Bob McCarty Writes

Ninety seconds to answer. Thirty seconds each for follow ups. Those were the ground rules for the CNN YouTube Republican Presidential Candidates Debate. None of the candidates followed the rules. Below is a quickly-typed account of the first seven questions and how they were addressed by the candidates.

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Question #1: Sanctuary Cities/Immigrations?

Rudy Giuliani was asked about the issue of New York City being a so-called sanctuary city. In response, Rudy explained that NYC was not a sanctuary city.

Mitt Romney said NYC was “absolutely” a sanctuary city and cited Giuliani actions that helped make it so.

Giuliani said Romney criticizes people without having all of the information, and highlighted Romney’s employment of illegal immigrants at his “sanctuary mansion” in Massachusetts. He even accused Romney of having a “Holier than thou” immigration policy.

Romney took offense.

Question #2: Will you pledge to veto any bill that gives amnesty to illegal immigrants?

Fred Thompson said we (the U.S.) gets to decide who comes into our “home.” To sanctuary cities, he said we’ve got to tell them we’re going to cut off federal funds “if you continue this.” He piled on with Romney, saying NYC was a sanctuary city.

Of course, Giuliani denied it, saying that he reported thousands of people who were in the city illegally.

John McCain said the whole immigration debate saddens him. He said the American people don’t believe “us” (i.e., Congress). He’s right!

Question#3: Seasonal Workers Program — What are you going to do to keep guest workers coming here to keep our business running?

Tom Tancredo categorically rejected the idea that there are some jobs Americans just won’t do.

Duncan Hunter said he loved to hear everyone talk about the immigration issue, but tried to trump them by saying, “I built that fence in San Diego, and it does work.” He went on to explain all he’s done to get a fence built and promised to get a fence finished within six months of his election.

Question #4: Would you support a federal law that would allow children of military members the ability to pay the same rate that children of illegal aliens pay?

Mike Huckabee corrected the questioner by explaining that it wasn’t a tuition difference at issue, but it was a matter of allowing children of illegal aliens to compete on the same playing field as their American peers.

Romney said Huckabee fought for giving scholarships to illegal aliens. He said Huckabee sounded like a Massachusetts liberal.

Huckabee replied by saying, “We’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did.”

Romney said we shouldn’t give money from limited scholarship funds to children of illegals over children who are here legally.

Question #5: Ron Paul was asked if he believed in conspiracy theories, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission and the North American Union.

Paul said it’s not so much a secretive conspiracy, but a decision as to whether we maintain sovereignty or give in to a world government controlling us. He summed it up by saying, “Our national sovereignty is under threat.”

Question #6: If elected, what measures will you take t tackle the national debt and control spending?

McCain listed a series of bad examples of government spending and highlighted spending programs he opposed.

Romney said McCain was right, but added that fundamental change has to take place in Washington. “We’ll have to go after entitlements and non-military discretionary spending.”

Giuliani said, among other things, that we should commit to not fill half of the federal government positions that will become open due to retirement.

Question #7: What are the names of the top three federal programs you would reduce in size in order to reduce spending?

Thompson said (cutting) most of the programs that get the headlines would not begin to solve the problem. He said “We’re gonna have to reform social security and reform welfare.” He didn’t narrow it down to three answers.

Ron Paul said we can cut expenses greatly by changing our foreign policy.

Huckabee said “The first thing I would get rid of is the Internal Revenue Service” and enact the FairTax. Secondly, he said Homeland Security needed to be fixed.

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Note: I ran out of steam as I listened to this debate. More general coverage later.

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