No Ball

From the gruelling interrogation last night:

Mayor Giuliani, how do we get back to Ronald Reagan's "morning in America"?

Senator McCain, most of the public pessimism today has to do with Iraq. How -- what would you need, as commander in chief, to win the war in Iraq?

Governor Thompson, if you're commander in chief and you want to win this war in Iraq, what do you need to do to win it?

I'm just asking, do we have to reduce that temperature of hatred before we win the war, or simply continue to fight the terrorists?

This is a question for Senator McCain. It's along those lines of intervention. Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson said that Iran has already committed acts of war. Do you agree? And secondly, as part of that, what's your trip wire for a U.S. strike in Iran?

Should we change our Constitution which we believe is divinely inspired -- (laughter) -- to allow men like Mel Martinez, the chairman of your party, born in Cuba, great patriot, senator from Florida, and Arnold Schwarzenegger to stand here some night?

Let me go to Senator McCain. We're in the house of Ronald Reagan. Every cab driver in America knew what Ronald Reagan stood for: defeat communism abroad, reduce big government at home. Can you, Senator McCain, restore that kind of unity of purpose?

Governor Huckabee, the question is, how do you unify the country the way Reagan did, a good portion of the country?

But you, as commander in chief and chief executive, would you employ Karl Rove?

Okay, let's start with an enjoyable down-the-line, okay? I want each candidate to mention a tax he'd like to cut, in addition to the Bush tax cuts, keeping them in effect.

Senator Brownback, do you find any faults in Mayor Giuliani?

Do you think Scooter Libby should be pardoned? Governor?

Seriously, would it be good for America to have Bill Clinton back living in the White House?

Every president, if you look back to Ike, was elected to fill the problem of the previous president. We are of course correcting all the time in this country. It's how democracy works. How will you be different in any way from President George W. Bush?

Make no mistake, Tweety was all poodle last night. Not a question about the candidates' own responsibility for the Iraq debacle, just puffers allowing them to explain how they would magically transform the Middle East if given the chance. Nothing about how to fund the endless occupation, only questions about how taxes would be cut in the next administration. Nothing about the economy or health care costs or Social Security, we've got the constitutional crisis of foreign-born presidents to consider. Forget about the White House's attempts to corrupt and infest the Justice Department, how much of a bitch is Hillary? Isn't Ronnie Reagan simply the dreamiest?

The biggest prostitution scandal this week isn't centered in D.C.; it happened in Simi Valley.