Finally Fred, Mitt Mauled

On Tuesday, CNBC and MSNBC hosted a Republican debate. Maria Bartiromo and Chris Matthews were excellent hosts. Their questioning was exemplary. Their topics produced a substantive debate.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain were brilliant. Senator Fred Thompson’s debut was respectable. Governor Mike Huckabee was satisfactory. Conversely, Governor Mitt Romney was apocryphal. Giuliani and McCain appeared direct and knowledgeable. Romney appeared disingenuous and smarmy.