From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
ST PETERSBURG, FL -- Romney made the cable news rounds this morning at site of last night's YouTube debate here.
 
From his appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, it became even clearer that Romney considers his two biggest threats to be the two candidates he was sandwiched between last night: Giuliani and Huckabee. In his interview with the Morning Joe team, Romney criticized the two candidates on a range of issues, including immigration, spending, their records, and tactics. But McCain and Thompson never came up.
 
At the top of the interview, discussing the immigration scuffle with Giuliani that kicked off the debate, Romney used his own situation -- which Giuliani called his "sanctuary mansion" -- to emphasize his call for an employee verification system. He reiterated that he didn't know some of the workers hired by the group he contracted to work on his lawn were illegal immigrants.
 
Romney's answer on torture was a source of chatter in the spin room on site last night, but he said again this morning that the issue is something to be considered "in private." As for the Middle East talks, he revealed that his expectations "are modest."
 
And although Romney has seemed hesitant to engage some of his rivals in head-on combat until recently, he said that he anticipates "more give and take" in the upcoming debates. As for his rivals last night, "they got as good as they gave."

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** A big night for Huckabee: At a debate where many voters were looking at him in a different light, thanks in large part to his rise in the polls and the dramatic increase in attention the press has given him, Huckabee delivered. Big time. Unlike previous debates, he didn't open with a joke but instead sounded very presidential in his first answer. He had his share of one-liners -- the best being the one about Jesus would never have run for higher office -- but he seemed to balance the funny with more presidential rhetoric. Huckabee definitely stepped up his game last night. Surprisingly, he didn't get attacked too much. Romney took a shot at him on immigration, but nothing too harsh (Iowa nice, right?). Most

important for Huckabee, he'll likely be declared the winner of this debate by every member of the Amtrak Corridor media elite, and that should get him some serious buzz. The question for the rest of the field: When will others begin to take him as a more serious threat? And how happy will Romney and Rudy be once December 12 passes and there aren't anymore debates where Huckabee will once again overperform before Iowa?

*** Sanctuary mansions? Giuliani was not at his best last night. He started off slow as his "sanctuary mansion" line, which was not delivered very well, seemed to fall flat. (How many viewers realized that Rudy was talking about illegal immigrants working on Romney's yard? It took us a while to notice that's what he was referring to.). Also, someone in his campaign should help him learn to give a MUCH shorter answer when talking about guns. The best part of Giuliani's performance was his YouTube video; it was the funniest of the bunch.

VIDEO: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd discusses the nature of the disagreement between Giuliani and Romney, and the overall results of these Republican debates.

*** Mitt the lightning rod: Romney had an uneven night as well. At some moments -- like

in his first exchange with Rudy over immigration -- he was outstanding. And at other times -- on the Confederate flag, black-on-black violence, and waterboarding -- he was just awful. It was THAT uneven of a performance. He seems to be struggling with getting very aggressive against Giuliani and trying to softly jab at Huckabee. It's not easy position. What also isn't easy is how Romney seemed to take flak from all the other candidates. Rudy went after him on "sanctuary mansions"; McCain blasted him on torture; Fred went after him on his shifting abortion views; and Huck even whipped out the class card during their showdown over college scholarships for illegal immigrants. Mitt has certainly become a lightning rod in the GOP field, somewhat reminiscent to Dean in 2004. Can he withstand all the slings and arrows? And is Romney any current presidential candidate's second choice for the White House?

*** McCain makes an impression: The other candidate that certainly made an impression was McCain, thanks to his sobriety. It's interesting, Huckabee-McCain would be a fascinating ticket because Huckabee likes to be the sunny good cop, while McCain seems to be getting comfortable becoming the (sometimes) pessimistic bad cop. McCain was strong,

but bordered on angry too many times to make us think he's going to play well in Iowa (a place that he needs to start getting some traction). That said, if you were trying to pick which candidate looked "presidential" last night, McCain would probably be your choice. 

*** Best supporting actor? Thompson seemed more comfortable in this debate than in his first two outings. But just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he had enough great moments. He seemed like a supporting member of the cast -- rather than a centerpiece of the debate. His shots at Giuliani and Romney were probably lines that sounded better in his head than when he delivered them. Still, Thompson's more comfortable appearance seemed to make a good impression with the chattering class.

