Live-Blogging Fred Thompson's First Debate

Already the press room at the Ford Center in Dearborn, Michigan is buzzing for Fred Thompson's first debate with the GOP field. Thompson's team has his Communication's Director Todd Harris, Senior Adviser Rich Galen and former Michigan U.S. Senator and Secretary of Energy E. Spencer Abraham working the spin zone.

Thompson didn't do a "walk through." The traditional pre-debate stroll a candidate takes to his/her podium by staff and debate officials briefing them on the logistics of the stage and room.

The veteran debaters (this is the sixth debate) are also staffed up with spinners:

- Rudy Giuliani has former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci.

- John McCain has Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and former Senator Phil Graham (R-TX). McCain also gave a luncheon address to the Detroit Economic Club.

- Mitt Romney has his brother Scott Romney Oakland County (Michigan) Sheriff Mike Bouchard. (As a side note, Mitt Romney was born in Detroit, MI and launched his Presidential bid just a few blocks from the debate site in Dearborn.)

The TV, radio, print, and blogs are all buzzing with expectations - raising or lowering - on Fred Thompson. Probably not fair, but it is what it is.

Today's debate, starting in under an hour at 4pm EST on CNBC is huge opportunity (and risk) for Fred Thompson to introduce himself. And as they say you never have a chance at a second first impression.

3:54 PM - Getting ready to roll. Pop "watch word" quiz. What will be the most repeated word/phrase? Options: Cut taxes, Cut Spending, Ronald Reagan, 9/11, Taxes, or Hillary Clinton.

3:58 PM - The wife of local Congressman John Dingell (D-15) and DNC National Committeewoman, Debbie Dingell is there and "furious" over the decision by many Democrat candidates to pull out of the Michigan Primary Election to cater to Iowa and New Hampshire. So mad she's at the GOP debate?

4:00 PM - Your Money GOP Debate is taking off. Maria Bartiromo reads a prompter better than Chris Matthews.

4:01 PM - First question to Thompson. Are we in a recession? Fred responds at first with a stock answer, no. Then pauses awkwardly for 3 seconds and continues to say things are rosy. Was he thinking of a certain rose?

4:03 PM - Romney changes-up his stump talking points and spews Michigan specific data on money matters. Does he still have property in the Great Lakes State? He quips that he was afraid about being at the debate because Jennifer Granholm (Michigan's Governor) might tax the debate. Smooth! Crowd responds.

4:05 PM - Rudy gets a question and makes an oblique reference to Hillary Clinton (does that count in the word watch?). Chris Matthew's voice is hoarse.

4:07 PM - Ball goes to Ron Paul. He's the first to drop the "monetary policy" line. F.A. Hayek mails in his absentee ballot for Ron Paul.

4:09 PM - Maria asks McCain is our system fair? McCain says yes and takes on Ron Paul, tells him to read "Wealth of Nations." Good thing this debate s held near a library.

4:12 PM - Fair tax question to Huckabee. He seems to know a lot about the accounting practices of drug dealers, prostitutes and their pimps.

4:13 PM - The "C" word, China is dropped by Duncan Hunter. China is taking apparently defense contractor jobs. Hunter takes on all the Senators for voting for "Most Favored Nation Trading" status for China. Gets applause.

4:15 PM - Thompson responds with a concise "free trade is good for jobs" line, Hunter looks hurt. Gets applause.

4:17 PM - Maria tells the audience to stop their clapping.

417 PM - Brownback says we're taxed to to the max, pushes the flat tax and wants us to follow 60 other countries. Maybe a "Flat Tax United Nations" is next?

4:18 PM - Tancredo promises to never raise taxes and says earmarks aren't really hurting the budget. At least not the ones he's sponsored. Says Social Security and Medicare have to be looked at to reduce federal spending.

4:20 PM - :30 second round between Mitt and Rudy. What's the tax difference between ya? Rudy goes first. Recites his record, ignores Romney. Romney jumps in, I did those things too. Then goes after Rudy on the Commuter Tax and the Line-Item Veto and notes that Boston taxes are half of those of NYC. Rudy retorts spending went up in MA under Mitt, it went down under me. Rudy quips "Mitt lagged while I lead."

4:22 PM - Mitt blurts out "baloney".

4:23 PM - Rudy keeps pressing his thumb forward as a gesture the same way Bill Clinton does.

