I feel a deep regret in missing even one game of the World Series to watch the Republican presidential candidates' debate.
It's painful, like being ambushed by Tolkien's dwarfs and pummeled in the nether regions, and now it really, really hurts.
Because the last thing I needed in all the world was to see a guy named Bush talk about tax cuts while referencing his own wet lips.
"Look, the -- the deal is already done,"
Agreed, governor, you won't find any Democrats who want tax cuts. Democrats love taxes and alleged "free stuff" to buy themselves votes that the middle class pays for, and they raised the debt ceiling in
But here's a news flash: The Republicans control
Both sides are the meat puppets of
And so the combine thrives, Democratic spenders and Republican spenders, two horns on the head of the same ravenous federal goat.
But please, Jeb, stop with the wet lips and the kissing!
The "warm kiss" bit was a moment of agony for Bush backers, and the liberal court jesters on "Saturday Night Live" should have fun with it, but even in pain there is insight.
Bush is done. He's tired, spent, overwhelmed by the conservative anti-establishment anger that has led to
The former governor of
Rubio showed at least he has the rhetorical talent to stand with
It's now being called the Rubio moment, likened to
"The only reason you're (attacking me) now is because we're running for the same position," Rubio told Bush. "Someone convinced you attacking me is going to help you. Here's the bottom line: My campaign is going to be about the future of America. It's not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage."
Deftly done. All that was missing from this duelist was to hear "La!" as the blade went in. It was over.
Rubio also fed red meat to the Republican crowd by attacking the media as liberals sympathetic to the Democrats. For the most part, of course, it's true, and 30 years in the business tells me so.
"The Democrats have the ultimate super PAC: It's called the mainstream media," Rubio said, "Last week
Sen.
Trump and Carson tried to tread water.
And Bush? Crumbs falling to the bottom of the establishment toaster.
Paul said he would filibuster the insidious budget deal on the floor of the
"We raised the military spending, took from entitlements and raised domestic spending, and the deficit will explode under this," said the senator from
But who heard Paul's heresy when there was entertainment to be had and media to bash and sound bites to celebrate? Not the moderators, not the other candidates and perhaps not even the American people.
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John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune who also hosts a radio show on WLS-AM.