We will of course be live blogging the debate this evening at 9:00 pm. I will denote comments by the candidates with their initials. Critique from me will be in brackets, i.e. [..]

You can find the debate here for free.

—-
NO, TED CRUZ CANNOT GET A DECLARATORY JUDGMENT ON THE NBC QUESTION. Supreme Court can only decide cases in controversy. You can’t just ask for an advisory opinion. If someone really has a question, they would have to sue.

Closing statements
JK: bla bla di de bla bla, mom dad stay in their own home, that’s who I stand for.
JB: Who can you count on? I pushed Florida forward, there will be people who talk, but I’ve done it.
CC: When I think about President talked a fantasy land this week in SOTU and people saw he doesn’t care about them. WE need a fighter again, and I’ve fought my whole life for people. We need to make sure Hillary never gets in WH again.
BC: We will heal.
MR: We feel like we’re being left behind because we elected someone who doesn’t care about America, and betrays our allies, 2016 is turning point in history, we will turn this country around and this country will be stronger and greater than it has ever been.
TC: 13 hours Benghazi. I want to speak to all the moms and dads when you have have a CIC who will not even speak the name of our enemy radical Islamic terrorism. Sending money to Ayatollah Khamenei. I will have your back [to military and police].
DT: terrible sight, of sailors on their knees. If I am president we will make America great again we will win.

Rubio: 24 months ago we didn’t have ISIS.
Cruz: We had terrorists 24 months ago, We have Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, etc. That’s why I fought Gang of Eight.
I voted against ME refugees coming in, Marco voted for it.
Rubio [eh lisp is getting to me, who would vote for any BO budget?]
Cruz [smart enough to actually absorb how many attacks there were]. Marco supports legalization for illegals. I voted to increase military spending. Rubio is simply not true.

Q; What do you think about local crime spiking in some cities. Ray Kelly says some lay back because being overly scrutinized.
CC: President and AGs gave benefit of doubt to criminals. This is a guy who believes police are the bad guys, he doesn’t enforce laws he doesn’t agree with, he allows lawlessness throughout country. [Christie was a good US Attorney]
[Some nonsense in audience, chanting]
JK: one of issues has to be integration of community and police. [zzzzzz]

Q: Would you put your money in a trust?
DT: Yes, I would have my children run it, I would concentrate on country.

Funniest tweet on debate so far:

(not the real DPRK)

Q: what is plan to fix infrastructure?
CC: Tax reform of corporate taxes.
BC: Flat tax
TC: get endorsement of Laffer. Not proposing vat tax.
MR: you have to have someone collect your vat tax.

TC: We are getting hammered by China, because they’re protectionists. But you can’t have reciprocal tariffs. You put on biz flat tax and abolish IRS, so every export is tax free. It puts us on a level even playing field. [love whenever talk of getting rid of taxes and abolishing IRS comes up]

DT: we don’t need a weak president, Jeb, we have one now.

[hey John it’s not PTT that you believe in it’s TPP]

Q: DT, NY Times said you would impose tariff on China
DT: no, I didn’t, it’s NY Times, they’re always wrong.

Q: What is each candidates position on concept of banning Muslims?
JK: no Syrian refugees.
CC: you can’t ban all Muslims. We can’t let people in because FBI director has said can’t vette and that’s the end of it.
MR: this President has consistently underestimated ISIS.If we do not know who you are you are not getting into the USA.
TC: WE need a President focused like a laser on fighting radical jihads and suspend all refugees from areas of ISIS. WE will not let in refugees from ISIS areas and we will not weaken or degrade them we will utterly destroy them.
BC: let’s listen to them to have them stay in their own country.
JB: We need to destroy ISIS and have a no fly zone, we need to embed with Iraqi military [we are embedded with Iraqi military, Jeb]

Q: T, your comment about banning Muslims was most talked about. Want to rethink?
DT: No. We can’t be the stupid country anymore, we’re being laughed at all over the world.
JB: the Kurds are our allies. Hope you’ll reconsider. Tighten up screening. All Muslims? Seriously?
Q: You said he was unhinged
JB: They are unhinged.
Q: are you saying all those people are unhinged?
JB: No I can see why people might be worried but you can’t make rash statements.

Q: How important is it to remove Assad?
CC: Obama has done worse than nothing. And Hillary called him a reformer. This President has invite Russians into an even bigger role, and they are propping up Assad. You’re not going to have peace in Syria with Assad in charge [so what is your replacement that doesn’t devolve into ISIS or something worse?] We have fewer democracies in world after Obama/Hillary

Q; Should we send 20,000 ground troops to fight ISIS?
BC: We need to take away the Caliphate. We need to rely upon the military and not tie their hands. In addition, we take the oil their source of revenue. Rules of engagement of Obama are stupid, can’t not bomb oil because concerned about hitting someone. They should be running all time so they don’t have time to plan attacks against us.

