OK,I'm up for this. Are you up for this? certain you are! Together, we can get through the full two hours. We can conclude it! We can!9:56 - Rand Paul wants a flat tax. Ted Cruz wants a flat tax. Cruz promises that his plan totally adds up and it abolishes the IRS. The result will be incredible economic growth.9:52 - Cavuto wants to know which tax plan God would prefer: Trump's or Carson's? Carson sort of rambles on about proportionality and putting more money in people's pockets. Also: his plan will include some kind of rebate for destitute people. I believe this is news.9:49 - The moderators are fulfilling their assigned roles and asking softball questions nearly exclusively. Bartiromo said she was going to get to the bottom of all the tax and budget plans, and but so far she's done virtually none of that.9:45 - Fiorina: Nobody can possibly understand Obamacare. Follow-up: What's the alternative? Fiorina: tall-risk pools. Obamacare is helping no one and crushing small trade. We need free market health care. Also: again with the three-page tax code. Fiorina is really obsessed with this tonight.9:42 - Cruz delivers pretty good line about elite opinion on immigration being different whether it was bankers or journalists crossing the Rio Grande. Probably so!9:40 - Rubio delivers stock speech about taxes,regulations, energy, and Obamacare.9:38 - Bush has Kasich's back. We can't just ship all the illegal immigrants back. Big cheers (!).9:37 - Trump: I'm rich,I don't need to listen to Kasich. Big boos (!).9:34 - Finally, Kasich starts a fight with Trump over immigration. Then he defends Ohio's honor.9:32 - Carson: I'm an honest guy. Trump: Immigration is bad.9:27 - Very subdued debate so far. Everyone seems to believe decided that fighting each other just makes the whole field see like children. I wonder how long this will last?9:26 - Rand Paul goes through a riff on the Fed that I honestly didn't understand. Plus: we should all go to cities and states with Republicans in charge.9:23 - Fiorina: We need five things. Zero-based budgeting. Three-page tax code. Total review of all regs. Pass the REINS Act. Hold government officials accountable for their performance. Big applause.9:20 - What specific regs would Bush cut? retort: repeal every rule Obama has put in spot. Internet. Clean power. Water. Repeal 'em all.9:17 - Cruz says keys to economic growth are tax reform, or slashing regulations,and sound money.9:14 - What would you cut from the budget? Kasich tap dances. Doesn't mention a single thing he'd cut. Follow-up: he'd cut Social Security. And Medicaid. Freeze nondiscretionary spending. Increase defense spending. So: cut basically all domestic spending and increase defense spending.9:10 - Rubio: whether we raise the minimum wage, people will be more expensive than machines. We need more welders and fewer philosophers. (No, or I don't get it either.)9:08 - Carson: people need to be educated on the minimum wage. Wages are too tall. Lower wages will create more jobs. tall wages create dependency,or something.9:06 - Trump opposes $15 minimum wage because....we don't win anymore. Also: wages are too tall. People are just going to believe to buck up.9:04 - Could Jeb Bush possibly see less enthusiastic during the introductions?9:00 - And we're off. But first, an inspiring video.8:58 - Tonight features 90-second answers from the candidates. Substantive!8:57 - Everybody is already at their podiums. I miss having them walk in and wave.
Source: motherjones.com