Saturday Night Debate - Gingrich vs Romney

The exhibition games are over.  Now, the real debates begin. There is just a month to go before the Republican Primary season begins in Iowa. There have been so many Republican Presidential debates until I can't keep count of them.  But, tonight, the Iowa debate at Drake University in Iowa, is the first real debate between Romney and Gingrich since Newt became the front runner. Of course, the other Republican candidates will be there along with Ron Paul and Rick Perry.  But, this debate will probably focus on Gingrich and Romney.  The rise of Gingrich has been nothing short of amazing since he was in single digits just a month ago.  But, now, Gingrich has a double digit lead over Mitt Romney.  Romney just doesn't seem able to forge ahead of the 25% of support that has held steady since the first debate early this year. Newt Gingrich seems to be surging.  But, now, Mitt Romney will take the kid gloves off and go after Gingrich with all that baggage he carries into the Primary season.

Of course, Gingrich surging to the forefront is good news for the Obama campaign.  Newt Gingrich is their nominee of choice.  They really don't want to face the moderate Mitt Romney even with the albatross of Romneycare that Mr. Romney carries.  Gingrich will certainly go after Romney on that issue tonight.  In turn, Romney will go after Gingrich on his support of the individual mandate for national healthcare.  Both candidates have baggage.  It just appears that Newt Gingrich has more than Romney.  This will be the most interesting debate so far.  It will eclipse the bitter backbiting between Perry and Romney of the past couple of months.  Gingrich has tried to stay "above it all" during the more nasty mudslinging of prior debates.  I am willing to wager he won't be able to do it tonight.

Romneycare Gives Benefits to Illegal Aliens

Governor Rick Perry, whose campaign for the Republican nomination has hit the rocks, has hit Mitt Romney where it hurts most; Romneycare gives benefits to illegal aliens.  Governor Perry's campaign stated, "Governor Romney’s government-mandated healthcare plan provided free care for illegal immigrants in Massachusetts, establishing just the kind of illegal immigration magnet Governor Romney claims to oppose,” Perry spokesman Mark Miner said.  The Perry Campaign also stated that citizenship is not required under the rules of the Health Safety Net which allowed anyone without insurance (including illegals) to go to any medical clinic or hospital to receive medical care at practically no cost.  The Romney Campaign countered that the Health Safety Net Fund was made long after Governor Mitt Romney left office in Massachusetts. However, Perry Campaign spokesmen stated that the Massachusetts Free Care website was updated three days after former Governor Mitt Romney signed the law. In fact, the law clearly states “Your citizenship or immigration status does not affect your eligibility.” 


I must say I find Mitt Romney to be the big hypocritical, flip-flopper that those of us on the Right have always thought him to be.  I have no interest in Rick Perry due to his love affair with illegal aliens in Texas (instate tuition for one thing, heartless if you don't agree is another).  Romney has been blasting Perry for his pandering to illegals  with the instate tuition thing.  All while doing this, Romney had a provision in Romneycare that basically gave free medical assistance to illegal aliens.  I'm really sick of both of these candidates.  Not just due to the fact they are both RINOs.  It goes deeper, to the very core that both men are just big government Republicans in the same manner as Rockefeller,  Nixon and both Bush presidents.  Cain is mopping up both right now according to the latest polls.  It may be, in due part, to his being civil in the debates.  Part of it is that people like the fact he is considered an outsider.  Whatever the reason, Herman Cain is resonating with Republican voters.  Both Romney and Perry better get themselves together.  We get they both like the idea of cheap labor that illegals provide.  What we don't get is why they both are being such hypocrites over the issue of illegals.

I had thought that the economy is what the core of the argument would be in the Republican nomination process.  Right now, it appears that illegal immigration is wounding both Perry and Romney.  Herman Cain?  He's reaping the benefits of the Romney-Perry War.