Bloomberg Republican Debate LIVE-BLOGGING

Well, we'll give it a try. My wife is using my netbook because she needs two screens to do her homework to re-certify as a substitute teacher. She already has a few gigs lined up as they still have a shortage of science teachers. With federal pay frozen, tuition, dental, and medical expenses spiking in the family budget, she is going back into the work force. So, Republicans- What are you going to do for us? Oh yeah, cut taxes, cut aid to schools, cut social services, kill health care reform, maybe some more wars. Yeah, we get all that.

Anyway, I'm using my boy's hand-me-down MacBook because our antiquated desktop PC is too darn slow. This keyboard is kinda funky though.  I think I did find the Bloomberg channel - not one I watch much (if ever).

Charlie Rose is doing well across the table. They also got the audience to keep quiet so far on applause through the intros, etc.

Proposals: Cain- 9, 9, 9. Romney- leadership. Perry- open up energy development - and he's a workin' on his plan! Bachmann- feds caused [made] wall street to fail. Newt says put Barney Frank and Chris Dodd in jail. Put politicians who are responsible for the sickness of this country in jail (uh, be careful there, newt). Paul- we got some on the Fed (Reserve). It's all the Fed. Santorum- jobs come back if you create climate (but they don't believe in man-made climate change!). Drill Pennsylvania! Huntsman- innovation question - Chinese & Indians - innovation and marketplace.

Medicare to the newt. Against prostate screening (but newt, that won't affect ALL Americans in their last two years of life). Bachmann- (I doubt the President said "Obamacare.") Huntsman- shout out to dad! (We have a flat tax in Utah?). Disincentives to go into government and fill out all the paperwork. 9-9-9 price of a pizza (that's good). OOh! Huntsman on Simpson-Bowles. Cain jumps. 9-9-9 is well-developed as it throws out the current tax code. Cain- advisers are the people. (Seems a little defensive about the pizza-thing). Romney- European debt. Romney says it's all hypothetical. Slams Geithner. Supports TARP. Romney doesn't think he's the nominee yet.

This is kinda boring.

Cain- bailout concept was win-win but wrongly administered. Gingrich jumps in on European hypotheticals. Audit the Fed! Paul- get the fed gov out of housing (moral hazard?). Austrian economists are his heroes.

Charlie Rose getting questions from Linked-In (I signed up but can't remember my password or how to log in). Perry challenged on Reagan trading tax increases for reductions. People never see a cut in spending. (I have). Romney- goes to Kennedy era. Don't cut defense. Don't raise taxes. Doesn't want automatic cuts but committee will cut back. Platitudes w/o any crease in revenue. Gingrich- he is right that all Congress's planned cuts can be changed by Congress. Bachmann- still doesn't want to increase the debt ceiling. Have to cut spending. Video of Cain on 9-9-9. Cain says the Bloomberg woman is incorrect. Bachmann says if you flip 9-9-9 upside down, "The devil's in the details."

China questions: Huntsman- jumps on Mitt and Trump for trade-war talk. Have to cooperate with China. Romney says Chinese are tricking us. Day one he will identify China as a currency manipulator. Perry- just get America workin' again drillin' for ah-wl. Cote, Honeywell CEO question- American competitiveness? Santorum- wants to beat China not just go to war. Cain's plan won't pass. Repeal Obamacare- not by waivers. Santorum won't shut-up. Cain wants boldness not just kicking the can. Romney- We all agree on repeal and replace. He has a replacement plan. Huntsman on the Obamacare scare. Romney schoolin' Huntsman.

Bachmann- Reagan's economic miracle attack on Perry (!) for campaigning for Gore. (She's goin' for the right flank!). Perry responds with Reagan was a Dem too. Cain- 9-9-9 plan is simple can Romney explain his 59 point plan. Romney calls Cain simple (yeah. I think he just did that). Gingrich- on Romney Cap Gains tax drop on limiting on those making less than 200K. Romney responds on defense of middle class. Huntsman makes bad joke on religion. Huntsman on Romney & Bain Capital - (kinda nasty as opposed to his initial promises.) Mitt defends himself confidently and Rotarian-like. Paul- Fed Reserve causes all our problems - goes on Cain because he managed a branch of the Fed in KC (?) Paul is a whiner. Cain defends himself. And very well slamming Paul (and his followers?) "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." Top priority is 9-9-9. Perry on Romney. Romneycare is Obamacare. Romney goes on his record and attacks Perry's record in Texas. Santorum knows the alphabet. Romney gets a pretty good PBS joke in for once - almost natural. Romney on Bachmann (he's attacking the woman?) Santorum- opposed TARP- on Constitutional grounds. On Cain on taking freedom with 9-9-9.

Sorry, I've been off surfing the web. I admit that sometimes I do that at work - especially when I have to listen in on a very long conference call in which I've done my assignment and maybe have to report in for some occasional question. Oops, back to that call. Gingrich is on as the crazy elder statesman. "If only we got our act together" we wouldn't have to worry about the Chinese. Romney says stimulus bills don't work. We need fundamental restructuring to taxation. Perry says our President is a job-killer. Santorum jumps in on family breakdown. Was that an attack on Santorum from the audience? We couldn't hear that one. Bachmann was poor. She's on the "home" theme. Cain was 'po' before he was poor. Gingrich was an Army brat (well, he's still a brat). He loves the whole table. Paul is for Liberty - free market - sound money (that's the humanitarian way). Santorum grew up in a steel town. (So, are Huntsman and Romney the only rich boys here?) Huntsman- but it was a family basis. Perry was the son of tenant farmer and a soldier (Oh my Heck! he admitted Texas was the second largest state! - that's still only in size). Romney wants leadership. Wants America to be the strongest nation on earth and slams the President.

Well, Romney still comes out looking like a Republican front-runner if you like that sort of thing. Huntsman failed to excel. Perry just wants to drill and he's fading fast. Gingrich wants to be on Fox TV or somewhere to pontificate. Cain excited and excitable. Bachmann not getting any traction. Santorum jumpy. Paul is about the same - you either like him or you think he's crazy. Did I miss anybody?