Debate gives Gingrich a chance to shine

Six weeks before the first Republican presidential nominating contest, the eight GOP candidates will meet on stage Tuesday night to debate foreign policy.

Tuesday's debate in Washington will be the first since Newt Gingrich started to take a clear lead in the polls, giving the former House speaker a prime opportunity to secure his spot as a frontrunner.

Gingrich has climbed to the top of the polls in recent days in part because of his performance in past debates and voters' perception that he'd make a strong commander in chief -- a quality he was able to put on display at the last televised GOP debate, the CBS News/ National Journal debate in South Carolina, which also focused on foreign policy. He will be looking to build upon that strength again on Tuesday evening.

The forum -- hosted by CNN, as well as the conservative think tanks the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation -- also presents an opportunity for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to prove himself to conservatives. Romney has consistently garnered about 20 percent support in polls but has failed to gain much momentum past that.

Although the focus is foreign policy, the failure of the so-called supercommittee could also become a hot topic. The failure of the special congressional panel means that hundreds of billions in defense cuts could automatically be triggered, an outcome that pro-defense conservatives are adamantly protesting. While nearly all the candidates on stage Tuesday are likely to decry the cuts (except for libertarian Ron Paul), Romney has already made an aggressive argument for increasing defense spending.

With an array other substantive foreign policy issues that could come up -- like the ongoing clashes in Egypt and Syria, or Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology -- the other GOP contenders will have to stay on their toes as well. At the CBS News/National Journal debate, the candidates avoided any major gaffes as they were questioned about topics ranging from Pakistan to Iraq to Guantanamo Bay and the European debt crisis.

After the debate, however, businessman Herman Cain -- whose dominance in the polls has waned as Gingrich has gained ground -- found himself in the spotlight after he stumbled on a question regarding the conflict in Libya.

Still, a standout debate performance could pay off for Cain -- or just about any other candidate -- in Iowa, where voters appear largely undecided.

[14FREEK]

It is not hate, it is the law; a law that has been being abused by too many, for too long. It is time to stop the abuse. We hate being abused. We want it stopped. This is the way to stop it.

We have immigration laws to prevent many abuses-criminals, health concerns, overcrowding and others. Right now there just too many illegal immigrants in our country. We have long passed the man who sank the lifeboat using the lifeboat paradox in which everyone wants in the lifeboat but too many will sink the lifeboat.

We have an unemployment rate of 9.1%, 18 million Americans unemployed while we carry 18 million illegal immigrants. We have $2.2 trillion annual budget deficit while illegal immigrants cost Americans $2.2 trillion a year in welfare, health care and education benefits. Have you no sense of logic?

You might think, "Well, just this one." But there are 50 states and Washington DC, and if they all have the same attitude then we will still be violating the spirit and function of the law thus alienating all those who have followed the rule of law and those who are now following the rule of law by submitting to the proper application process. Also those in mexsicko who might in the future immigrate illegally.

The law needs to be applied equally in all situations to be fair to all and effective. Believe me we are all understanding and sympathetic but we can't allow the law to be abused. That is what is happening when people come here illegally whether they did it yesterday or 50 years ago. If you let people get away with this then every other illegal immigrant and the potential immigrants still in mexico will think they can also break the law and be forgiven later like these people.

Send them ALL back to be fair to all of them here, legally and illegally, and the ones still in mexico who want toi be here legally and illegally.

If you need a bus to hit you to help you understand, let me drive it. 14 million
Americans Unemployed, 14 million illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants cost this country $2.2 trillion per year, The annual budget deficit is $1.2 trillion. WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

[14FREEK]

The NUMBER ONE issue to tackle which incidentally will solve five major national financial problems at once is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. The best way to CREATE JOBS is to deport all illegal immigrants NOW. First that will create thousands and thousands of seriously needed immigration and border patrol agent jobs right off the bat. Second, as the illegal immigrants are removed and deported the jobs they leave will be available for TRUE AMERICANS. Third, by having TRUE AMERICANS employed then the TAXES WILL BE PAID to the government (instead of the employers of illegal immigrants keeping that money to avoid being detected for employing illegal immigrants). Fourth, by deporting illegal immigrants we SAVE OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR as a nation since hard working TRUE AMERICANS currently pay taxes to support THE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE BEING USED BY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO WILL NO LONGER BE HERE. (NOT COINCIDENTALLY THIS IS ALMOST EXACTLY EQUAL TO OUR ANNUAL NATIONAL BUDGET DEFICIET) Fifth, we won't be spending real taxpayer dollars on health (including anchor babies) education and welfare on multiple fraudulent/fake identifications for each of these individuals. And finally, as a BIG BONUS it will prove to America and the rest of the world that we are serious about getting our country back on our feet which is the biggest inducement (GLOBAL CONSUMER CONFIDENCE) that will be immediately affected. America and the world need to witness this confidence. Finally, we will show everyone we are serious about protecting our country and our borders from terrorists.

[revkrazy]

I think this was the best debate so far this year. I really like how Newt stood up to defend his stance on immigration. Who do you think won?

POLL: Who won the 11/22/2011 CNN Republican National Security Debate?
Vote: http://www.wepolls.com/p/5361200

[esq777]

Where exactly is he going to shine?
Family values pointers on how to divorce your wife on her death bed to take off with your mistress? How to couch all of your lobbying pay-offs as "historian consulting"? How to try and get voters to forget that you resigned from Congress in disgrace in the middle of a huge ethics scandal? How you were a highly paid consultant to a key player in the mortgage and economic meltdown? How you think child labor is good for the country? How you want to put everyone's social security in the stock market? How to run up huge debt at Tiffany's? He's going to have trouble picking where he can shine the most.

[madonato]

With the mainstream media hyping him 24-7 there is no limit to how high the Newtster could go. Once in the White House he could take his ethics violations to a whole new level, because as Richard Nixon told us, "If the President does it, it is not a crime".

If Newt is POTUS I'm sure that Tiffany's will extend him the line of credit a Commander in Chief with multiple ex wives deserves.

[PDX97204]

"While nearly all the candidates on stage Tuesday are likely to decry the cuts (except for libertarian Ron Paul)"

Let's be clear about Ron Paul's consistent message about the military: The cuts he wants are not to defense in general but to our empire. We have hundreds of thousands of troops in hundreds of countries. It's not sustainable. It leads to blowback. Bring our troops home and let them spend their money in the United States while defending our country. End unconstitutional wars. No more invasions of sovereign nations.

Speaking of the Constitution, one important cut the military needs is to "black budget" items. They're unconstitutional and there is no fiscal accountability for these programs. I would guess this is another area of concern for Ron Paul.

[TJphoto]

Just what the country needs right now, another lying politician who has no morals. How many of his "Contract with America" points came true? The answer is ZERO. The math is real simple here.

[LoadedAndDangerous]

Scott Pelley on the news tonight will give an unbiased inestigative report on Newt......yea right.....and Obama has a brain. I LOVE Liberal networks because they so biased that it makes me laugh. Do you people know that the Liberal networks can't report the news until "Your" Socialist Obama gives them permission. Yea Scott, you're not biased!!!! LOL

[soddydaisy55]

It appears that CBS does not like my comments.

[soddydaisy55]

Second try. Jimmy Cahtah also reduced defense spending and almost destroyed our military capability!