2008 Polls National Iowa New Hampshire General Election GOP | Dem GOP | Dem GOP | Dem Head-to-Head

---

May 16, 2007

Special Report Roundtable - May 16

FOX News Special Report With Brit Hume

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP RON PAUL (R-TX), GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Have you ever read about the reasons of they attacked us. They attacked us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years.

RUDY GIULIANI (R), GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's an extraordinary statement as someone who lived through the attack on September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've ever heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUME: Well, that got a big round of applause and when the debate was over, it was clear that Rudy Giuliani, at least -- or the people around him, at least, felt that he had seized a good opportunity and taken it. And for some people, that was the moment of the night.

Some thoughts on all this now from Fred Barnes, executive editor of the Weekly Standard; Nina Easton, Washington bureau chief of Fortune magazine; and the syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer -- FOX NEWS contributors, all.

Well, let's talk first about those who were widely considered to be the first-tier candidates: Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. First of all, is the consensus that Giuliani had a good night, Charles, do you think, well-founded?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, it was and it had to do that moment. It wasn't just the content of what Giuliani had said, but it is basically what had happened. When Paul made that statement, it was like -- to use an basketball analogy -- it was and air ball, and all the other candidates stood around with jaws agape and nobody moved, they were frozen.

Giuliani rushes in, he grabs the ball, he jumps up and does a slam dunk and then a sneer afterwards.

(LAUGHTER)

And all of the other candidates, and you see, it wasn't -- that was Giuliani on 9/11. Everybody else on that day, including the president, to some extent, was frozen out of that picture, the president for obvious reasons, he had other things to worry about, but Giuliani stepped up there, he grabbed the mic, he reassured his city, and that's who Giuliani is. So that was in character and that's why it resonated and it was the old Giuliani of 9/11.

He also handled himself well, substantially, on the issue of abortion where he'd gotten tripped up in the earlier debate. He put that behind him to a certain extent, and he came out the clear winner.

NINA EASTON, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: I think that's right, I think -- and I need to issue a disclaimer that my husband works for McCain, but Giuliani, I think, you know, if debates are moments -- made of moments, especially a debate where you've got this huge cast of characters, it's the moment that people take away and Giuliani dove into that moment, and I think you're right, Charles, he knew how to react. He also -- it could -- it showcased his strength, but it also, to some extent, put the abortion issue, you know, aside, at least, it's settled. We now know where he stands on abortion. He's not fumbling all over on it. You may hate him for it, you may go with him for it, but, you know, that's where he is, and in fact, by the way, Richard Viguerie now is saying he plans to take Rudy Giuliani down -- Richard Viguerie being the right of the Republican Party. So, I do think you're seeing the rumblings.

(CROSSTALK)

HUME: .Viguerie have influence in the Republican Party in a long time?

EASTON: But you're seeing the rumblings of a revolt already which shows Giuliani's strength. The other thing, I think, we saw was last night was the beginning of the rivalry between Romney and McCain, so we had McCain criticizing Romney, saying you know: I don't change my positions every two years.

HUME: Well, who got the better of that in your view?

EASTON: I think it was probably -- came out pretty even.

HUME: What do you think -- Fred.

FRED BARNES, WEEKLY STANDARD: She is afraid to say McCain because her husband works for McCain, but that's the right answer. I thought McCain did, because he had this jab from Romney and he jabbed back even harder, you know, saying, I don't change my, basically, I don't change my positions depending on what even year it is.

HUME: Meaning election year.

BARNES: At what election running for, meaning an election year. I mean, it was pretty good. I thought McCain was better than he was in that first debate. Romney, not as good and Giuliani I agree with...

HUME: How was Romney not as good?

BARNES: Well, I'll tell you why he wasn't as good, because the big issues in this debate were national security and terrorism. And the truth is McCain and Giuliani are better on those issues, they have more experience, they have more credibility than Romney does. It was -- they were playing on their turf and not on Romney's turf.

But Giuliani, I mean, it really did come down, I agree entirely that these things are moments. I mean, what is the sound bite you played? I mean, the other 89 minutes of the debate were great, Brit, and you did a wonderful job, but that one minute or so with Paul...

HUME: what about this question that was raised with McCain which has a question he's dealt with before on the treatment of prisoners? He was almost alone among the candidates who spoke up on that issue. Certainly, he and Giuliani gulf of difference between them. Giuliani said he'd do whatever it would takes sort of torture, McCain says he equates with the administration has done and the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, he says they are torture. What about that? How did that one work?

BARNES: Well we know it worked.

HUME: Right, but well if they know that -- how did that work for Senator McCain?

BARNES: Well, that is McCain's position and he's consistent on that position, he obviously, when he says, you know, this is about America, this really matters, that's his position, it's not the position, I think, most Republicans take and are in favor of torture under the circumstances you particularly outlined in that scenarios.

KRAUTHAMMER: But there is an inconsistency, because in the Newsweek article he wrote a couple of years ago and in the debate, he conceded that in what he called the one-in-a-million scenario, which is the one you had raised, he said...

HUME: Well, he thought I raised.

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, you know, the one which there's a ticking bomb. He said the president has to take responsibility, which essentially is -- and what he said explicitly elsewhere is the president ought to do what has to be done -- anything, anything. He wouldn't write explicitly into law, but he would say presidents would -- he would essentially say, yes, torture, but then...

