Part 6: "Hold me closer, tiny dancer: the role of the Vice-President"

Welcome to Part 6 of my not-so-live blogging of the Iowa GOP debate. You can still access the rest of the series, if you arrived here out of sequence :)

Just a recap from Part 1: you can watch the whole Konservative Krying Game for yourself at the ABCnews.com site. Aside from Stephanopoulos, the cast of characters included: Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson; Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; and Rep Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
(Missing and presumed sleepy: former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn)

Hold me closer, tiny dancer: the role of the Vice-President

MCCAIN: Jokes that the VP only gets to cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate and "to enquire daily as to the health of the President." (har, har, har). But seriously folks…McCain would assign the VP to "area of talent," e.g. telecommunications, and he would "be clear that there is only one President."
T. THOMPSON: VP "Cheney is an honourable individual"…Thompson then reverts back to health care, insisting that he doesn't want the press to think "Republicans are against poor children." (remember those greedy, greedy children)
GIULIANI: Makes the case for a strong VP, "Now that we're at war…a VP has to be just as capable, just as ready to take over that office at a moment's notice." Feels that the Reagan/GHW Bush model was a good'n, and that the US can't have another FDR/Truman scenario (wherein Truman was completely unaware of the Manhattan Project).
ROMNEY: The President and Vice-President "have kept us safe these past years" (…and other bedtime stories, by Gov. Mitt Romney)
BROWNBACK: Tips his hat to Cheney's vast "experience" (e.g. Sec. Def.), but feels that the "President over-relied on that" (I think that's a new word?)
PAUL: Blames the VP's prominence for the admin's "neocon agenda" and reminds the audience that most Americans think that the VP is more powerful than the President.
HUNTER: Brags about his personal military background and implies that he would not need a hawkish military running-mate to lend gravitas to his ticket (hint, hint…*cough* Giuliani *cough* *cough* Romney) "I would not share the role of Commander-in-Chief" (and don't even ask about his Thin Mints. I mean, really.)

Part 7 is on the way..."Tales from the crypt: the attack of the zombie tax policies"
or...
Return to Part 5..."Gas, grass, or ass: Nobody rides for free"