Liveblogging the Fox Debate

8:13 Chris Wallace starts off with a tax question and allows Romney to mix it up with both McCain and Huckabee. Then he just sits back and lets them go at it. Huckabee can't seem to answer Romney's accusations about Huckabee raising taxes. Huckabee doesn't look as cuddly in that exchange. Romney zings him saying "You make up facts faster than you talk." Ouch. Though Romney seems on shaky ground trying to argue that raising fees is different from raising taxes. McCain did well on portraying himself as someone who has been against wasteful government spending by never asking for an earmark for Arizona. Giuliani also did well in talking about his record of cutting taxes in New York.

Via Michelle Malkin, here is the Club for Growth's information on Huckabee's real record on raising taxes.

8:24 Romney defends himself against Huckabee's jab that he looks like someone who would lay you off. Romney stands up for capitalism by saying that we won't help the wage earner by attacking the wage payer. He lumps Huckabee together with Democrats who demonize entrepreneurs.

Thompson and Huckabee have a cute but pointless exchange by Thompson joking that Huckabee is going to get rid of death. They shake hands over being willing to get rid of the death tax. Huckabee then makes a play for the fair tax. It's a goofy idea that would never get enacted.'

Giuliani gets to make a push that he's the one who has had the most experience lifting people out of poverty and cites stats from his years in New York by tying welfare to work. He says that Republicans don't do a good enough job of explaining the conservative principles and how they can help poor people. He's right and does a good job of making his argument. He also gets off a good line for GOP voters saying he doesn't even remember how many times the ACLU sued him. Probably not a line that would go over well with independents.

8:30 Chris Wallace's style is to ask questions of the candidates by voicing the criticism of their opponents or by asking one candidate to comment on the proposals of another. That gives them more opportunities to directly mix it up with each other. It makes for a more interesting debate. Charlie Gibson did a very nice job last night and Chris Wallace is doing it again tonight. Let's let these guys do all the debates.

He asks McCain about whether he can be an agent of change having been in DC so long. McCain gets to recite yet again that he fought for a change in strategy in Iraq. Now Wallace asks Romney if he still thinks McCain would be ineffectual. Romney responds that we can't make change by sending the same people to Washington and that we need someone from outside and who has had executive leadership. He makes a nice compliment to Giuliani's experience in New York.

I'm so sick of all these candidates of both parties talking about change. Our government system is set deliberately to block change. There is no reason to believe that Romney, McCain, or Obama could bring about change.

McCain talks about his leadership in leading a squadron in Vietnam - "not for profit, but for patriotism." Zap, but in the long run that doesn't really translate into executive experience.

McCain says that he knows how to get Osama bin Laden and he will get him. Well, why doesn't he let the administration know his secret.

Thompson comes in as a fact-checker and says that we have to tell the American people the truth. For example, we're going to have to fight this war longer and with more money. And we're not going to become energy independent. And we're going to have to do something for Social Security. I like that type of truth telling, but I don't know if it sells to many others.

Giuliani says that it's a question of what type of change and that Obama or Clinton would take us off the offense against terrorism.

8:48 The debate has turned to foreign policy. I'm so sick of these candidates saying they're ready to govern and conduct foreign policy by listing their travel schedules and how many times they've visited foreign countries. That's all fine and international travel is fine, but I'm interested in their policy ideas. McCain says he knows what to do about Pakistan. Well, what are his ideas? Huckabee tries to turn the question into talking about how he governed in Arkansas. And how exactly is that related to his ideas on foreign policy?

8:55 Thompson gives off his list of what committees he's sat on. Then he swivels to attack Huckabee for saying we should close Guantanamo. Huckabee says that he visited Guantanamo and thought that the prisoners were treated too darn well. Thompson explains that if the prisoners are brought here, they'd be given certain rights that they wouldn't have while they're in Guantanamo.

Wallace asks McCain a follow up about how he'd get Bin Laden. McCain says he'd do it by improving our intelligence capabilities. Oh, that sounds easy. What has he done to try to achieve that while he's been in the Senate? Has he shown as much passion in trying to do that as he's shown in trying to pass campaign finance reform?

