From my Florida GOP debate notebook …

One-word review: Mitt rises; Newt crashes; Rick steady; Ron amusing

• Call it Mitt’s Lunar Eclipse – blasting Gingrich Moonbase idea could be tonight’s winning moment
• Newt shrinking? That giant sucking sound is the GOP conservative vacuum opening up again
• Newt so flustered tonight he forgot to say, “Massachusetts moderate”
• Been feeling kinda creepy ever since Santorum said “dilly-dally”
• Thank heavens nobody can run Ron Paul out this race. Only one who doesn’t need a laugh track
• Here we go, the Who-Can-Kill-Castro-First segment
• Callista Gingrich must be a European socialist, she plays French horn
• Rick, if the wife is back home, why can’t she print out your tax return?
• Did Newt just praise all three of HIS wives, or his rivals’ wives?
• Wow Ron, Your wife is “the mother of five of our children” — there are others?
• Mitt: Some of my best lawn workers are Hispanic
• Mitt says health care “not worth getting angry about.” So, you uninsured folks just get over it
• Don’t look so confused Rick. Mitt is just speaking French again
• Ever get the feeling Newt is just running to promote his web sites? Next up, his eHarmony profile
• Weirdest line of the night: Wolf said, “I look forward to seeing your medical records.”
• Now it’s medical records to be released. What about Cable TV bills?
• GOP debaters agree: Lower Romney’s Taxes
• Guess Mitt also keeps his TV ads in a blind trust
• Are blind trustees covered by Romneycare?
• Newt and Mitt tonight: Beavis or Butt-Head, take your pick
• Sad state of affairs for GOP when Santorum becomes the adult in the room
• If we can’t cut federal spending let’s at least slow the alarming rise of lame jokes about Ron Paul’s suit
• Grandmother debate trumped Santorum playing Mom card. Third-placers just can’t catch a break
• Still stuck on Mitt slamming coyotes. They have grandmothers too
• Mitt would put coyotes on the Moon. But would they howl at Earth?
• Did Newt just accuse Mitt of kicking grandmothers? It’s getting ugly
• Mitt soft on our national grandmother crisis
• Newt gets bitch slapped, then hands Mitt the other glove for another round
• Newt opposes self-deportation, favors self-medication
• Thanks Rick, now go home and finish your tax return
• Least (if ever) mentioned word tonight: JOBS
• Poor Newt didn’t even make it to one-week wonder. South Carolina just 5 days ago
• Mitt can change chairs in Washington, he sells them at Staples
• Newt never recovered from Mitt “firing” him for goofy moon colony plan

Liberal Obama critic Bill Maher tells Anderson Cooper he’s on the President’s side again. The HBO host said that watching Republicans “makes me run back into his arms screaming.”

(CNN, 1/25)

GOP Debate Tonight
CNN 8:00 PM ET

After raising suspicions of political expediency by suddenly talking about his father’s Mexican birthplace, Mitt Romney was put on the spot in a Spanish-language interview. And had to acknowledge it would be a stretch to claim Latino heritage. Still, he waited until the Florida primary to mention his father’s background.

Q: “Your father was born in Mexico. Are you a Mexican-American? Could you be the first Hispanic president?”

Romney: “I would love to be able to convince people of that, particularly in a Florida primary” (laughing). But I think that might be disingenuous on my part…..He [George Romney] was born of U.S. citizens who were living in Mexico at the time. He never spoke Spanish, nor did his parents. So I can’t claim that honor…. I don’t think people would think I was being honest with them if I said I was Mexican-American.”

— Univision interview (1/25)

ORLANDO — No wonder Gingrich phoned in the last debate on Monday in Florida. A devastating $6 million ad was coming to his aid from an “uncoordinated” SuperPAC blasting “Romneycare.”

Next day Newt drew 6,000 onlookers in Naples. And polls show no evidence that Mitt’s weeks of millions in advertising and attacks on Gingrich’s “lobbyist” past are doing him much good.

Mitt: Banks are People Too

Plus, the politically tone deaf Romney managed to use a post-debate event designed to highlight Florida’s crushing home foreclosure crisis by defending bankers:

“The banks aren’t bad people. They’re just overwhelmed right now.”

