Debatable

It's hard to believe that anyone was actually watching last night's debate in South Carolina. I think it was the 16th Republican debate, and I'm not sure what's left to debate, other than how much Just For Men Mitt Romney uses. But it had its moments.

When moderator John King began with a question to Newt Gingrich about whether he had asked his ex-wife for an "open" marriage so he could continue an affair with one of his staffers, Newt turned the question around, aimed it at the media, and stabbed King to death. The problem with American politics, he screamed, is American media. Newt was "appalled" that the "elite media" were so fixated on the trivia of candidates' personal lives. How dare King open a debate with such a question. The audience roared its approval and Newt didn't have to answer the question.

Personally, I couldn't care less whether Newt's marriage was open, closed, or under construction. I'm far more concerned with the damage he could do from the Oval Office than I am with whatever happened in his bedroom, but if you're going to ask an experienced politician an embarrassing question, you damn well better be prepared for a circular tap dance. Obviously, Mr. King was not.