statlerwaldorf.thumbnail.JPGIt’s like holding a debate in a giant mausoleum with really creepy totalitarian iconography. If anything could drain the life out of a pack of already enervated candidates who can do little more than gas on and smirk at each other, that’s it.

McCain and Romney clearly loathe each other. They decided to wake up and snipe at each other over what exactly it was Romney said about the surge. Anderson Cooper actually did a great job jumping in the middle, clarifying what exactly the quote was and keeping them from throw out a bunch of unsubstantiated accusations. He can do that where Matthews or Brian Williams or Tweety can’t because a) he’s much smarter, and b) it isn’t all about him. Every debate he keeps proving that he’s the best moderator representing any of the major networks.

McCain plants a big wet one on Huckabee to hit Romney with, and then Ron Paul pitches a fit because there’s really no difference between McCain and Romney and their stupid beloved illegal war. He always looks like a genius in these things, sitting as does in the middle of a pack of monkeys.