From my State of the Union notebook

GOP Rebuttal:
• CNN’s on-screen graphics seemed more human than Daniels
• Daniels a flip-flopper, he only turns head to his left but to the audience it appears to the right
• Next Will-Daniels-Run test: Freudian slip, says Romneycare instead of Obamacare
• If Daniels attacks “European-style” government, we’ll know he’s running
• Gosh, Daniels finally moved (his eyebrow)

President’s Address
• Best thing about this speech for Dems: Plenty of strong clips for TV ads. Guess that’s what it’s really for
• All SOTUs are laundry lists but this one commercial size
• Forget applause count, the promises count is a doozy. I lost count
• What, ABC doesn’t have an applause count yet? And you call yourselves a news organization!?!?
• Biden is falling into a coma. He got the cliff notes advance text, had no idea how long this is
• Geez, this part sounds like GOP stump speeches. Part where Mitt usually raps “America the Beautiful”
• McConnell doesn’t clap hands but saw his double chin move
• Another SOTU that’s more footnotes than poetry. Always be thus I suppose
• VP & Speaker sitting behind POTUS at these things worst job in politics, mannequin impressions always tough
• So much of this SOTU already in my DVR of the first two
• Here’s the catch: New Wall St crime unit takes action after statute of limitations passes
• We need more close-ups of Kerry’s black eye. Those ketchup bottles must really hurt
• Boehner applauded more drilling but face twitching at clean energy talk
• Biden and Dems avoid clapping call for more drilling (GOP love it)
• Just got email blast that Herman Cain to give his own rebuttal. What a relief
• All this business tax cut talk sounds like European-style conservatism
• Hey Mitt: At least Obama can talk about his grandfather
• Boehner less orange tonight, more lemony
• Is Biden looking at his watch? Gotta catch a train
• HRC back to hairstyle for ’92 “Tammy Wynette” moment
• Dang Michele, snazzy blue dress there. Luv it!
• Here come the justices. Scalia must still be outside smoking
• Never in the history of Democracy have so many politicians with such low approval ratings been gathered in one place
• Coming soon to your inbox: GOP prebuttals for Obama’s Second Inaugural Address

Back to Florida
Pro-Gingrich SuperPAC “Winning Our Future” is spending $6 million on this ad throughout the state …

From my Florida debate notebook ..

One-word review: Mitt plods; Newt dodged; Santorum fades; Paul relaxed

• Did no-reax rule for audience lure Mitt to finally agree (on Saturday) to do this debate? Prevents Newt crowd play
• Bummer, Brian Williams announces NBC asked crowd not to react. Gonna be like watching cartoons without audio
• Mitt praises “success” making millions (except for Newt’s)
• Paul fans must have refused the NBC body scan to get in. Only explanation for no crowd reax to Ron
• Mitt would have recited 10 things he’d do for the economy instead of 7, but he forgot Rick Perry’s 3
• Newt playin it safe, must believe his FL poll lead. Mitt acts like challenger.
• Newt calls for Santorum to “self deport” out of the race
• Gingrich Space Plan: Another Star Trek movie, this time with dinosaurs
• Ron Paul wins Terri Schiavo topic: “Get a Living Will”
• Dusting off the ouija board to rank this debate
• So far, feeling bad for TV editors forced to find sound bites, guess Newt’s unusually long pause could lead the news
• Mitt gonna have to prove he can win a debate that requires reading glasses to watch
• Newt gonna have to prove he can win a debate without a roomful of loud bloodthirsty drunks
• Santorum is still talking?
• Again, Santorum is still talking?
• So far no grades for this debate. Just Certificates of Attendance
• TV commercials are interrupting my nap
• Perfect chance for Newt “Elite Media” attack: “Free the Audience”
• Audience starting to revolt against network silence order. NBC pages suiting up with riot gear. Pepper spray?
• Finally, some GOP crowd applause — had to know calling for somebody’s death would get the job done
• Again, the GOP gender gap: Way more talk about Freddie than Fannie
• So far this debate just a newspaper story (hey kids, that’s where we used to get our information before The Daily Show)
• Looks like a wash to me between Mitt and Newt. But wait, advantage Romney, he does his own laundry
• It’s a One-Percenter Smackdown: Bain Cap vs. Freddie Mac
• Gingrich “pedaled ” influence? He doesn’t go near exercise bikes, and he has no influence
• When will Newt demand that Mitt release his Dad’s birth certificate! C’mon get this party started?
• Ah NBC takes us back to the good ole debating days, when they had more impact on reporters than voters
• Brian Williams says it all after debate, marvels at how quickly audience left the room (a few later found asleep under their seats)

No wonder a miffed Romney was yelling at people here in Florida. Polls show Newt Gingrich converting his South Carolina win into a lead for the Sunshine State.

