Best Moments From the CNN GOP Debate (Video)
Herman Cain can't stop saying 'Blitz,' Michele Bachmann calls Pakistan 'too nuclear to fail,' and Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman spar over Afghanistan. Watch video from the CNN GOP debate in Washington, D.C. Plus, Daily Beast columnists Howard Kurtz, Michelle Goldberg, Paul Begala, and more weigh in.
Santorum: Profile Muslims!
Asked if he would profile anyone to protect national security, Rick Santorum said, “The folks who would be most likely to be committing these crimes … obviously Muslims … The radical Muslims are the people who are committing these crimes.” To which Ron Paul responded, “What if they look like Timothy McVeigh?” Meanwhile, Herman Cain said he advocates not profiling but “targeted identification.”
Cain Goes on a 'Blitz'
During a heated discussion about racial profiling, Herman Cain said, “The terrorists have one objective that some people don’t seem to get: they want to kill all of us. So we should use every means possible to kill them first.” When Wolf Blitzer asked if it was then all right for Muslim Americans to receive more intense security screenings than other groups, Cain retorted, “No, Blitz, that’s oversimplifying it.”
Romney vs. Huntsman on Afghanistan
Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman exchanged words over troop levels in Afghanistan. Americans are tired of the war in Afghanistan, Huntsman said, and troop levels should be cut from 100,000, with 10,000 to 15,000 troops remaining. Romney said those troop levels would risk American accomplishments in the country and added, “I stand with the generals” on the issue.
Did Mitt Romney Flip-Flop on His Name?
Responding to Wolf Blitzer’s introduction, in which he said, “I'm Wolf Blitzer—and yes, that’s my real name,” Mitt Romney quipped, “I’m Mitt Romney—and yes, Wolf, that’s also my first name.” Interestingly, Romney’s first name is actually Willard.
Paul Wouldn’t Back Israeli Attack on Iran
Would Ron Paul support Israel in a war against Iran? “No, I wouldn’t do that,” said the congressman, adding that he did not think such a war was likely. “They’re not about to do this.” He added that he does not see “why Israel needs our help. We need to get out of the way.”
Bachmann: Pakistan ‘Too Nuclear to Fail’
Pakistan is “a nation that lies, that does everything possible that you could imagine wrong," said Rep. Michele Bachmann. "At the same time, they do share intelligence data with us regarding al Qaeda.” The aid we send them is “intelligence money” that helps the U.S., she added, and it is important to continue providing them with aid because “Pakistan, as a nation, is too nuclear to fail.”
Paul: We Should Mind Our Own Business!
How can the U.S. prevent an al Qaeda affiliate from posing a threat in Somalia? By not doing anything, according to Ron Paul. The congressman argued for a policy of good will, saying al Qaeda responds and gets “quite annoyed” when the U.S. “meddles” in the world. “We don’t need another nation to start nation-building—we have way too many already, so this is just looking for trouble," he said. "I would say, why don’t we mind our own business?”