4:25 PM - John Harwood asks Thompson about manufacturing jobs in a dynamic market. Thompson gives another defense of Free Trades. Mentions taxes and regulations a couple of times as being b-a-d. Hayek is wishing he hadn't voted so early.

4:26 PM - Hunter chimes in again about China. He must have bought some lead-paint toys.

4:27 PM - McCain takes on the health care costs of the Big 3. And notes that the problem is Washington, D.C. because no one trust'em. He's tired of spending to study DNA of bears and bridges to nowhere.

4:28 PM - Tancredo just piped-up and noted all of our economic woes is because of illegal immigration.

4:30 PM - Asked of Romney, "Are you a Bush Republican on trade?" Mitt dodges. But he wants working families to get a "fair shake" which is different than a "fair tax."

4:32 PM - Are we protectionist? Rudy says we could be or we might not be. (He is standing next to Fred Thompson who is way taller than he is.) Oh no! He just pulled out the Smoot-Holley card.

4:36 PM - Going down the line on trade. China is getting more play than Hillary Clinton, who knew! Romney wants to put down the drawbridge. Rudy doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater and McCain wants to hold the course and joins the anti-Smoot-Holley bandwagon.

4:38 PM - Hunter is going for the anti-China vote hard. He wants "mirror trade." Is that a metrosexual trend?

4:39 PM - Brownback notes that Hunter is a nice man.

4:40 PM - Tancredo wants to sell Walmart to Dubai.

4:41 PM - Thompson schools Chris Matthews on Economics 101. (He's wearing a yellow tie that appears to be gold on the screen.) Since his first question, he's become more fluid and plainspoken.

4:45 PM - Back from break, another first question to Thompson on Iraq. He supports the current direction. Drops the Islamic-fascist line that Democrats can't say. Says the average 20-year in Iraq knows more about security than 20-year veterans on Capitol Hill.

4:47 PM - McCain gives a shout-out to Rudy. I think the Mayor blushed.

4:48 PM - Ron Paul drops the mercantilistic and neocolonialists bombs. Blames oil for the war in Iraq.

4:50 PM - Brownback ain't buying Paul's lecture. Praises the military pans the political effort in Iraq. And oddly reminds GOP voters that he's working with Joe Biden to solve the problems in Iraq.

4:52 PM - Thompson notes that Iraq had WMD previously and would be going nuclear today to keep up with the Jones (Iran).

4:53 PM - Romney's attorneys will tell him, as a President, if he needs a hall pass from Congress to go to war against Iran. (First major mis-step, but he recovers quickly.) Slams Ahmadinejad (and pronounced it right).

4:56 PM - Paul is about to hit someone he's so mad! Tells Romney to read the Constitution. Claims everything being said is war propaganda. Claims we have never had an imminent threat.

4:58 PM - Huckabee says you go to Congress for war approval if you have time.

4:59 PM - Rudy likes the word "exigent." Rudy ask Ron Paul on the issue of an imminent threat from another question where was he on 9/11. I think Paul was reading the Constitution.

5:00 PM - Like putting a man on the moon, Rudy wants energy independence to be a national security issue. And by the way, he can pronounce nuclear.

5:06 PM - McCain gets the oil profits question. Wants oil corps to explore alternative energy, like nuclear energy (which he also pronounce). Oil companies are in business for you know...nuclear and wind production. Drops the "climate change" issue into the debate. Also says that drilling for oil off coast is a local issue. Sort of like that local issue of trade.

5:08 PM - Thompson notes that economic downturns are normally proceeded by jumps in oil prices. Gives a strong free market vision for moving towards energy independence.

5:10 PM - Romney comes out for "domestic supports." Farm-welfare is a heartland value.

5:11 PM - :30 Second lightening round on winning back voter's confidence on money matters. Paul goes after defense and farm welfare. Huckabee calls for an overhaul of the tax-system. McCain says the lack of trust is due to failures in governing, calls for an end to wasteful spending, says people want straight-talk. Romney says we earn confidence by being confident. Up beats down. Says he's spent his life in the economy (like Second Life?). Thompson says we gotta tell'em the truth. He's wearing a flag pin. Rudy says we can be robust, wants to export energy independence. Says Hillary Clinton wants to put a lid on us (and keep us in a pot supposedly). Goes after Hillary's spending sprees. Hunter pushes anti-outsourcing, drops the China line again. Brownback, flat tax and being optimistic. Field of Dreams economics. "This place rocks," he quips. Tancredo wants to reduce taxes, regulations, all by stopping illegal immigration.

