Republican Debate: GOP Candidates Back Bush’s War On Terror Plan
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Sen. John McCain said Saturday night he alone among Republican presidential contenders criticized President Bush’s initial strategy in the war on Iraq, but he and the other leading hopefuls chorused support for the administration’s overall war on terror.
“We are succeeding now in Iraq. As we blame the president for the failed strategy we should give him credit” for current success, McCain said in a 90-minute debate three days before New Hampshire holds the first primary of the 2008 presidential campaign.
The Democrats are scheduled to debate in a similar format later in the evening.
There was agreement around the table on the second part, with the notable exception of Texas Rep. Ron Paul, (Bash Note: Surprise!)running on an anti-war platform.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, in a close race in the New Hampshire polls with McCain, said his rival had been right in calling for the surge that President Bush put into place a year ago. He pivoted swiftly to criticize former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the man who defeated him last Thursday in the Iowa caucuses that provided the first test of the campaign.
“I don’t agree that the administration suffers from an arrogant bunker mentality,” Romney said referring to a claim Huckabee made in a recent article in foreign Affairs.
“Did you read the article,” Huckabee interjected?
“I did read the article. I read the entire article,” Romney shot back.
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson readily agreed with Huckabee and McCain that the United States went to war in Iraq with too few troops.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Bush “got the big decision of his presidency right … when he put us on offense against Islamic terrorists.”
The debate unfolded with the six Republican presidential hopefuls arrayed around a semi-circular table, facing moderator Charles Gibson of ABC news.
It was the last debate before the New Hampshire primary, an event that McCain is counting on to propel him back into the race for the White House — and that Romney needs to win to prevent a further unravelling of his candidacy.
Romney walked on stage with his first win under his belt, a triumph in the Wyoming caucuses earlier Saturday. The event drew scant interest among the candidates, but Romney boasted that his win in the Rocky Mountain state was “just the beginning.”
A pre-debate poll suggested McCain’s momentum had carried him into a lead over Romney in New Hampshire, and that Huckabee scarcely profited from his victory in Iowa. But the results of one election often take several days to show up in surveys in another state.
(Fox)
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McCain deserves major kudos for supporting the surge. He is wrong on energy and global warming. No one has said that we should be aggressively drilling for oil, converting our coal reserves into oil, building new refineries. Only Fred Thompson hints at what needs to be said and doesn’t try appeasing the left in this country by agreeing to anthropogenic global warming. Fred came out the best tonight !!(:
January 5th, 2008 at 7:28 pmOf course the Republicans back the Bush strategy. Why knock what’s working? The only pinhead in the group is Rhue Paul.
It’s more interesting watching the Dhimis as the Hildabeast squirms in her own shit.
She won’t win NH either. It’s the Osamayomomma show.
So far the Repub tally:
Romney - WY
Huckleberry - IA
McCain - NH (probably)
It’s a pinball game so far. Wait till SC…then we’ll see if anyone emerges.
Overall, I liked the debate; Schmuckey Gibson notwithstanding. I’m still a FT and Hunter fan.
January 5th, 2008 at 8:11 pmIt is very obvious to me that Huck has changed his stance on a number of things based on Newt’s American Solutions polling data. Rudy and McCain are still on the wrong track for immigration.
Fred could have scored huge points if he had been more assertive in this discussion (still not really a debate) which was far better than the auditions previously held at other candidate forums.
Paul really is a dumbshit. He certainly did hint at government funding of healthcare with his response to the question by his quip that we are spending a trillion dollars in Iraq.
Romney was trying to be too assertive, if he had been a little more cordial he would have scored big points with me last night. Instead he lost.
So, is FT waiting for the dust to settle between Huck, McCain and Romney before he makes a move? Is he playing this like a mile and a half thoroughbred race waiting for the others to spend their energy before he makes his move?
Outside of the immigration issue, Rudy did not do so badly.
I’m still keeping my powder dry as to sending any funding to any candidate.
January 6th, 2008 at 4:07 am