9:05 Huckabee tries to defend his record on illegal immigration in Arkansas. Romney asks him about the kids in schools. Huckabee refuses to answer and says that Mr. Wallace is the moderator and he's not going to answer Romney's questions. Come on, Governor Huckabee. You're running for president; you should be able to answer questions from your competitors.

9:19 Wallace shows a Romney ad against McCain and one against Huckabee. Romney says that there is a difference between an attack ad and one showing someone's record. I happen to agree. Sometimes these sorts of ads are the most informative ones that voters see. Whether voters like the attacks or not is another matter. Huckabee says that there were half-truths in Romney's ads. For example, he says that he commuted some convicts' sentences because they had committed little crimes like check-kiting and now couldn't get a job. What about the murderers whose sentences you commuted, Governor Huckabee?

Romney gets a chance to bring that up in his comeback. Romney is doing a much better job tonight than he did last night in answering the attacks from his competitors. He is responding and then going on the offensive.

9:27 Wallace asks Giuliani about Bernard Kerik. Old news and we get the same answer Giuliani has been giving on that.

Wallace asks McCain about his age and whether he'd pledge to serve just one term. McCain declines to say that. Of course he does. Since Teddy Roosevelt made himself an instant lame duck by announcing on his inauguration in 1905 that he wouldn't run again, most presidents have been smart enough not to weaken themselves by making that sort of announcement beforehand.

Wallace asks them how they will appeal to independents.

Giuliani cites his record in New York. He says that this country is not moving in the wrong direction. He gives his test and ready theme.

Thompson says he's never lost an election. He carried Tennessee twice and was popular there. Big whoopty doo. If he can't win a Republican primary, he's toast. He says he'll speak the truth to the American people. Sadly, voters can't handle the truth.

Huckabee says he's like a lot of Americans and will connect with the American people since he's one of the common people. He cites his support for values of life, Second Amendment, and family issues. Also that he was elected and popular in Arkansas. We've already had one popular governor from Arkansas.

Romney says that he loves his children and grandkids and is concerned about the America that they will inherit. He'll fix what is broken in Washington. Tell us specifically how you'll do that. All politicians say that they'll do that. It hasn't happened. He'll change Washington because he was able to change the Olympics. Washington works differently.

McCain says he revitalize the Republican base. What about all the Republicans who despise you, Senator? He's optimistic. They're all optimistic. Ya think they want to latch onto the Reagan aura of optimisim?

9:35 Frank Luntz focus group: Romney did very well. Only one or two came in thinking they'd support him and now overwhelmingly, the focus groups raises their hands to say they support Romney now. They thought he spoke clearly and concisely.

They thought Huckabee waffled his first question.

Overwhelmingly the group thought Fred Thompson was the weakest. I didn't think that - I thought Huckabee was, but that is just my own prejudices.

Luntz asks if Iowa influences them and they all are put out by that implication and say that they don't like Huckabee forcing his religion to the fore.

They think that Obama will be the Democratic nominee, but they think that Romney has enough presence and knowledge to beat Obama.

Well, according to this audience, Romney was the big winner tonight. Whether anyone was watching this debate and whether the debate will watch them.

9:43 Fox All Stars: Fred Barnes thinks that Romney did well and so did McCain and Giuliani. Huckabee was too defensive. Nina Easton (whose husband works for Romney) thought the debate was notable for the lack of contention. They were more combative last night. She (and I) think that McCain must have gotten the message that he'd been too cranky and rather ugly-sounding last night.

Bill Kristol (whose daughter works for Thompson) thought that McCain maintaned his edge in the primary since he's in the lead. Kristol didn't think the debate changed anything. Mort Kondracke thinks that there is time for Romney to catch up to McCain. Mort still likes how Huckabee talks about how the economy is hurting the middle class.

Frank Luntz shows the dial response from the focus groups. Mitt Romney got the highest responses. They liked his rhetoric about how Washington is broken and that his background will help him bring about fundamental change. I guess that shows how I'm different from the average voter. I can't stand that type of easy rhetoric. It's meaningless.

They also liked Romney rejection of the idea of amnesty for illegal immigrants. The numbers approving his remarks were off the charts.