--Boston Globe 2-col. lead, "Debaters target Obama, not Romney: Few jabs over Mass. health care - N.H. forum focused on economy." CNN transcript http://bit.ly/kgOugW
New Hampshire GOP Debate
--Moderator John King openly questioned T-Paw's manhood: "[W]hy would you ... choose those words maybe in the comfort of a Sunday show studio? Your rival is standing right there. If it was Obamneycare on 'Fox News Sunday,' why isn't it not Obamneycare standing here with the governor right there." Pawlenty didn't answer.
--@chucktodd: Bachmann's rise tonight and Pawlenty's decision to stand down re: 'ObomneyCare' gives Romney the debate result he wanted.
--THE NARRATIVE - "Pawlenty beats hasty N.H. retreat," by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, in Goffstown, N.H.: "Tim Pawlenty's puzzling decision at Monday's debate to abandon a new line of attack on Mitt Romney's healthcare record is prompting fresh doubts among members of his own party about his readiness to confront the GOP frontrunner. One day after Pawlenty linked Romney's Massachusetts healthcare plan with the federal health reform law as 'Obamneycare' in a nationally televised interview, the former Minnesota governor retreated from the sharp critique at the first debate featuring Romney.
Pawlenty's decision to back down - coming after his campaign promoted the original assault - was met with a mix of derision and bewilderment among veteran GOP strategists who are not committed to any of the candidates. ... 'Debates are competitions - they are alpha dog battles," explained longtime GOP ad man Alex Castellanos. 'It was like LeBron refusing to take the big shot. ... A moment missed. A moment of strength that became a moment of weakness." http://bit.ly/mefcOX
FIRST LOOK: The DNC posts a quick video mocking Republican answers in last night's New Hampshire debate as out-of-touch and even loony. Some of the bites are unfair, because the candidates were responding to questions. But the montage will be great with the base: Take a look at The following text responses...
~Text: "The Republicans: What in the world are they talking about?" YouTube http://bit.ly/lbWK2P ~White text on black screen: "The Republicans met to talk about the most pressing issues facing our country ..." ~Bite of Herman Cain: "I do NOT believe in Sharia law in American courts." ~Text: "The phrase 'middle class' wasn't spoken." ~Pawlenty: "I support a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman." ~Text: "Not a word about education."
~Pawlenty: "I think, uh, Governor Palin's a REMARKABLE leader. I think she's QUALIFIED to be president of the United States." ~Text: "Most of the candidates want to re-fight the debates of the past." ~Romney: "If I'm elected president, I will REPEAL Obamacare." ~Text: "But at least one candidate had a vision of the future ..." ~Gingrich: "We would today probably have a permanent station on the moon, three or four permanent stations in space."
ELEVATOR EDITION -- NEWS FROM THE DEBATE: --From release: "Minnesota Congresswoman, and conservative leader, Michele Bachmann announced ... she has filed the official paperwork to run for President of the United States."
--WAR-WEARINESS IN GOP - Alex Burns: "Republican candidates seemed notably gun-shy when it came to the war in Afghanistan, the intervention in Libya and other engagements around the world. Mitt Romney led the way on Afghanistan, saying: 'It's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can, consistent with the word that comes to our generals that we can hand the country over to ... the Afghan military to defend themselves from the Taliban. ...
I want those troops to come home based upon not politics, not based upon economics, but instead based upon the conditions on the ground determined by the generals. But I also think we've learned that our troops shouldn't go off and try and fight a war of independence for another nation. Only the Afghanis can win Afghanistan's independence from the Taliban.'
... Several other candidates broke in a similar direction on the subject of Libya. Asked if the conflict there was a vital American interest, Michele Bachmann responded: 'No, I don't believe it is.'"
Go to POLITICO Playbook Now >> http://www.politico.com/playbook
=================================
2011 POLITICO, LLC
POLITICO Playbook
--@chucktodd: Bachmann's rise tonight and Pawlenty's decision to stand down re: 'ObomneyCare' gives Romney the debate result he wanted.
