Out the 41 questions directed to the six Republican presidential candidates during Sunday's NBC News/Facebook debate on Meet the Press, 25 of them were from the left, 13 questions were neutral, mainly about the campaign horse race and electability, and only three questions pressed the candidates from the right.
Early in the debate, moderator David Gregory demanded to know how much "pain" the candidates would inflict upon Americans by cutting spending. Newt Gingrich called out Gregory for the slanted query: "David, you know, I, I find it fascinating that very, very highly paid Washington commentators and Washington analysts love the idea of pain. What – who's going to be in pain? The duty of the president is to find a way to manage the federal government so the primary pain is on changing the bureaucracy."
Minutes later, Gregory selected a left-wing question from a viewer on Facebook: "And this from Martin Montalvo, because we do have a spending crisis but also a lot of people hurting. He writes this: 'With more Americans on government assistance than ever before, is it un-American for Americans to feel relieved when the government helps them?'"
Talking to Rick Perry, Gregory asked: "I wonder where you would buck your party. What would you say or do to make Republicans uncomfortable?" After Perry voiced his support for a part-time Congress and a balanced budget amendment, Gregory replied: "Do you think telling conservatives, 'A balanced budget amendment is something I'm going to do, and I'm going to cut spending,' that's going to make them uncomfortable?"
In the middle of the debate, Gregory brought in New Hampshire Union Leader senior political reporter John DiStaso and Boston Channel 7 News political editor Andy Hiller to ask some questions.
DiStaso began by pleading: "Home heating oil is nearly $4 a gallon, yet President Obama and Congress have cut by 25 percent the program that helps, helps low-income people heat their homes. About a million households that were helped last year won't be helped this year. Is this an example of pain that must be suffered? Should this, should this program funding be restored? Should it be cut more?"
In his first question to the candidates, Hiller asked Mitt Romney: "How have you stood up for gay rights and when have you used your voice to influence Republicans on this issue?...When's the last time you stoop up and spoke out for increasing gay rights?"
Hiller then directed the same question to Rick Santorum: "Senator Santorum, would you be a voice for increasing gay rights in the party?...Would you be a voice for speaking out for gay rights in your party, and if not, why not?...What if you had a son who came to you and said he was gay?"
DiStaso urged the candidates to defend big labor: "What positive contributions do labor unions provide in this country at this, this point in the 21st century?"
Moments later, Gregory jumped in: "Governor Romney, on this economic question, you blame President Obama for the jobs crisis, but when you look at the data and a positive trend line he still only gets the blame and none of the credit. How come?"
Hiller rounded out his series of questions by asking Ron Paul: "Many Americans, particularly Democrats, believe that health care is a right. In your opinion, what services are all Americans entitled to expect to get from government?"
As Gregory resumed his role as moderator, he suggested the United States should just learn to "live with" a nuclear Iran: "I wonder why it is, if America has lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we have come to live with a nuclear North Korea, why is it that we cannot live with a nuclear Iran? And if we can't, are you prepared to take the country to war to disarm that country?"
Here is a list of some of the most blatant liberal questions featured in the January 8 debate:
GREGORY: Governor Perry, from Facebook, a lot of questions, as we've mentioned, have been submitted. And this from Martin Montalvo, because we do have a spending crisis but also a lot of people hurting. He writes this: "With more Americans on government assistance than ever before, is it un-American for Americans to feel relieved when the government helps them?"...
GREGORY [TO RICK PERRY]: This is, as you well know, New Hampshire is an independent place. And I wonder where, besides criticizing the previous administration for running up the debt, I wonder where you would buck your party. What would you say or do to make Republicans uncomfortable?...
RICK PERRY: I will tell you two things that can occur, that a president can lead the charge on, and it will put term limits into place. One of those is a part-time Congress...and then a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution.
GREGORY: Governor, my question...
PERRY: You do those two things...
GREGORY: But my question, sir, was...
PERRY: ...and that will make them uncomfortable.
GREGORY: Do you think telling conservatives, "A balanced budget amendment is something I'm going to do, and I'm going to cut spending," that's going to make them uncomfortable?
JOHN DISTASO [NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER]: All right. Governor Huntsman, it's winter in New Hampshire, it's a little mild, but it's still winter. Home heating oil is nearly $4 a gallon, yet President Obama and Congress have cut by 25 percent the program that helps, helps low-income people heat their homes. About a million households that were helped last year won't be helped this year. Is this an example of pain that must be suffered? Should this, should this program funding be restored? Should it be cut more? Should this program be eliminated, perhaps? Where does this fit in? This is a practical problem in this area of the country...
ANDY HILLER [CHANNEL 7 NEWS BOSTON]: Governor Romney, I'd like to remind you of something you said in Bay Windows, which is a gay newspaper in Massachusetts, in 1994 when you were running against Senator Kennedy. These are your words: "I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican Party, and I would be a voice in the Republican Party to foster anti-discrimination efforts." How have you stood up for gay rights and when have you used your voice to influence Republicans on this issue?...When's the last time you stood up and spoke out for increasing gay rights?...
HILLER: Senator Santorum, would you be a voice for increasing gay rights in the party?
RICK SANTORUM: Surprised it's coming to me. What? What was your question?
HILLER: Would you be a voice for speaking out for gay rights in your party, and if not, why not?...What if you had a son who came to you and said he was gay?...
DISTASO: I'd like to, I'd like to ask both Governor Romney, quickly, and Senator Santorum, quickly, do – what positive contributions do labor unions provide in this country at this, this point in the 21st century?...
HILLER [TO RON PAUL]: And I'm going to say many Americans, particularly Democrats, believe that health care is a right. In your opinion, what services are all Americans entitled to expect to get from government?...
GREGORY: Senator Santorum, I want to ask you about Iran. It's been a big issue in the course of this campaign so far. I wonder why it is, if America has lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we have come to live with a nuclear North Korea, why is it that we cannot live with a nuclear Iran? And if we can't, are you prepared to take the country to war to disarm that country?...
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- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [1] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.