The latest is from Rasmussen Reports, which called Romney’s past big lead “ancient history” and reported that Gingrich now leads Florida with 41 percent to 32 percent for Romney.

Also out today, an Insider Advantage poll showed Gingrich with a 36-to-24 percent lead over Romney.

Looks like Mitt must have gotten the news early. Last night in Daytona some folks in the crowd chanted “We the People” while he was speaking, touching off a candidate tirade:

“No, actually, these are the people,” Romney said, referring to the hundreds of supporters listening to his remarks. “These are the people. You are the interrupters. We believe in the Constitution, we believe in the right of speech and you believe in interrupting. Take a hike.”

From my South Carolina debate notebook

• My 1-word debate review: Gingrich commanding; Romney uneven; Santorum sharp; Paul forgotten — and Obama must be laughing his ass off.
• Santorum boasts about beating Dems but skipped this part: He’s the only one on stage who lost to a D by 18 points.
• Romney ends debate with dumbest part of his stump speech. At least he didn’t sing America the Beautiful.
• Newt: “This is the most dangerous president in our lifetime.” Yep, for Republican White House hopefuls, very true.
• Paul: SC known for its “respect for liberty.” Except for that slave thing.
• Newt been coasting ever since knowing he won the sound bite contest in the first two minutes.
• Paul calls Santorum “overly sensitive” – fighting words.
• Romney just said “Romneycare.” Oops!
• Mitt: “I’m not questioned on character or integrity very often.” And they say he’s out of touch.
• Mitt’s idea of pathways for illegals are leveraged buyouts by private equity investors.
• Mitt wants to check illegals before hiring them, unless they mow his lawn for cheap.
• Newt is a compassionate conservative: Opposes deporting grandmothers.
• Don’t understand, Paul’s suit fit in the beginning. Maybe it’s his shoulders that don’t fit. Or maybe he’s melting.
• Fred Thompson in the audience. Afraid Rick Perry will now get his reverse mortgage TV gig.
• Mitt cracks a joke. Even he’s surprised.
• So far, my guess is Santorum impressing reporters but Newt winning votes.
• Newt dings Hollywood elites. He’s just jealous they can pay their Tiffany bills and get away with open marriages.
• Mitt not releasing tax returns because he can’t find them in his deep pockets.
• Santorum says he won’t release taxes because they’re back home on his computer. Get a flash drive, Rick.
• Mitt won’t release tax returns “because I want to be sure we beat President Obama.” Nuf said.
• Paul to media: “You know more about me than I know about myself” Nuf said.
• Mitt says “thank heavens” he gets nothing from Washington. Where you think that cozy 15 percent tax rate comes from?
• Mitt forgets his point, channeling Perry — Oops!
• So far this debate so much about Gingrich you’d think he’s running for president.
• Next Newt is going to claim he was a lifeguard with Reagan back in 1920′s Illinois.
• Santorum: “Grandiosity has never been a problem with Newt Gingrich” –this from the man who’s cornered piety.
• Newt won this thing before cadets sang the national anthem, as John King prepared opening question about ex-wife.
• Paul says he practiced medicine “before we had any government.” Back in the good old days when they used leeches to cure the common cold.
• Santorum says Newt “playing footsies with the left.” Missed that in ABC’s ex-wife interview.
• Newt to parents: Elect us and your kids can be janitors.
• Hmmm sounds like Mitt would replace Obamacare with … Obamacare.
• Mitt vows to “stuff” capitalism down Obama’s “throat” — using his Cayman Islands cash.
• Mitt says he created 120k jobs — China and Mexico are grateful.
• Romney attacks “crony capitalism” — takes one to know one.
• Perry drops out, and Ron Paul’s suit fits. This race is shaping up.
• Mitt, “let’s get on to the real issues” (like hiding my cash offshore).
• Geez Newt already gets standing ovation, blasts media for ex-wife story.
• Oh please Mitt, stop with the transparent Newt jabs — “I’ve had the same wife for 42 years.”
• Cadets do heck of job with national anthem. It’s all downhill from here.
• Newt sports reddest tie. He really is the frontrunner.
• CNN stacks debate audience with fat white people. Advantage Gingrich.