and reckless. Walker: Why should we give a state dinner to a country that I am claiming, without evidence, launched a massive cyber attack on us. I was first one to suggest tearing up Iran agreement on day one.

Bush, cancel state dinner? Bush: No, but we should go on offensive with cyber warfare. And tearing up agreement with Iran is stupid. What we should do is give Israel anything it wants.

Huckabee: This is about the survival of western civilization. Giving Iran money we stole from them threatens Israel, Middle East, America. We can't treat a government that I fantasize has a nuclear weapons program well. Hell, they've killed almost as many Americans as George W. Bush did! We must make it clear we don't honor our agreements.

Trump, two years ago Obama drew a red line in Syria, then didn't strike. Do Senators who didn't back Obama up bear responsibility? Trump: Some. Obama doesn't have courage. If he had really gone in with tremendous force, we wouldn't have all these refugees.

Rubio: We have zero responsibility, because Obama didn't want to go in whole-hog and we shouldn't have authorized anything that only got a few Americans killed.

Paul: Need wisdom on when to intervene. If we had bombed Assad earlier, ISIS would be in Damascus now. Sometimes intervention makes us less safe. Every time we've toppled a secular dictator in the middle east, Islamists have won.

Cruz: The number one test for military force should be vital national security interests of US. I opposed bombing Syria because Obama couldn't answer me on prospect of chemical weapons falling into ISIS hands. And we shouldn't trust Khamenei on anything because he's only slightly less bloodthirsty and anti-American than I am.

Kasich: We operate better in the world when our allies work with us. Nobody's trusting Iran. If they violate the deal, we put on the sanctions and our allies go with us. I will do whatever it takes to stop Iran from getting nukes, but we don't have to be idiots about it.

Cruz: No more important topic than my fantasy that Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Deal is designed to let them hide the program they don't have to develop the bomb they don't want.

Huck, you held rally for Kim Davis and made up a bunch of stuff. Is Jeb wrong for saying clerks should do their jobs? Huck: No, Jeb's not wrong, but we just disagree on whether her job is issuing marriage licenses or speaking at rallies for my personal religious wingnuttery. We should make accommodations for clerks who want to get paid for not doing their job, because if we don't that's like letting everyone out of Gitmo.

Bush: Religious accommodation is important to rule of law. I opposed SCOTUS decision and there should be some kind of accommodation for Davis without just throwing money at her for not doing her job.

7:20 -- Fiorina, Jindal suggests that Trump would be dangerous, is a hothead. You have raised similar concerns and dismissed Trump as entertainer, would you feel comfy with his fingers on nuclear codes. Fiorina: Trump is a great entertainer. All of us will be revealed over time and under pressure. Not for me to answer about Trump and nuclear codes, that's for voters.

Trump: Rand Paul shouldn't be on this stage, he is at 1%. I have a great temperament, built a wonderful business, may be an entertainer but I've had tremendous success as a businessman and that's what America needs. $19 trillion debt, even more than I have! My temperament is good and calm but we will be respected.

Paul: I kinda have to laugh at Trump. He was asked if he would be capable and decided to attack me instead of answering. Do we want someone like that negotiating. Sophomoric quality makes Trump entertaining, but for the love of God keep him away from the nukes. Is this junior high or something.

Trump: Never attacked Paul on his look, but plenty to attack there.

Trump, Bush told me that he agrees you're not a serious candidate. Tell us why you are.

Trump: I've been in politics all my life but not as a politician. I'm doing great in the polls. I've been successful all over the world in almost everything (doesn't mention his four bankruptcies). Pataki sucks and shouldn't have mentioned how bad I messed up Atlantic City. I want to put that ability into America rich again.

Bush, would you feel comfy with Trump having nuclear codes. Bush: Up to voters, but next president will have all kinds of stuff that needs to be fixed. That requires an understanding of how the world works, not just be like Trump and insult everyone.

Walker: We're not talking real issues. Trump, we don't need an Apprentice in the White House, we need someone who knows what he's doing.

Trump: You're losing $2.5 billion in Wisconsin.

Walker: You're using Democratic talking points.

Trump: I never went bankrupt. But I went bankrupt four times. When Iowa found out about Walker's real job in Wisconsin, he tanked. Huge budget deficit in Wisconsin.

Walker: Just because Trump says it doesn't make it true. We balanced budget and cut taxes. I can take on special interests in Washington, which Trump just admitted he's part of.



8:10 -- Tapper, Hewitt, Bash. 30-second opening statements.

Paul focuses on Constitution, Bill of Rights.

Huckabee: Delighted to be here, none of us are professed socialists or under investigation for our email servers; I think we are the "A Team," and Mr. T will call people fool.

Rubio: Married, kids, proud to be at Reagan Library; brought my own water because California has a drought.

Cruz: Son of Irish-Italian mom and Cuban dad. Husband, dad. If you're fed up with Washington. Tired of careerists? Vote for me (he has a careerism score  of 62.5).

Carson: I'm a pediatrician and am concerned about future of our children.

Trump: I wrote The Art of the Deal, but I'm not bragging about my billions, I just want to make America great again and here's a laundry list.

Bush: I believe America is on the verge of its greatest century. I'm a conservative reformer. Want to talk about fixing a broken DC.

Walker: Reagan was greatest president of my lifetime and went big and bold, and I've done that too. America needs a leader like me.

Fiorina: I was a CEO (doesn't mention she got fired). Everyone has potential. America's government too big and corrupt, I can lead resurgence.

Kasich: Governor of Ohio, love my family, I actually flew on Air Force One with Reagan and I'm like him.

Christie: Take camera off me, put it on audience, how many of you think Obama made future better? None of you -- it's about you, not me, and Obama sucks.

8pm -- Looks like The Big Shew debate will start at about 8:10, so a couple of pre-show notes. First, unlike Fox News's weird-ass streaming configuration for the first debate, CNN.com has streamed these events without a bunch of BS and without a hitch so far, so you might want to watch that way (you can also watch on CNN on TV). Second, you can see my "careerism" ratings of all the candidates here.

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