The American Spectator

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.26.12 @ 8:43PM

They were simply answering questions and Romney put Gingrich right in his place.

As far as Santorum's admonition that's a debate technique and it really wasn't that impressive.

Clint| 1.26.12 @ 8:51PM

Santorum Doesn't Wanna Talk Aboiut His Involvement In The " K-Street Project".
Aaaand,
" Santorum collected fat board payments fom Universal, the King of Prussia mental-health and community hospital chain which makes most of its money from taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid, even as he claims to oppose more taxpayer subsidies for healthcare."

" Hospitals, Coal Made Santorum A Millionaire

Director fees from Universal Health, lobbying fees from coal operator Consol Energy and law pay from Eckerd Seamans helped ex-Sen. Rick Santorum turn his Washington connections into millions in personal income

Mike 3/505| 1.26.12 @ 8:52PM

Aaron,

See my comments on the Debate preview thread...The winner of the Santorum comment was Mitt. Newt tried to use it to skewer Blitzer, but Mitt ended up skewering Newt. Not pretty.

Mike 3/505| 1.26.12 @ 8:59PM

Romney is hitting hard tonight.

Drek| 1.26.12 @ 9:40PM

Yes, he's ignoring questions to go off on tears against Gingrich.

A question that broached Floridian's problems with foreclosures saw Romney tear off into Gingrich for having a relationship with Freddie Mac. He never ever got to the question asked.

But it didn't matter, for he's seeing this debate as teeing off on Gingrich, looking to polish him off.

I think he may have.

The guy who got closest to touching a nerve tonight was Santorum who exposed that Romney hasn't any real intention of repealing Obamacare, and the justification advanced for Romneycare is PRECISELY the justification advanced for obamacare.

But Blitzer discerned that Romney was getting seriously hurt, and rode into break up that tet-a-tet.

Gingrich should have cut in to call Blitzer off and allow Santorum/Romney more time to develop their respective thoughts and observations.

somnolence| 1.26.12 @ 9:49PM

Ron Paul tells it like it is when it comes to the health care debacle, by citing the example before everything went to manure starting in 1965. I even felt like cheering him when he said he would cut out a trillion dollars, and I don't even support him.

somnolence| 1.26.12 @ 9:51PM

Santorum ribbed Gingrich by reminding him that Newt was on the government intervention healthcare kick for over 20 years, literally leaving Gingrich speechless. This has been a very inept debate for Newt, and almost a triumph for Romney.

Drek| 1.26.12 @ 11:17PM

Of course he was speechless!

The GOP has been under relentless political pressure to find ways to meet the rising demand from the electorate for cheaper healthcare.

Gingrich has been at the forefront in that effort to find cheaper, but also market based methods for meething that need.

Health care savings accounts are jokes because just a few MRIs will blow a hole in any normal person's account. Health costs are rapidly rising beyond all but the most wealthy's ability to meet them.

Democrats have been riding the wave of this towards electoral victories.

We've been on the defensive about this not just for years, but decades.

For Paul to hit Gingrich for existing in the political universe AS IT IS, and NOT as Ron Paul desires it to be, must have seemed surreal.

Here was Gingrich battling for the soul of the party and country against a guy being carried by the establishment, and he's being ankle-bitten by a guy like Paul. Of course it was unbelievable and surreal.

jack| 1.27.12 @ 3:21PM

nonsense, man...HSA'S ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AND GREAT!

Mike| 1.26.12 @ 10:58PM

Santorum had no answer about what to do with freeloaders who leave their medical bills to those who buy insurance or employers who provide insurance as part of a compensation package.

Drek| 1.26.12 @ 11:19PM

A good chunk of the answer to that question is getting rid of illegals, and foreign prisoners in our criminal justice system.

There's millions and millions right off the bat gone!

Dai Alanye| 1.27.12 @ 12:20AM

The answer is Health Savings Accounts, as Santorum pointed out.

Christopher C| 1.27.12 @ 2:58AM

It cannot be anything other than Health Savings Accounts. To be sure, they will not be perfect. But God Almighty, Obamacare will be catastrophically worse.

Why is it that no-one will just simply admit that it is IMPOSSIBLE for country of the size of, and with the population of, the United States to centralize medicine? It simply cannot be done (and actually ensure a degree of health care). An enormous proportion of total health care expenditure would have to be devoured by administration costs, and coordination costs, and audit costs, and policy-maker costs and on, and on, and on, and on. The bottom line: health care in the United States simply must be de-centralised. The only half-way viable method would seem to be HSAs.

If there was one economic lesson from the 20th century it was that centralisation of practically anything does - not - work.

Which is something that Americans used to know at a near-cellular level - "We, the People" and all that.

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 1:17PM

The Tea Party Rebellion Knows That Ricky Specter-Santorum Is A Big Government Statist RINO-CINO.