Gems from the “debate”

Fred Thompson can’t name a single program he would cut:

So my question is: What are the names of the top three federal programs you would reduce in size in order to decrease…

(Applause)

Cooper: Senator Thompson?

Thompson: Well, it’s a target-rich environment, there’s no question about it. What most of these gentlemen have said absolutely correct. The difficulty is, most of the programs that we talk about, most of the ones get the headlines, would not begin to solve the problem.

Mitt’s right when he mentions entitlement. That’s why I have laid out a program to not attack entitlements, but to save Social Security. Everybody talks about wanting to do something about it. Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are the ones that we’re really going to have to reform if we’re going to make any headway into spending.

Then Romney endorses welfare for farmers:

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.

So does “libertarian,” “free market” Giuliani:

So, both of those reasons would say that although simplistically, it might seem like you’d want to get rid of all the subsidies, you’ve got to do this very carefully, and you have to do it in concert with these free-trade agreements and other agreements you’re making so that European countries reduce their much heavier subsidies.

Romney doesn’t know what torture is:

Cooper: Is waterboarding torture?

Romney: And as I just said, as a presidential candidate, I don’t think it’s wise for us to describe specifically which measures we would and would not use.

Ron Paul: This is country is in a revolution. They’re sick and tired of what they’re getting. And I happen to be lucky enough to be part of it.

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11:00 pm on November 29, 2007