"Senator Thompson, What's Up with That?" Or, Blogging from the Debates

POSTED BY Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith, 28 November 2007

last updated: 9:57 pm

Aww, snap! I mean, the Mitt-Rudy showdown is on. Not even thirty minutes into the debate, and the big guns are out for blood.

The Question: This is Ernie Nardi from Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, New York, with a question for the ex-Mayor Giuliani. Under your administration, as well as others, New York City was operated as a sanctuary city, aiding and abetting illegal aliens. I would like to know, if you become president of the United States, will you continue to aid and abet the flight of illegal aliens into this country?

Giuliani: Ernie, that was a very good question. And the reality is that New York City was not a sanctuary city... The federal policies weren't working, stopping people coming into the United States. If I were president of the United States, I could do something about that by deploying a fence, by deploying a virtual fence, by having a BorderStat system like my COMSTAT system that brought down crime in New York, and just stopping people from coming in, and then having a tamper-proof ID card.

Cooper: Time. Governor Romney, was New York a sanctuary city?

Romney: Absolutely. It called itself a sanctuary city.... And this happens to be a difference between Mayor Giuliani and myself and probably others on this stage as well, which is we're going to have to recognize in this country that we welcome people here legally. But the mayor said -- and I quote almost verbatim -- which is if you happen to be in this country in an undocumented status -- and that means you're here illegally -- then we welcome you here... Instead, we should say if you're here illegally, you should not be here. We're not going to give you benefits, other than those required by the law, like health care and education, and that's the course we're going to have to pursue.

Cooper: Mayor Giuliani?

Giuliani: It's unfortunate, but Mitt generally criticizes people in a situation in which he's had far the -- worst record. For example, in his case, there were six sanctuary cities. He did nothing about them. There was even a sanctuary mansion. At his own home, illegal immigrants were being employed, not being turned into anybody or by anyone. And then when he deputized the police, he did it two weeks before he was going to leave office, and they never even seemed to catch the illegal immigrants that were working at his mansion. So I would say he had sanctuary mansion, not just sanctuary city.

Cooper: All right. I have to allow Governor Romney to respond...

Romney: Mayor, you know better than that.

Giuliani: No ...

Romney: OK, then listen. All right? Then listen. First of all ...

Giuliani: You did have illegal immigrants working at your mansion, didn't you?

Romney: No, I did not, so let's just talk about that. Are you suggesting, Mr. Mayor -- because I think it is really kind of offensive actually to suggest, to say look, you know what, if you are a homeowner and you hire a company to come provide a service at your home -- paint the home, put on the roof. If you hear someone that is working out there, not that you have employed, but that the company has.

And apparently if you vote Republican, the IRS is going out the window. Not just tax breaks for the rich anymore, but New Hampshire Live Free or Die In a Standoff with the IRS for Everyone. It's not just Ron Paul, it's Huck, too.

Huckabee: ... we will get rid of the IRS.

And then there's the question for Romney on farm subsidies (he's not been pandering to them and changing his views recently, or anything) and Giuliani flatly denying Politico's accusation today that his mayoral accounting is a little... umm... obscure.

The Question (and was he dressed as corn?): Mmmmmm, nothing says delicious like cheap corn subsidized by the American taxpayer. For a lot of Americans, however, a bitter taste is left in their mouth when they learned about how the U.S. taxpayer
bankrolls billions of dollars in farm subsidies that mostly go to large item business interests. I'm curious which candidate could label themselves fiscally responsiblee, will endorse the elimination of farm subsidies if they are elected president in 2008.

Cooper: Governor Romney, a lot of folks in Iowa interested in this answer.

Romney: Not to mention Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and so forth. We don't want to find ourselves, with regards to our food supply, in the same kind of position we're in with regards to our energy supply. And so it's important for us to make sure that our farmers are able to stay on the farm and raise the crops that we need to have a secure source of food. And so I believe in supports that will allow us to do that.

Marc Boxser, our intrepid Network Manager, would like to point out that when it comes to our food supply, we are entirely reliant on the snack table here at the debates.

And as an aside, a special Veracifier kudos to the openly gay, retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr, whose YouTube question about supporting gay men and women in the military (wouldn't we think our military is professional enough to handle it?) was chosen - and who was also in the audience tonight. He was flatly turned down by the candidates on stage - and after Anderson Cooper asked him if he was satisfied with his question, Cooper then asked the retired General to elaborate. Elaborate he did - and to the obvious dissatisfaction of the rest of the audience. Who booed him. Call me crazy, but you don't boo a retired Brigadier General. You say thank you. Especially a pro-war audience.

~~Quote~~ Quotes of the night:

Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office. - The Incredible Huck

I will never apologize for the United States. - Duncan Hunter

Every time I hear John Edwards say there are two Americas, I want to throw something at the T.V. - Mitt