Gems From the Second GOP Debate

Some of the highlights of the first hour of last night's second-of-the-cycle Republican primary debate in Columbia, S.C.:

Brit Hume: This guy just oozes gravitas. Can he be the dark horse Republican candidate, instead of Fred Thompson? Also, there's going to be a cowbell for candidates who speak for too long. Awesome.

Governor Gilmore: He's still here. Good Lord.

Mr. Hume: Fox News will not seek comment on Jerry Falwell's passing. Perhaps the candidates are relieved that their pandering to the religious right on this one can be confined to the written statements they issued earlier in the afternoon.

Senator McCain: On Iraq: "They want to follow us home." We've heard this before. Many times. "I will be the last man standing, if necessary."

Senator Brownback: In an Iraq answer heavy on criticism of Harry Reid and light on details of how to win the war, he gets the first cowbell of the night.

Mayor Giuliani: His response on Iraq criticizes the Democrats for announcing our retreat and touches at some length on the planned terrorist attack on Fort Dix. Good way to reach back to his prosecutor background.

Chris Wallace: wants to know if Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is running in the wrong party's primary because he opposed the original Iraq resolution.

Mr. Paul: Argues the war has shrunk the Republican base —based on the 2006 election. And he praises President Reagan for pulling out of Lebanon. Cowbell.

Mr. Gilmore: Is talking. I've got a fever, and the only cure is ... more cowbell.

Wendell Goler: Wants to know if Mitt Romney has flip-flopped by taking a no-new-taxes pledge in this race, when he refused to do so when running for Massachusetts governor in 2002.

Mr. Romney: "I want to make it very clear that I'm not going to raise taxes." Also points out that he didn't raise taxes in Massachusetts, and they balanced the budget. (Fiscal watchdog groups in Massachusetts would say Mr. Romney did raise corporate taxes, calling it "closing loopholes.")

Mr. Goler: Wants to know from Mr. McCain why he said he was wrong on President Bush's tax cuts back in 2001. (He never said that.)

Mr. McCain: "First of all, I didn't say that I was wrong."

Mr. McCain: Repeats his whole bit about drunken sailors taking offense at being compared to Congress's spending habits — heard last at the first debate (and in every stump speech he's given so far this campaign cycle). This is a real theme with Mr. McCain, trotting out the same tired lines again and again.

Mike Huckabee: Best line of the night so far: "We've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop." Huge applause from the crowd.

Mr. Paul: Is asked if he would like to close any departments ... would he ever.

Mr. Gilmore: Plugs his Web site. Cue the cowbell.

Mr. Giuliani: Gets in a good line after Mr. Gilmore goes off on how none of the other candidates are real conservatives. "I think Rudy McRomney wouldn't make a bad ticket." And, he says, he doesn't mind the order.