HUME: Do you think that be as a position that might well be satisfactory, then, to Republican voters who might otherwise think he is soft on this issues?

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, he won't make it explicit, but in essence, all of the people in the panel, in that debate, had said yes, in this scenario, yes. But what McCain says is I wouldn't write it into law.

HUME: Right, you got a final thought on this.

EASTON: But they were hairsplitting too, Giuliani and Romney, because they said we don't support torture but we support aggressive techniques, and it wasn't clear -- they don't have time -- then, where they're going to draw the line.

BARNES: I didn't think Giuliani made that distinction, and I think what McCain needs is to have Charles to explain it for him. He did it a lot better than McCain did.

HUME: We're going to talk about the others who had some moments last night as well, in a moment. Stay tuned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TANCREDO: This had gone off in the United States, more were planned and we're wondering about whether water boarding would be a bad thing to do? I'm looking for Jack Bauer at that time, let me tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we've done is what Senator McCain has suggested. We've had a Congress that spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop, and it's high time.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUME: Well, that was the biggest laugh of the night by far, Mick Edwards, I mean, Mike Huckabee referring to the fact, of course, that John Edwards got a couple of $400 haircuts along the way. Back with our panel, now. There was some thought of the seven other candidates that were up there on the stage last night, that Huckabee had the best night. Any thoughts on that?

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, he did, but that's not saying a lot, considering how the rest of them did. You know, to use another.

HUME: So you agree with that, though, basically?

KRAUTHAMMER: Yeah, he was the best. I mean, that was a pretty good line.

HUME: Do you think he was the best of the others?

EASTON: He won the VP sweepstakes for the night.

HUME: Do you think?

BARNES: No, he'd be a great late-night talk show host. He's not going to get -- you don't get jokes -- that doesn't get you the nomination for anything.

HUME: I know, but bar the.

(CROSSTALK)

That was a piece of it, but I mean, it wasn't just that. I mean, do think.

BARNES: Afterwards he said, you know, if I paid $1 for cutting every hair on my head, it wouldn't get to $400.

KRAUTHAMMER: To use another sporting analogy in NCAA, he won the play in game, in other words, he won the game that allows you to enter the tournament and get squashed by the No. 1 seed of your first game. He won here by a nose, and it's not saying a lot, because after all, the other six did not.

HUME: Well, let's go through them. All right? First of all, certainly got a lot of time and a lot of attention: Ron Paul. How did Ron Paul do?

BARNES: Well, he sounded like a left libertarian. I didn't -- you know, he took this left-wing view of American foreign policy. You know, America's always at fault. I didn't think that helped him.

EASTON: That's right, he was taking up space on the panel that should be occupied by somebody like Newt Gingrich. That would make it really interesting.

HUME: But it has been suggested today that Rudy Giuliani might ought to send him a campaign contribution, because he's the one who teed him up.

KRAUTHAMMER: He should put him on the payroll. I mean, that was a hell of a favor, and maybe he'll make him secretary of something after he becomes president.

BARNES: Not the feds.

KRAUTHAMMER: Paul is the classic isolationist libertarian. And isolationists don't want to do anything abroad, and if anything bad happens, they blame it on the fact that America is involved abroad, it's part of their isolationism.

HUME: Sam Brownback?

EASTON: Sam Brownback, I have to say, I think he comes over better in person than on television. I don't think he resonates in anyway, he.

I thought he had his game, thought, I mean, last thing -- he seemed composed and he spoke with, you know, articulation -- I thought he was fine. Of course, I was seeing in the hall, which is not what others were experiencing, so I don't...

EASTON: I just think he knows his stuff, he takes some interesting positions that aren't always predictable, like on immigration, but you know, compared to a Huckabee, who I thought had a very vibrant presence last night -- and it wasn't just a joke. He also -- Huckabee also went into his whole -- his -- the bit about the culture of life. But it was very good.

(CROSSTALK)

HUME: OK, quickly.

BARNES: Tommy Thompson.?

HUME: Tommy Thompson.

BARNES: Tommy Thompson drove me crazy. Remember he was asked that question, great question by Wendell Goler: Name three programs that you would cut. He never named one.

HUME: Anybody disagree that with -- Tommy Thompson didn't have a great night?

(CROSSTALK)

OK, quickly now, he got to.

KRAUTHAMMER: Look, he was a good governor, and he's diminishing himself.

HUME: Duncan Hunter?

KRAUTHAMMER: He shouldn't stay in this race.

BARNES: He always does well because he's good on the issues of defense, in particular.

HUME: Jim Gilmore? Make any headway?

EASTON: Gilmore has the Rudy -- Mitt Romney jab.

HUME: Yeah, but that's old.

EASTON: But that was, yeah.

KRAUTHAMMER: He didn't make any headway at all.

BARNES: He was talking to a.

HUME: Tancredo make any headway at all?

KRAUTHAMMER: No, after all, his issue is immigration and Hunter's the one who hit that one out of the park.

BARNES: Yeah.

---

Sponsored Links

About Us | Contact | Advertise | Privacy Policy         © RealClearPolitics 2006