*** The rest: Paul does a pretty good job of sounding rational when posed with somewhat irrational questions. His trilateral commission answer didn't sound conspiratorial even though the whole premise of the question is just that: conspiratorial. And regarding Hunter and Tancredo, they really don't belong on stage anymore. Guys, it's time to go. The other six have proven viability; the two of you haven't. And if it weren't for the debates, you'd have no platform. Frankly, many people probably forgot the two men were still running since it had been so long since the Republicans last debated...

*** Good news, bad news: On the Democratic side, the good news for Team Clinton is that last night's debate has overshadowed Bill Clinton's remarks on the Iraq war. The bad

news for them is that there's very little coverage of Hillary's tough speech on health care yesterday, which was aimed squarely at Obama. Will today's news in the Washington Post -- a former Condoleezza Rice aide, who claims that Bill Clinton told Rice's team that he supported the invasion -- overshadow Hillary's interesting appearance at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church today? By the way, Clinton today hits Obama again on health care, so this is clearly something that they don't plan to let up on even if the media aren't that interested in covering this spat. Of course, that's what paid media is for sometimes, right? It won't be a shock if the first "contrast" paid media from Clinton involves doing a health-care coverage scorecard comparing all of the Democratic candidates.

*** On the trail: Elsewhere today, Biden campaigns in New Hampshire, where he speaks at a town hall meeting on Iraq; Edwards, in Iowa, speaks to the Iowa State Association of Counties and later the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council; Huckabee appears on Hardball; Kucinich holds a rally and then a fundraiser in New York; McCain has a media avail in St. Petersburg, FL; Obama holds a fundraiser/rally at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City; Richardson has a meet-and-greet at the International Immigrants Foundation in New York; Romney raises money in Florida; Tancredo is in New Hampshire; and Thompson hits a fundraiser and then holds a media avail in Phoenix, AZ. Also, Michelle Obama stumps in Iowa.

Countdown to Iowa: 35 days
Countdown to New Hampshire: 40 days
Countdown to Michigan: 47 days
Countdown to Nevada and SC GOP primary: 51 days
Countdown to SC Dem primary: 58 days
Countdown to Florida: 61 days
Countdown to Tsunami Tuesday: 68 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 341 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 418 days

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The Washington Post calls the YouTube debate "the most spirited debate of the 2008 presidential campaign." More: "The clash between the two [Rudy and Romney] was only the start of what resembled a raucous family argument, stoked by sharp questions that touched on the most contentious issues in the Republican contest: immigration policy, abortion, gun control, same-sex marriage, race and the Confederate flag."

The New York Times used the word "slashing" in its lead to describe this debate. "The debate also reflected a new reality in the Republican race: Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, played a central role, demonstrating how he had come from behind to show strength in several recent polls of Iowa caucusgoers."

The Boston Globe: "The debate - the eighth major face-off for the Republican candidates - reflected a GOP primary race that has become more unsettled and more negative. The strong showing in recent Iowa polls by former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas - once dismissed as an affable also-ran - has Romney, Giuliani, and McCain on edge, as they try to figure out how to keep Huckabee from upsetting what was becoming a three-person race."

The New York Daily News highlights last night's Romney-Rudy clashes, but writes, "It was a tough night for Giuliani, who as the national front-runner seemed to take the most shots - often aimed at the more liberal policies he championed as mayor. Giuliani seemed to field them with less deftness than he has in past debates. He got booed when he pressed his immigration fight with Romney too long, and again by the solidly Republican audience when he suggested that government should be able to set limits on gun ownership."

Romney was the focus of most of the attacks last night, the LA Times writes. "Romney was attacked from all sides, on multiple issues. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani accused him of employing illegal immigrants, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee suggested that he was heartless for opposing college scholarships for immigrants. Sen. John McCain of Arizona faulted Romney for refusing to concede that an interrogation practice called waterboarding amounts to torture. And former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee -- via a campaign video -- chided the former governor for changing his position on abortion."

NBC's Chris Donovan notes that Romney got it wrong when he said the Red Sox World Series championship drought was 87 years. It was actually 86 years. 

