The other questioner asks a fairly lame question, saying why shouldn’t Republicans emulate Arnold in his centrism.
Duncan Hunter cites border fence near San Diego. Calls for it to be extended.
Jim Gilmore is asked if Karl Rove is his friend. Gilmore says responsibility lies with the president. Asked if he would employ Karl Rove. What’s important to this nation is not Karl Rove. Goes on to list off his whole agenda.
Eh, a simple yes or no would have done.
Tancredo: Would not be in the White House that I inhabited. We’ve had our differences for some time, mostly on immigration issue.
Matthews asks Rudy, has influence of Christian conservatives been good for party. Yes, then segues, noting, “Neither party has a monopoly on virtue or vice.”
(Comment from Jim: “And believe me, after three marriages, I know a thing or two about vice!”)
Thompson: The problem for Republicans is we went to Washington to change it, but Washington changed us.
Brownback is asked a ludicrous question in the vein of, “what’s with all the corruption in the Republican party?” Brownback cites William Jefferson, then goes on to talk about rebuilding the family structure. Laments Imus, and records.
Tancredo: These problems not unique to Republican party… goes back to question of whether Republican party should be more centrist, and says, “we’re standing in a place that we would not call a centrist.”
Matthews asks whether radio first-responder comment in his announcement speech was a shot at Rudy. McCain gives a fairly persuasive answer that it was about special interest reserving parts of the spectrum.
McCain tells a funny comment, “As a former drunken sailor, I resent being compared to Congress.” Then goes on to say first bill on his desk that has pork, “I will make those sponsors and that pork famous.”
McCain wants a line-item veto.
Huckabee, asked to give a grade for Bush’s performance on Iraq, says it’s too early, you don’t give a grade until the end of the test. “How about a warning grade halfway through the semester?” “We didn’t get that when I went to school. I don’t know where you went to school.”
Tancredo speaks… with a bit of a… Christopher Walken… pause cadence… to his… statements.
McCain says he’s been working with Democrats and President to come up with a comprehensive solution to “this terrible problem. The status quo is not acceptable.”
Duncan Hunter, asked about watching Gore’s movie on global warming, talks about need for energy independence.