9:03: We’re at a break now. After a rip-roaring salvo of immigration back and forth between Romney and Giuliani, things have settled down into who can best position himself on matters of Republican orthodoxy like tax cutting, spending and abortion. Immigration is nuclear.

8:57: From Ellen Gedalius: St. Petersburg Police said they arrested three protestors this evening. The charges weren’t immediately available.
About 45 minutes into the debate, a few dozen protestors lingered on the sidewalk across from Mahaffey Theater. They didn’t seem to be protesting the exisiting Republican candidates as they were protesting incumbent President Bush.
They held signs criticizing the president’s war policies and calling for his impeachment.

8:55: 40 minutes in and the first mentions of Hillary come from a campaign style video by Tom Tancredo.

8:53: Uber Republican tax hawk Grover Norquist asks if the candidates would pledge to veto any tax increase. Many yeses. But Fred Thompson and McCain say they only make pledges to the people.

8:50: Limited government? Have Republicans lost their way on spending? “We let spending lurch completely out of control,” McCain says. Lays out a joke about spending money to study bear DNA in Montana. “Not sure if it was paternity issue or a criminal issue.” Best laugh of the night.

Lots of agreement. Lots of talk about cutting programs and reforming entitlements, also known as social security, medicare and medicaid. Paul says we could save enormous amounts of money by withdrawing troops and practicing a less agressive foreign policy. McCain blasts him and calls him an isolationist.

Huckabee wants the “fair tax,” a national sales tax trumpted by talk radio host Neil Boortz and others.

8:35: Is Ron Paul a conspiracy theorist? Not sure we got a definitive answer. He does believe in the rumored super highway linking Mexico and Canada through the U.S. “Millions of acres” are eyed for eminent domain, he says. Google it.

8:30: Four questions and 25 minutes in, we’re still talking immigration. This time Mike Huckabee is defending a scholarship program he favored as Arkansas governor that would have been extended to illegal immigrants. Romney calls him a liberal. Huckabee responds: “In all due respect, we’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did.”

8:15: First question: Right to immigration and Romney-Giuliani slugfest. A New Yorker asks if Giuliani would keep the immigrant friendly policies of New York City if he becomes president, calling it a “sanctuary city.” Giuliani defends himself, claims he was as tough as he could be as mayor and then Romney jumps all over him. Rudy fights back saying Romney, as Massachusetts governor, empoyed illegal immigrants. Takeaway line from Giuliani, who assails Romney’s “holier than thou” attitude about immigration: “You have a special immigration problem no one up here has. You were employing illegal immigrants under your roof.” He calls it a “sanctuary mansion.” Wow, this is going to be tempestuous.

McCain: “This whole [immigration] debate saddens me.” Adds “[Immigrants] are god’s children as well.”

Arch anti-immigration candidate Tom Tancredo: “This is wonderful. All I’ve heard is people trying to out-Tancredo Tancredo.”

8:10: A funny montage of questions that won’t be asked is being shown. All the candidates are at their podiums. I think Giuliani received the largest ovation. It’s about to be on.

8:02: Ellen Gedalius reports that Clearwater mayor Frank Hibbard is supporting Mitt Romney.

8:00 And here’s Charlie. Gov. Crist strides on stage to welcome the audience and candidates. He’s introduced as the nation’s most popular governor. Not sure if that’s empirically correct, but no one seems to object.

7:59: Anderson Cooper has shed the jeans and wrinkled shirt for a suit, and he’s warming up the crowd. The entrance of the candidates is imminent. I’ll be updating as we go in small snippets with a time at the beginning of each one. I’ll also be playing a bit of a political parlor game, tracking how often the candidates say the words “Hillary” or “Clinton” and “George” or “Bush”. I’ll let you know at the end who wins.

 

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