The Des Moines Register's Yepsen scores the debate for Huckabee. "While other candidates fumbled around when dealing with biblical questions, Huckabee's background as a Baptist minister came in handy when he said that there are some things in the Bible no one can understand, so it's more important to follow the things that are understandable. Huckabee also fended off an attack from Romney over Huckabee's plan to provide in-state tuition for children of undocumented workers in Arkansas." On Giuliani and Romney, he said they "didn't have such a good night." Others: "McCain had his strongest debate of the campaign." "Thompson hasn't been in that many debates, so this one was easily his best. He was cool, good-humored and tried to offer some specific answers at times."

Human Events' Jennifer Rubin: "When we got to real questions we saw why Governor Mike Huckabee is soaring in the Iowa polls, McCain has made a comeback (but may not win a primary), Mitt Romney is not a complete candidate, Rudy Giuliani has a reputation as a scrappy fighter and Fred Thompson has such promise but has disappointed so many conservatives. For Huckabee this was the debate he needed to cement his image as an articulate, utterly engaging social conservative. He did so."

The New York Times' Collins unloads on the entire GOP field. This excerpt sums things up: " It was suspenseful, waiting for the next shoe to drop, for the next candidate to go whacky."

NBC/NJ's Erin McPike reports from the post-debate spin room: The way the Romney

campaign put it, Giuliani attacked him personally on the immigration issue. Several representatives said that he got "nasty." Romney counsel Ben Ginsberg also said that he thought the debate had too much of a focus on social issues, and that CNN spent too much time on gay marriage.

Both Ginsberg and communications director Matt Rhoades called Thompson's YouTube video the first "negative attack" ad of the race. Ginsberg said his reaction was "extreme puzzlement."

Spokesman Kevin Madden addressed the Confederate flag question, and said that both South Carolina residents and Romney consider the issue to have been dealt with, and the campaign's understanding is that voters want to hear about kitchen table issues, so that's what they would rather spend their time on.

Moreover, as Huckabee had a live shot with a network, an older reporter -- we don't know who it was -- was trying to push his way through to ask some questions. A Huckabee campaign aide kept saying, "Easy, easy," but the reporter knocked him over, causing him to fall to the floor.

Huckabee saw this and said, "Did he hit my guy? Get security. Get him out of here." About four security guys came over and tried to get him to leave, but he resisted a bit. He finally was escorted out but was not arrested.

A new Clemson University South Carolina poll has Romney at 17%, Thompson 15%, Huckabee 13%, Giuliani is at 9%. About 28% say they are still undecided.

In another poll, Romney maintains a 14-point lead in New Hampshire, and Fred Thompson is at a stunning 2%. Here are the numbers: Romney 34%, Giuliani 20%, McCain 13%, Paul 8%, Huckabee 7%, and Thompson 2%.

GIULIANI: The big non-debate news from yesterday came from the Politico. "As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records." 

The New York Post's headline: "Rudy's Hidden Love-Nest $$: Billed City 500G for Trips to Judi's."

The New York Daily News: "It has been known since 2000 that then-Mayor Giuliani used his official, taxpayer-funded NYPD detail to escort him to weekend getaways at Nathan's Southampton condo as early as 1999, well before his marriage to Donna Hanover dissolved the following spring… Coming amid a heated Republican primary battle for President, the gimmickry leaves Giuliani vulnerable to attack on several fronts: his boasts about fiscal stewardship as mayor, and as a fresh reminder of the affair before Nathan became his third wife. The campaign was rocked as news of the bills filled TV screens before the national political press gathered in St. Petersburg, Fla., for last night's GOP debate. A hush fell over the room as Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime and communications chief Katie Levinson turned away from reporters to listen to the cable news chatter."

USA Today: "Tony Carbonetti, Giuliani's mayoral chief of staff and his top campaign political adviser, said he's asked Joe Lhota, a former city budget director, ex-deputy mayor and a Giuliani campaign adviser, to explain how such accounting practices could have occurred and why security expenses were not billed to the police department. 'These were all legitimate expenses incurred in protecting the mayor, and his police detail covered him wherever he went, 24/7,' Carbonetti said in an interview before the debate. 'You just do what you do, and the police go with you. That's just a fact of life when you're the mayor of New York.' Giuliani's affair with Nathan, while he was married to second wife Donna Hanover, has become common knowledge."

