Stephen Hayes files this report on the Republican debate. He gives good scores to all but Romney, who he says “struggled,” but “offered a smart defense of the role of pharmaceutical companies when John McCain foolishly said they were bad guys.” He also highlights this exchange between the two:
In what had to be one of the most important moments of the night, Mitt Romney gave John McCain credit for the political courage he showed in pushing the surge when it wasn’t popular. This comes after two weeks of back-and-forth between the campaigns and three days before the New Hampshire primary critical to both men. McCain did not return the love.
And he gives Charlie Gibson high-marks, which seems to be unanimous around here. Go read the whole thing as Hayes assesses each of the candidates. And stay tuned to the Campaign Standard for coverage of the Dem Debate later tonight.
