A few GOP debate highlights

Sure, Fred Thompson skipped it and polls say nobody won, but there were some moments worth remembering.

Published September 6, 2007 6:19PM (EDT)

Michael Scherer captured the best moments of the Fox News GOP debate, but some things had to be seen to be believed. I went into it wondering if Rudy Giuliani pal Roger Ailes would somehow rig the format to help the mayor of 9/11, but the consensus seems to be that nobody won. I continue to be glad that Ron Paul is out there, even if he sounded a little bit eccentric talking about airport security. The immigrant bashing is getting alarming; I think we're approaching the day when it will be better to be a gay person at a Republican gathering than an illegal immigrant.

Mike Huckabee won points with me for standing by his statement that racism drives at least some of the anti-immigrant animus in the GOP. Is that even debatable? He lost points for promoting the Human Life Amendment and for his nonsensical back and forth with Paul about how the whole country has to support the Iraq war even if it was sold by lying neocons.

I still don't get the Mitt Romney phenomenon. But at least he showed up, unlike Fred Thompson.

Here are some highlights.


By Joan Walsh



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2008 Elections