More: "But the suggestion, true or not, that he was hiding expenses for liaisons with Nathan in little-known city accounts, could open him up to criticism, remind voters of his three marriages and infidelity and tarnish his good-guy image from the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The report surfaced just five weeks before voting begins, and a couple hours before the GOP candidates shared a debate stage. None of Giuliani's rivals raised the issue. Debate moderator, CNN's Anderson Cooper, asked Giuliani about it briefly."

ROMNEY: Wow, Mike Huckabee has really recalibrated things. In a "Morning Joe" interview on MSNBC this morning, the former governor was asked if not winning Iowa was "devastating," and he said it wasn't and claimed there are "three tickets" out of Iowa -- maybe two tickets out of new Hampshire.  So Romney is trying to dial back expectations but has he led in the polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire too long?

More evidence that Romney is going to be the most attacked candidate? A pro-choice GOP group, Republican Majority for Choice debuts $100,000 worth of attack ads against Romney for flip-flopping on the abortion issue.

A new Clemson University South Carolina poll shows Clinton slipping and Obama pulling within a statistical tie. Clinton is at 19%, Obama 17%, and Edwards 12%. But about half say they are still undecided. When the poll was last taken in August, Clinton held a double-digit lead and stood at 26%.

In New Hampshire, Clinton holds double-digit lead in a new poll. Here are the numbers: Clinton 34%, Obama 22%, Edwards 15%, and Richardson 9%. The same poll in June showed Clinton with an 18-point lead.

BIDEN: At his town hall speech on Iraq today, Biden will say, according to excerpts his campaign released to First Read: "Security in Iraq is better, though it remains an incredibly dangerous and violent place. That's great news and it is due in no small measure to the extraordinary skill and bravery of our troops. They will accomplish any mission we give them. Over and over again, they've done their job in Iraq.  The problem is, the President has not done his. Remember, the stated purpose of the surge was to allow Iraqis to come together politically. There is no evidence – none – that that has happened."

More: "There is only one path to a durable political settlement in Iraq and it's the one I proposed more than a year ago and that 74 other senators recently endorsed: decentralize power; give Iraqis local control over the police, jobs, education, services; keep a limited central government to distribute oil revenues; and bring in the UN to oversee this political settlement."

Biden tells the Des Moines Register, "I think one of us is going to end up supplanting one of the so-called top-tier candidates, I think, if you take a look, you give us each sort of our day, our time in the barrel to see if we rise up."

CLINTON: One has to wonder if we're going to see Bill Clinton stumping on his own very much between now and caucus day. For the second campaign swing in a row, something he said  -- this time on Iraq – is lingering for multiple news cycles.  Per the Washington Post,  "A former senior aide to then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice disputed Bill Clinton's statement this week that he 'opposed Iraq from the beginning,' saying that the former president was privately briefed by top White House officials about war planning in 2003 and that he told them he supported the invasion."

More from the story: "Hillary Mann Leverett, at the time the White House director of Persian Gulf affairs, said that Rice and Elliott Abrams, then National Security Council senior director for Near East and North African affairs, met with Clinton several times in the months before the March 2003 invasion to answer any questions he might have. She said she was 'shocked' and 'astonished' by Clinton's remarks this week, made to voters in Iowa, because she has distinct memories of Abrams 'coming back from those meetings literally glowing and boasting that 'we have Clinton's support.'"

The New York Daily News covers Clinton's tough speech on health care yesterday. "'Among the Democrats, all of us except Sen. Obama have universal health care,' zinged Clinton, insisting Obama's plan would leave out 15 million people because it doesn't force everyone into coverage."

The Boston Globe: "Hillary Clinton yesterday launched one of her most pointed attacks yet against chief rival Barack Obama, charging that his healthcare plan would leave millions of uninsured Americans 'virtually invisible.'"

But the Obama folks are very happy with the coverage Clinton's attack on Obama got in Iowa yesterday. This clip from WHO-TV shows the station emphasized that Clinton's speech in Iowa was two hours late due to a plane problem in DC. The Clinton attack on Obama didn't get play until about half way through the story.

Interestingly, per NBC's Christina Jamison, Clinton didn't deliver some additional soundbites that were promised according to the excerpts the campaign released before the speech. Per those excerpts, she was supposed to take a couple more shots at Obama:
-- "I believe this is an issue that requires each of us to have the courage of our convictions --not just to talk big, but to act big. Putting band-aids on the problem simply isn't enough. Now is not the time for half-measures.
-- "I have always stood my ground for universal healthcare, but when Senator Obama's moment came to step up -- he blinked."

