The Note: Debate No. 2

Another story with legs -- Romney vs. McCain. Lines like this are too pat not to have been prepared in advance: "My fear is that McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold has done to campaign finance and money in politics, and that's bad," Romney said. McCain, pitching himself as the true conservative, had a ready response: "I haven't changed my position in even-numbered years or have changed because of the different offices that I may be running for." Ouch. Politico's Jonathan Martin has the debate continuing in the spin room, with Romney's son, Tagg, saying his dad "makes some of the candidates who thought they were going to be the eventual nominee a little nervous." LINK

The early consensus among conservative commentators: The night belonged to Giuliani. Writes Fred Barnes on The Weekly Standard's Web site: "One thing, and one thing only, happened at the Republican presidential debate last night: Rudy Giuliani escaped the clutches of the abortion issue." LINK

While the focus was on South Carolina, it was a busy day in Washington: mourning the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a new war czar, more Iraq wrangling, progress (perhaps) on immigration reform, and more bad news for Paul Wolfowitz and Alberto Gonzales.

Developments on Capitol Hill continue to shape the 2008 race. The Senate today will take a round of Iraq votes -- it's all politics, no policy, since none of the proposals can or will pass -- pitting the Democratic candidates in a cat-and-mouse game. Carl Hulse and Jeff Zeleny of The New York Times call it a sign of how much "presidential politics have, once again, become intertwined with the debate in Congress." LINK

The quick version: Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) will vote for both Democratic proposals on Iraq -- including the one that would end funding for the war by next March -- even though neither of them fully favors either plan. Why? Pressure from liberal groups and rival candidates -- and unease in both camps over the proper political positioning on the war. Clinton aides like to say that Clinton and Obama have identical voting records on Iraq since Obama came to the Senate; here's guessing that they'll STILL have identical records when primary votes are cast early next year.