The CNN-YouTube debate was held in St. Petersburg, Florida on Wednesday night, and it proved to be a very interesting evening. You can watch clips from the debate at YouTube.

We will post a few of the interesting clips here throughout the day.

After a holiday hiatus, “The Republican Heard”, the weekly e-newsletter from the Connecticut Republican Party, will be out this afternoon, with coverage on a wide range of topics. If you aren’t already signed up to receive “The Republican Heard”, then you won’t be reading about:

• The latest news from the 32nd Senate District as they prepare to nominate a new candidate to fill the vacancy
• The new Citizens Election Program (CEP) and the ramifications of that new system
• Internship opportunities available at CTGOP
• and much more!

Sign up now at our website to begin receiving “The Republican Heard” next week!

With his political opponents attempting to stir up some dust over Senator Cappiello’s work as a loan officer, the Republican challenging Democrat one-termer Chris Murphy announced his support recently for tough new regulations on mortgage officers in the wake of the continuing troubles in subprime lending. The Danbury News-Times covered the story today. Highlights from Cappiello:

“This is not going to solve all the mortgage woes, but it’s definitely a piece of the puzzle,” said Cappiello, who has also worked as a loan officer for the last decade. “Right now, someone could come off the street and work for a mortgage company or bank with little or no experience.”

“It only makes sense that the loan officer they are dealing with has some training and education, so they can convey the right information to the customer,” he said.

-Quotes from State Sen. David Cappiello, as reported in the Danbury News-Times, by Dirk Perrefort, 11/28/2007

CNN & YouTube will host a Presidential debate tonight for the candidates running for the Republican Presidential nomination. We’ve been running ‘Debate Prep’ clips over the last week and we’ll continue to do that in the run up to the debate tonight. Here’s one from Rudy Giuliani:

In the race for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, a host of polling shows a predictably tightening race with several Republican candidates within striking distance of the front. While national polls continue to show strength for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, it is important to remember that national polling data is completely irrelevant when it comes time to choose a Republican nominee, because the primaries are held state-by-state, not nationwide (though February 5th’s Super Tuesday comes close).

Caucus-goers in Iowa will head to their local school, town hall, senior center, or sometimes even private residences to pick a nominee for President on an inevitably cold Iowa night to pick a Presidential nominee. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has held a firm lead in Iowa since the early summer, with RealClearPolitics showing a commanding lead for Governor Romney up until recently. The graph at RCP shows the story of the surging Arkansan Mike Huckabee, who has jumped up into second place as Giuliani, Thompson, and McCain have all either held or given up some of their support. Romney and Huckabee seem primed for a fight to the finish in Iowa. A clear victory for Romney in Iowa could well give him the Big Mo’ necessary to power through the New Hampshire primary on January 8th, likely making Romney the Republican nominee. A narrow victory for Romney will make New Hampshire and South Carolina all the more important. A Huckabee victory in Iowa would give their effort a massive jolt of excitement while simultaneously making Gov. Romney’s journey a much harder slog.

And just four days later, on January 8th, primary voters in New Hampshire will head to the polls to choose their favorite candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination. Equally chilly New Hampshire Republicans and independents who show up on Election Day are welcome to cast their ballots in the Granite State, which has set the scene for a unique political dynamism. They voted for John McCain in 2000, Pat Buchanan in 1996, and are still very much torn on their choice for 2008. RCP has Governor Romney well out in front in New Hampshire, with an average margin of more than 14% over the nearest rival, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Romney’s numbers have been fairly stable in New Hampshire, with a mid-October lull seemingly in his rear view mirror and a coinciding Giuiliani rise apparently on the wane. Gov. Huckabee’s numbers are creeping up in New Hampshire, though without the same yeast that is seen in the Iowa numbers. The much-anticipated candidacy of Fred Thompson seems to have boomed and busted through the past autumn, as his announcement was criticized for flaws, his candidacy pegged as haphazard, and his demeanor seemingly nonchalant about the whole thing.

The sum seems to be a strong position for Governor Romney in the early states, with Mayor Giuliani, and Governor Mike Huckabee poised to present formidible challenges to the Romney candidacy.

Connecticut’s wayward son, senior U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, is spending his free time posing a question to Republican Presidential candidates. Some would argue its the closest he’ll ever come to debating a Republican Presidential candidate. Click here to read Chairman Healy’s post about Senator Dodd.