Asked for a response about these omissions, Clinton spokesman Jay Carson told Jamison that Clinton substituted "tougher stuff" about betraying Democratic values.

The Clinton camp continues to push the health care issue as a contrast with Obama. The campaign is releasing letters from health-care professionals throughout Iowa and New Hampshire, who will ask Obama to re-do his health care plan "and release one that actually provides universal coverage."
 
Meanwhile, Clinton is up with a new TV ad on the economy. It's not quite Clinton to camera but instead, is made to look like Clinton is giving an interview on the subject as she's looking just off camera.

EDWARDS: "When John Edwards returned to his alma mater in 2005 to found a poverty think tank, the multimillionaire attorney sought more than just a salary: He also wanted tickets to University of North Carolina sporting events," the AP reports. But a school spokesman said, "Senator Edwards received no tickets -- and no promise of tickets -- in connection with his university employment."

Is there a reason why the N.Y. Daily News' lead gossip column decided to revisit the Edwards-affair rumor?

OBAMA: The Washington Post does the Obama-Muslim story and ponders: "While considerable attention during the campaign has focused on the anti-Mormon feelings aroused by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), polls have also shown rising hostility toward Muslims in politics. It is not clear whether that negative sentiment will affect someone who has lived in a Muslim country but does not practice Islam."
 
More: " In the past few months, Obama has actively touted his Christianity, particularly in South Carolina, where his campaign hosted a gospel tour to appeal to black voters. He describes his movement from a 'reluctant skeptic' to a believer during his 20s while he was working with black churches in Chicago as a community organizer."

There's a potential "gotcha" story in today's Chicago Sun-Times, which alleges that Obama may have knowingly helped a political donor while on a charity board. But the piece doesn't seem to prove a quid-pro-quo -- but simply offers up circumstantial evidence that used in a direct mail piece or a negative TV ad could paint Obama as a "typical Chicago politician" if older voters in Iowa still believe "Chicago politics" is synonymous with "dirty politics."
 
The Sun-Times headline may be all the Clinton or Edwards camps need for their mailers: "Obama helped ex-boss get $1 million from charity."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton tells First Read, "The facts are clear -- seven years ago while serving in a charitable board position for a foundation that helps redevelop underprivileged communities, Barack Obama voted with many others in support of a project, funded with other foundations, to help build more affordable housing and bring new retail options to low income neighborhoods that were considered too risky for traditional investors. It was good for the community then and now and it was the right thing to do."

RICHARDSON: The Richardson 500 Tour with the racing Unsers begins today in New Hampshire.

NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli reads "Granite Status" in the Union Leader so you don't have to!
-- Donna Brazile will support a full Democratic delegate slate from New Hampshire when the state requests a waiver from the sanctions.
-- Obama's camp says PAC donations to state Dems are entirely legal.
-- John Edwards "wouldn't take a swing" when asked about Obama's PAC contributions. "I don't personally know enough about what the PAC has done and what its ongoing connection to Sen. Obama is. That's the unease I have about commenting about that," he said, adding, "I think that for today, I'm going to stick to the positive thing I'm trying to do."
-- Campaigns aren't sure if the Iowa bounce will be stronger with only a five-day gap between Iowa and NH.
-- Richardson "is pouring it on" with direct mail.
-- Former state Senate President Arthur Klemm will endorse Rudy.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Big night for Mike Huckabee. On a night when many voters were looking at
him in a different light thanks to the dramatic increase in attention  the media's been giving him, he delivered big time. Unlike previous debates, he didn't open with a joke but instead sounded very presidential in his first answer; He had his share of one-liners, but he seemed to balance the funny with more presidential rhetoric.

Huckabee stepped up his game tonight. The rest of the field better  be glad that the GOP debates end on Dec. 12, a full three weeks before  the Iowa caucuses and that's enough time for his potentially dominant  debate performances to fade from voter memories.  Surprisingly, he didn't get attacked too much. Romney took a shot, but  nothing too harsh (Iowa nice, right?). Most importantly for Huckabee, he'll likely be declared the winner of this debate by every member of  the Amtrak Corridor media elite and that should get him some serious  buzz. The question for the rest of the field: when will others begin to  take him as a more serious threat.