[does anyone know what John Katich is saying? Or care?]

Q: TC what do mean by NY values?
TC: A Lot of lovely NY people, but not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan.
DT: When WTC came down, no place on earth could have dealt with it better than NYC.

Q: Gun rights. Charleston. Dylan Roof had not passed his background check. What’s wrong with tightening up?
JB: Want to recognize Nikki Haley dealing with and the people in the church and how they responded. FBI made a mistake, there was one but they didn’t do proper check. First action is always to try to take rights away.Target the efforts on the criminals. The other issue is mental health. President wants to do things by executive action, he should go to Congress.
DT: If people had guns we may not have had San Bernardino or Paris attacks. WE have to protect our 2nd A. Obama doesn’t want to do the work required to actually pass anything, he wants to do it his own way.
MR: I’m convinced if Obama could confiscate all guns he would. Criminals don’t buy guns from gun show or collector. ISIS and terrorists don’t get from a gun show.[they get them shipped from Hillary by way of Benghazi] Obama’s immediate answer is gun control And the last line standing might be gun, we are protecting the 2nd A. When Obama was running he said ‘bitter people’ clinging to guns and religion, tells you where his head is at.
CC: Obama is a petulant child, we’re against his policies. WE are going to kick your rear end out of the WH come this fall.
TC: the answer is simple. You prosecute criminals. Obama launched Fast and Furious that sold guns that killed law enforcement official [and about 298 other people]. Unless you are clinically insane you’re going to say it, there’s a reason when BO and Schumer we defeated that gun control effort and others on this stage weren’t present.

Q: What do you think of whether Hillary is enabler of Bill’s past conduct.
BC: do we still have principle, values and standards. We have wars on practically everything and people at each other’s throats. Where did that spirit come from [made worse by BO and progressives].

Q: What does it say about our country say about the possibility that Bernie could be Dem nominee?
JK: Then we’re going to win every state. Bernie will not be the president of the U.S.

R: [Has Rubio swallowed speed?] No one on stage is a socialist.
CC: when you’re a senator you can just talk and talk and talk. When you’re a governor everything you do is scrutinized.
JB: We have to unite behind winner so that Hillary doesn’t win.
BC: I was mentioned to, he said ‘everybody’. In 2012 election, Republicans tore themselves apart. If progressive gets in there and they get 2-3 picks this nation is over as we know it, and we can’t have that.

Q: TC, Strict constitutionalist, but some say being born in Canada makes you not a NBC
TC: Glad we’re focusing on the important topics. September, Donald said there was no issue. Constitution hasn’t changed. But DT’s poll numbers have changed. The legal issue is quite straight forward. Some more strict birthers say that you would have to have two parents born on US soil. On issue of citizenship I’m not going to use your mother’s citizenship against you.
DT: Poll, Trump way up, Cruz way down. In last three polls, I’m beating you, that’s a misrepresentation. This isn’t me saying this. Lawrence Tribe and other attorneys that feel that because he was not born on the land. You could have a big lawsuit hanging it over his heads. Why not get declaratory judgment? [because that’s not the way the law works, you can’t just ask their opinion, you need a case in controversy].
Q: why raising it now?
DT: because he’s doing better.
TC: I’m not going to be taking legal advice from DT. You just kindly offered me the VP slot, and if you’re right, then you can get the top slot {laughs}.

Q: What about million dollar loan you didn’t report?
TC: Thanks for passing on hit piece from NY Times. They called me an ‘evil demonic spirit’. Made a paperwork error, disclosed it, but on wrong form.[loan was actually his own money, investments that he borrowed against]

Q: doctor in FLOTUS box Obama admin claims is real face of refugee.
DT: It’s not fear, it’s reality. You just have to look at things today like Indonesia.

R: Hillary is disqualified from being President. Someone who lies to the families and can’t handle intel cannot be President of the U.S. [he needs to slow down his cadence]

Q: Horrible things like sailors and terrorists going on. What would you do?
CC: In a Christie admin they would know much much better than to do that.
JB: Our friends no longer think we have their back and our enemies no longer have fear us. [he trips over his words, just gets too nervous] Hillary’s under investigation by FBI and her first 100 days if she was elected, she might be going back and forth from the WH to the courthouse.

Q: May be the worst year ever in stocks.
JK: I did it in Ohio. Commonsense regulations [I hate anyone who uses this BO word]. Fiscal discipline. Balanced budget. [why is he still here?]

Q: Jobs and growth. President is saying 14 million new jobs and unemployment rate cut in half. What do you see that he doesn’t?
TC: we were horrified to see sailors with their hands on their heads. Obama didn’t mention it in SOTU. It was heartbreaking. The good news is the next commander in chief is standing on this stage. And no service man will be force on their knees under me and if anyone tries they will feel the full force of this nation.
Obama admin is not fighting for working men and women of this country.