5:23 PM - Back from another break, question again to Thompson on Social Security. Fred notes this is a b-i-g- problem, says "we're eating our seed corn." Wants people to save for their own retirement and index benefits to inflation.

5:25 PM - Tancredo asked about fast-track trade authority. The Congressman says the problem with trade is that there are too many illegal immigrants. He's sputtering as he tries to speak. I guess if all you have is a hammer the world is full of nails.

5:27 PM - Romney doesn't want to replace health care, rather improve. Unlike Hillary Clinton. Mentioned her again. He ticks of his 5-point plan. If you have 5 points you're a smart can-do guy.

5:28 PM - Are unions good for America? Paul, it's a basic right to unionize but no special rights. Huckabee notes unions are going to become more prominent because of wage inequity. McCain likens them to monopolies, notes he's from a right-to-work state. Romney gives McCain props on his answer and notes there are good unions and bad ones (those that don't support the GOP). Thompson notes he is a union member (Screen Actor's Guild) but supports right-to-work and paycheck protection. Rudy says that his grandmother was a founding member of a union. Hunter says the Steel Worker's Union is a good union. Brownback says "sure," his mother was a postal union member. Trancredo says "Sam your mom didn't need a union with civil service." Brownback pipes up and says "Leave my mother out of this!" Comedy exchange ensues.

5:35 PM - Audio problems. McCain didn't hear the question on should the Big 3 look to Washington, D.C. for help. It's repeated. McCain says DC should do something on health care and notes that the auto industry is growing in the South. Takes a side trip to slam farm welfare. Adds that Ronald Reagan must be turning in his grave due to the Free Trade slams.

5:37 PM - Thompson is asked about government stepping in to help a Chrysler strike. Thompson says no deal.

5:38 PM - How would you police the Internet? Rudy wants to separate profitable websites from predator sites. What happens if they charge to prey?

5:40 PM - Another commercial break. On return, the mega-uber lightening round.

5:44 PM - Veto of the SCHIP? Huckabee, it was all politics, but he won't commit to vetoing it if he was/were President. (Way over :30). What about Arabic race relations issues Gov. Romney? We assure everyone that government will keep them safe but we welcome all. Senator Thompson what is the danger of a weak dollar? It will weaken us, it helps our exports but we have stand behind a strong dollar. Rudy is our problem foreign-owned debt? We need to balance the books by selling more things, not less. Brownback who would be your guide for economics? Former Federal Reserve Chairman's thoughts are good (Sam couldn't remember his name). McCain are Fed rates cut enough? I don't have the expertise to know that but I do know we have faced some pretty tough blows, so I'm glad when they cut but we leave that to smarter people. Ron Paul do you promise to support the GOP nominee next year? Not right now I don't. Tancredo? I don't intend to pick between the lesser of two evils. Brownback will you support the nominee whoever it is? Yes. Duncan Hunter? Yes of course, but I will work them to understand things the way I see them. Rudy is London going to replace New York City as the financial center of the world? Of course not! Get your head-up! We're the last best hope for the world. If this generation can't keep it that way, shame on us. Everyone wants to come here. Well Rudy how do you explain the losses? Our mistakes. We've over taxed over regulated. Everyone in the world wants to cut taxes but the leading Democrat candidates. Romney, same questions? Ditto, ditto, ditto. (And he did so in a very fluid manner.)

5:53 PM - Funny exchange when Romney says "This whole process is like a Law & Order episode. A big cast and Fred Thompson shows up at the end." Everyone laughs, Fred too. Fred retorts, "And I thought I was going to be the best actor on the stage." More laughs.

5:54 PM - Thompson is asked who is the Prime Minister of Canada. He answers. (It was Matthews attempt to replay the 2000 debate moment with Bush and world leader pronouns.)

5:56 PM - Romney what is the greatest threat to jobs? Our sense of optimism. More Field of Dreams theory. Brownback? The breakdown of the family. Rudy would it be good for the Party to have a 3rd Party option? We've had that. I think that 2 Party's work well. Let me answer that economy question, fixing k-12 education where we need more choice.

5:59 PM - Thompson how was your first home? "Just like home." Did you wait too long to get in this race? "No it feels about just right."

6:00 PM And it's over.

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POST SCRIPT:

The campaigns and pundits are spinning. Join the debate! Who won?

I'll let the readers here answer that question, but I will say that I don't think the fundamental architecture of this race changed as a result of this exchange. What do you think?