Two other candidates stood out simply because they seemed to dominate  most of the conversation: Romney and Rudy. If someone was watching this debate without knowing the standing of the candidates in the polls, one would easily assume the two frontrunners were Romney and Rudy with no one else really a close third. 

Giuliani was not at his best, really started off slow as his "santuary  mansion" line was not delivered very well; Al,so, someone in his campaign should help him learn to give a MUCH shorter answer when talking about guns.  The best part of Giuliani's performance was his YouTube video; it was the funniest of the bunch.

Romney had an uneven night as well, at some moments, he was outstanding
and at other times, just awful. It was THAT uneven of a performance. He seems to be struggling with getting very aggressive against Giuliani and  trying to softly jab at Huckabee. He's not in an easy position.

The other candidate that certainly made an impression was McCain, thanks to his sobriety.  It's interesting, Huckabee-McCain would be a fascinating ticket because Huckabee likes to be the sunny good cop while McCain seems to be getting comfortable becoming the (sometimes) pessimistic bad cop.  McCain was strong but bordered on angry too many times to make me think he's going to play well in Iowa (a place that he needs to start getting some traction). 

The other major candidate, Fred Thompson, seemed more comfortable in  this debate than in his first two outings but just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he enough great moments. He seemed like a supporting member of the cast rather than a centerpiece of the debate.  His shots at Giuliani and Romney were probably lines that sounded better in his head than when he delivered them. 

As for the rest of the field: Paul does a pretty good job of sounding rational when posed with somewhat irrational questions. His trilateral commission answer didn't sound conspiratorial even though the whole premise of the question is just that: conspiratorial.

And Hunter and Tancredo really don't belong on stage anymore. Guys, it's time to go; the other six have proven viability; the two of you haven't and if it wasn't for the debates, you'd have no platform. Frankly, many people probably forgot the two men were still running since it had been so long since the Republicans last debated.

A final thought on the editorial content of the debate. CNN probably didn't win over any conservative viewers who tuned in to find out if the network was friendly toward conservatives. The abortion questions were questions that Planned Parenthood and NARAL would have posed to pro-life candidates, not what Republican voters would have posed to these Republican candidates. Ditto with some of the gun question and the gay rights questions. The candidates probably weren't happy that CNN chose to linger on the retired general who asked about gays in the military.

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
Many of the Republican candidates took advantage of the opportunity to draw parallels to Ronald Reagan during the debate, but did so in much more veiled instances. McCain casually mentioned a "an old veto pen that Ronald Reagan gave me," while Giuliani drew a specific comparison when talking about cutting federal spending -- "across-the-board spending cuts the way Ronald Reagan did" and reminded the audience he was "the third-ranking official in the Reagan Justice department." Discussing education, Paul referenced the former president -- "Ronald Reagan used to talk about that." Even Hunter joined in the act, telling the audience he "came in with Ronald Reagan in 1980 to cut taxes." Romney, not to be outdone, said he would "follow the pathway Ronald Reagan blazed."

From NBC/NJ's Matt Berger
Giuliani got hit a bit at the beginning and at the end. But he definitely looked the best among the front-runners, simply because he wasn't attacked as hard -- and from as many fronts -- as Romney. Issues like torture and gays in the military that Romney got beat up on could have just as easily tripped up Giuliani. But Rudy was able to make a strong case for some of his more moderate positions, and didn't seem to let the hostile audience effect him.

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
Giuliani -- 16:38, during 20 times
Romney -- 13:18, during 19 times
Thompson -- 12:16, during 12 times
McCain -- 11:00, during 12 times
Huckabee -- 10:00, during 11 times
Paul -- 7:43, during 9 times
Hunter -- 5:06, during 7 times
Tancredo -- 3:49, during 7 times

From NBC's Mark Murray
Perhaps there was a good reason why some of the GOP candidates were wary about the format of this YouTube debate. On many of the questions -- like over the Bible, the Confederate flag, and black-on-black crime -- the candidates looked as uncomfortable as a Republican at a Socialist Club meeting. The loosey-goosey, bottom-up nature of the Internet just doesn't seem to be that great of a fit for a top-down, buttoned-up Republican Party. Indeed, outside of Giuliani's campaign video, none of the candidates seemed to have fun with their own YouTubes.

