The MSM is The MSM is up in arms over CNN allowing individuals with Democratic ties -- including some with ties to specific campaigns -- to question the Republican candidates at Wednesday night's debate. I definitely got the sense while I was watching that a few confirmed liberals were among the questioners; the gay general, for sure, but also the bespectacled college student asking if women should be penalized for accessing abortion. Turns out the vet is a Hillary Clinton volunteer and the college student is a pro-choice Edwards gal. Sure, it's a little bit crafty that CNN and YouTube chose to allow an involved Clinton supporter to confront the Republicans on live national television without revealing the guy's true motivations. But with greater openness, I have no problem at all with cross-party questioning during primary debates -- in fact, I think it's a great idea. The whole point of the primary process is to choose a candidate from each party who has a good chance of convincing all voters, not just committed partisans, to choose him or her in the general election. So Republicans should have to answer to those Americans who believe it's a travesty that qualified men and women are being driven out of our military during a time of war simply because of their sexual orientation. And Democrats should have to face up to the 30 percent of Americans who still support that war. It's good preparation for the candidates to learn to respond to the worries of voters typically affiliated with the other party. Those exchanges were some of the most revealing of the GOP debate. --Dana Goldstein
