Cut Spending, GOP Rivals Say in Final Pre-Iowa Debate
By Robynn Tysver and Elizabeth Ahli, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.
Dec. 13–JOHNSTON, Iowa — Rising presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee emerged unscathed Wednesday in the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses, as his key rivals passed up a chance to rumble.
The debate, which restricted candidates to responses of a minute or less, produced no fireworks and highlighted no clear policy differences between the top GOP candidates.
It also was unlikely to shake up the field, which remains fluid despite Huckabee’s surge in recent polls in Iowa and Mitt Romney’s drop to second in the state.
Those surveys also consistently show that a large bloc of the party faithful remain uncommitted and underwhelmed by the Republican field.
“It was pretty benign. I didn’t hear anything new,” said candidate Ron Paul, a Texas congressman.
The caucuses, the first test of the presidential campaign, will be held Jan. 3 — three weeks from today.
Nine candidates took part in the debate: Huckabee, Romney, Paul, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Rudolph Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes. The format featured tight time limits. Candidates were restricted to 15-, 30- and 60-second answers, depending on the question.
The format clearly constrained the candidates, some of whom were surprised by its subdued tenor.
Huckabee had expected to be a target. The former Arkansas governor’s campaign has surged in the past month, prompting Romney and others to turn their fire on him.
He was prepared for debate attacks, but “this format prevented it,” said Bob Vander Plaats, Huckabee’s Iowa chairman.
The biggest news appeared to come after the debate, when Huckabee apologized to Romney for comments he made to the New York Times about Romney’s Mormon faith.
In the article, Huckabee responded to a question about Romney’s faith with a question of his own: “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”
Romney took exception to the remark, saying earlier Wednesday that Huckabee, a Baptist minister, was “attacking someone’s religion.”
Huckabee, who has described himself as a “Christian leader,” apologized to the former Massachusetts governor after the debate. He has said he did not mean to disparage Romney’s religion and that his answer was simply innocent curiosity.
“He was gracious,” Huckabee said later. “I hope he knows I was sincere.”
During the 90-minute debate, no questions were asked about the Iraq war, illegal immigration or health care. Moderator Carolyn Washburn, editor of the Des Moines Register, which sponsored the debate, said Iowans already know the candidates’ stands on those issues.
Instead, she asked questions about the nation’s budget deficit, taxes and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The candidates managed, for the most part, to stick to their general campaign themes.
Romney touted his business experience, Huckabee said he had the most executive experience in the field and McCain emphasized his background in the military and U.S. Senate.
McCain also noted his past criticism of President Bush’s failure to send enough troops to invade Iraq.
“I’ve been involved in every major national security issue of our time,” said McCain, a Vietnam prisoner of war. “That kind of experience is what’s given me judgment. The judgment to oppose a failed strategy in Iraq. A judgment to call for the strategy that’s succeeding.”
Thompson also emphasized his experience in the Senate, showcasing his knowledge about the federal budget when asked a question about spending.
The former Tennessee lawmaker said candidates have to level with the American people that something needs to be done to rein in entitlement spending. Otherwise, he said, the nation will face a budgetary crisis in about 30 years.
He said people like Omaha investor Warren Buffett don’t need Medicare.
Thompson also took exception to the debate format at one point. When the candidates were asked for a show of hands on whether they believed in global warming, Thompson said, “I’m not doing hand shows today.”
Thompson has expressed skepticism that mankind is contributing to global warming.
McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani and Romney indicated they believed the planet was getting warmer, and they all said that humanity contributed in some degree to the phenomenon.
When asked what they hoped to accomplish in their first year in office, most said they hoped to strengthen the nation’s military, prosecute the war on terror and begin ending illegal immigration.
Paul said he would end the war his first year in office and restore the nation’s “diplomatic credibility.”
Another debate today will feature the Democratic presidential candidates.
By Robynn Tysver and Elizabeth Ahlin
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Copyright (c) 2007, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.
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