It wasn't until the last question -- over Rudy's support for the Red Sox -- that the candidates seemed to have fun with the debate and the format.

Are there broader implications for a Republican Party that's not comfortable with this medium? Perhaps, when you consider fundraising and debate venues like this one.

From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
A Romney spokesman addressed the flag issue in April: From a NY Sun article, April 12, 2007: "A former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, has rarely faced the flag question on the campaign trail so far, but a campaign spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr. Romney believes it is a state issue."

Romney just said the flag "should not be shown," certainly a much more forceful rebuke.

How will that play in South Carolina?

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
How will Romney's versus Thompson's responses play in South Carolina? Romney seemed uncomfortable answering it. Thompson said not everyone who flies the flag is racist, and managed to not condone it.

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
Thompson, who often brags that he is the only candidate in the race who has come out with a Social Security plan, and Anderson Cooper gave him the perfect opportunity to keep bragging about his plan. He said that Social Security is not just a "fiscal issue it's a moral issue," and he got the chance to talk about one of his favorite issue. But he did say that the fiscal problem for future generations was more important than all the other issues we hear on the news, which might open the door for some criticism.

From NBC/NJ's Erin McPike
There's a big difference in Mitt Romney's performance from the first half to the second half of the debate.

In the first, he was on fire -- firing away at both Giuliani and Huckabee on immigration and spending and striking blows.

During the second half, he's looked far less sure of himself, hesitating on the question about the Bible, twisting the question to fit his answer on black-on-black crime and trying to talk his way around whether gays should serve openly in the military.

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
The Thompson email count is now three sent out regarding Huckabee, two regarding Romney, and only one about Giuliani. The crowd has thinned her in VA, and they have stopped listening to the commercial break campaign conference calls (the most recent of which featured self-proclaimed Thompson "cheer leader" Rep. Zack Womp), but as one watcher said as he walked out this door, this sure has been a "feisty" debate.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Most who serve are conservatives, Hunter said. And it would be against their principles to serve with openly gay soldiers. He cited "unit cohesion."

Huckabee: It's about "unit cohesion."

Romney: It's not the right time for Don't Ask, Don't Tell to be repealed. Cooper asked if Romney still believed that he'd look forward to the day when gays could serve openly. He didn't answer directly, instead saying that he'd listen to what military officials would recommend. But does Romney want people to be questioning what he really believes?

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
This is the first time Thompson has ever really talked about his selection criteria for a vice president with any sort of specificity. He said that he would like a vice president who was experienced in foreign relations and with the law because a big part of the next president's responsibility will be to appoint new supreme court justices. Thompson uses that line a lot, any chance that some of the older justices take offense that Thompson is predicting their retirement?

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
Here are our counts for how long each candidate spoke during the first part of the debate
Romney -- 7:03, during 9 times
McCain -- 5:09, during 4 times
Giuliani -- 5:08, during 9 times
Thompson -- 4:38, during 4 times
Huckabee -- 4:14, during 5 times
Paul -- 3:27, during 4 times
Tancredo -- 2:20, during 4 times
Hunter -- 2:16, during 3 times
 
One note -- Huckabee did not get a chance to speak until 26 minutes into the debate, and Paul did not get his chance until more than a half hour into the debate.

From NBC/NJ's Matt Berger
Anyone else notice that Duncan Hunter keeps referring to our moderator as "Cooper?"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
McCain is tough to compete with when it comes to the issue of torture. That's not something Romney wants to get into.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Did that just become the lead of tonight's debate? It sure looked like McCain triumphed in that exchange. But to be fair, it was a question that McCain -- the former POW -- was going to win no matter what

From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger
On the Bible, like on guns, Giuliani takes the more liberal approach than the others in the room, but likely gets more followers from the T.V. audience.

He's definitely had opportunities to give red meat to the party faithful and its conservative base. He hasn't taken the bait, and is definitely sticking to the long-term game plan.

From NBC's Andy Merten
Romney's YouTube video was just a recut of his recent campaign ads.  Why didn't the campaign use the free air-time opportunity to put out something memorable and new, and not just a revamped version of something caucus-goers and primary voters are already seeing?