--THE NARRATIVE - "Pawlenty beats hasty N.H. retreat," by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, in Goffstown, N.H.: "Tim Pawlenty's puzzling decision at Monday's debate to abandon a new line of attack on Mitt Romney's healthcare record is prompting fresh doubts among members of his own party about his readiness to confront the GOP frontrunner. One day after Pawlenty linked Romney's Massachusetts healthcare plan with the federal health reform law as 'Obamneycare' in a nationally televised interview, the former Minnesota governor retreated from the sharp critique at the first debate featuring Romney.
Pawlenty's decision to back down - coming after his campaign promoted the original assault - was met with a mix of derision and bewilderment among veteran GOP strategists who are not committed to any of the candidates. ... 'Debates are competitions - they are alpha dog battles," explained longtime GOP ad man Alex Castellanos. 'It was like LeBron refusing to take the big shot. ... A moment missed. A moment of strength that became a moment of weakness." http://bit.ly/mefcOX
FIRST LOOK: The DNC posts a quick video mocking Republican answers in last night's New Hampshire debate as out-of-touch and even loony. Some of the bites are unfair, because the candidates were responding to questions. But the montage will be great with the base: Take a look at The following text responses...
~Text: "The Republicans: What in the world are they talking about?" YouTube http://bit.ly/lbWK2P ~White text on black screen: "The Republicans met to talk about the most pressing issues facing our country ..." ~Bite of Herman Cain: "I do NOT believe in Sharia law in American courts." ~Text: "The phrase 'middle class' wasn't spoken." ~Pawlenty: "I support a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman." ~Text: "Not a word about education."
~Pawlenty: "I think, uh, Governor Palin's a REMARKABLE leader. I think she's QUALIFIED to be president of the United States." ~Text: "Most of the candidates want to re-fight the debates of the past." ~Romney: "If I'm elected president, I will REPEAL Obamacare." ~Text: "But at least one candidate had a vision of the future ..." ~Gingrich: "We would today probably have a permanent station on the moon, three or four permanent stations in space."
ELEVATOR EDITION -- NEWS FROM THE DEBATE: --From release: "Minnesota Congresswoman, and conservative leader, Michele Bachmann announced ... she has filed the official paperwork to run for President of the United States."
--WAR-WEARINESS IN GOP - Alex Burns: "Republican candidates seemed notably gun-shy when it came to the war in Afghanistan, the intervention in Libya and other engagements around the world. Mitt Romney led the way on Afghanistan, saying: 'It's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can, consistent with the word that comes to our generals that we can hand the country over to ... the Afghan military to defend themselves from the Taliban. ...
I want those troops to come home based upon not politics, not based upon economics, but instead based upon the conditions on the ground determined by the generals. But I also think we've learned that our troops shouldn't go off and try and fight a war of independence for another nation. Only the Afghanis can win Afghanistan's independence from the Taliban.'
... Several other candidates broke in a similar direction on the subject of Libya. Asked if the conflict there was a vital American interest, Michele Bachmann responded: 'No, I don't believe it is.'"
Go to POLITICO Playbook Now >> http://www.politico.com/playbook
=================================
2011 POLITICO, LLC
POLITICO Playbook
I'm writing to you from Manchester, New Hampshire, where last night I witnessed a spectacle that every single Obama supporter needs to hear about. The major GOP presidential candidates debated for the first time and made one thing very clear: They have no agenda but to take down President Obama.
They even nodded along when one called the Obama administration a "destructive force," and they said nothing when another said the President has "embraced our enemies." Last night was a wake-up call to anyone who thinks they can sit tight while the Republicans battle each other for the nomination: The campaign to defeat Barack Obama and roll back his entire record is well underway. And that's the one thing on which all of their potential candidates agree.
It was seven against one. Since the President won't be speaking for himself at one of these debates until next year, our best response is to show the Republicans that when they attack (President) Barack Obama, it only makes us fight back harder. Chip in $3 or more today to support the President and Democrats across the country.
http://my.democrats.org/Wake-up-call