Randi Rhodes: Claws Out, Heads Empty

Wow! The GOP candidates really mixed it up last night. For once, they were mixing up more than the facts. It was Perry on Romney, Santorum on Romney, Paul on Cain... it was everybody on everything, except of course for the man-on-dog sex that so frightens Rick Santorum.

I think the other candidates realize that if they don’t do something about Mitt Romney, he’s really going to happen. Rick Perry, who had been asleep most of the last two debates, woke up suddenly and started swinging like a surly passed-out drunk who’s been rousted by the cops. Perry accused Mitt Romney of having hired a company that used illegal immigrants to do his yard work. Rick Perry obviously has no problems that any illegal immigrants were doing his yard work—after all these droughts, all the grass in Texas is dead.

Meanwhile, the other candidates are going after Herman Cain because now they view him as a serious threat. The fact that somebody like Herman Cain could be a serious threat is itself a serious threat to the Republican Party.

These Republican crowds have a habit of cheering all the worst possible things. Remind me never to watch “Schindler’s List” with a Republican audience. This debate the inappropriate applause moment came for Herman Cain defending his statements defending Wall Street and blaming the unemployed for their lot in life. Cain said that the Wall Street protesters are “directing their anger at the wrong place.” And he is talking to a crowd of schmucks who just cheered Wall Street. Brilliant.

For her “Michele Bachmann Moment,” Michele Bachmann attacked President Obama’s foreign policy by saying “he put us in Libya. He is now putting us in Africa.” Ahem. Libya is in Africa... for those of you who are Michele Bachmann. Repeat after me, Michele—“Libya is in Africa. The battle of Concord was in Massachusetts.” Wait. Maybe you shouldn’t say those together like that, or you’ll start thinking the Battle of Libya was in Massachusetts.

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Occupy Wall Street protesters occupied CNN's Erin Burnett & Co. with chants of "Banks got bailed out! We got sold out!" last night before the debate...