Before I get into the meat and potatoes of the debate experience I want to share this with you from the Detroit News:

Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden and Bill Richardson are withdrawing from Michigan's Jan. 15 primary ballot, dealing a blow to this state's hopes of having Michigan's issues heard in both sides of the 2008 race.

Obama, Edwards and Richardson asked the Michigan Secretary of State to take their names off the ballot, and Biden's campaign said today he would do the same. They are pulling out because Michigan, like Florida, has violated national Democratic Party rules by moving up its primary date in a challenge to the traditional monopoly on early voting held by Iowa and New Hampshire.

"It's a huge mistake for those candidates and the Democratic Party," said David Dulio, a political scientist at Oakland University.

This is the BEST news I heard all day. This is called the chickens coming home to roost. The Michigan Democrats raise my taxes and therefore your candidates withdraw from Michigan. God does not like ugly. Raising my taxes were ugly and sick.

Anyway, this was the BEST GOP debate I have seen so far. Far better than that Democratic debate I went to at the Fox Theater in 2003.

Fred Thompson made his debut in this debate but he was so dry on his responses that I really did not pay too much attention. We do not need a lackluster performance, hell we have a lackluster Governor who wants to keep us poor in the urban community by raising my income taxes.

Thompson did say that while the economy is strong, the government is "spending money of future generations and those yet to be born." I thought he was talking to Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Speaking of taxes, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney took jabs at each other on the issue of taxes. While Giuliani believe in tax cuts (and he cut taxes 23 times while mayor of New York) he accused Romney of increasing taxes while he Governor of Massachusetts. Romney denied the claim.

Again, where was these people when Granholm raised my taxes while Michigan has a 7.4% unemployment rate? Perhaps Giuliani could give Granholm a course on Tax Cuts 101.

Most of the candidates agreed that spending must be controlled. Ok, can ANYONE tell that to my Democratic colleagues? Perhaps they feel I am making $150,000 a year to afford additional increases in taxes.

While the debate was spirited and Ron Paul's comical comments (except the part of Authorizing Congress for a Declaration of War..come on guys Civics 101) I STILL have a problem with the GOP candidates ignoring the critical issue of education and creating 21st century urban engines to help revitalize Michigan. Education and urban planning are not Democratic agendas. They are conservative agendas (regardless of what political affiliation you belong to).

I heard the GOP candidates talk about Iraq, Bio-Fuels (not interstate travelling by fuel cell technology..they are still stuck on ethanol), ANWR (oil drilling), the Constitution, and taxes. Not one discussed education. When asked the #1 threat to the economy only Rudy Giuliani said education (5 minutes before the debate ended). No other candidate discussed education and other than Duncan Hunter I have NOT HEARD the candidates positions on educational choice or options. I am not jumping on ANYONE campaign until I hear their extended views on education, how it relates to family and the economy.

The other issue (that I KNOW I will have to die first and then come back to life) is how to transform our urban centers. Again, only Rudy Giuliani have discussed this (due to the fact he was Mayor of New York). Other GOP candidates have not discussed the revitalization of urban centers in their debates. Giuliani, who is running 9/11 in the ground, talk tough but is soft as 1-ply toilet tissue when it comes to moral values.

The second tier candidates (Huckabee, Hunter, Brownback, and Tancredo) impressed me with Congressman Tancredo leading this pack in my book. The paleo-conservative from Colorado stood his ground on protecting our borders by promoting stricter illegal immigration laws. I just have to make sure that he does not alienate my Jamaican and Nigerian sisters in the process..LOL. The only disagreement I have with Tancredo is the fact that he would not support the candidate who is nominated. Ron Paul said the same thing. When Hillary Clinton gets the nomination every single Republican needs to be on board.

Gov Huckabee, from my understanding, already have a following of some African Americans (who are Democrats...conservative Democrats) who would like to see him get the nomination over the top-tier candidates. Someone needs to find out what his formula is so we can toe to toe in the urban community.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are running away in terms of offering bigger government services to the inner city. Of course this is not the answer and in the short and long run it will keep African Americans and Hispanics enslaved on socialist policies that will keep us dependent on welfare breastmilk. Until these GOP candidates come up with a urban policy and plan (as well as not ducking debates in predominately African American events) the Democrats will once again win the urban areas with their piss poor polices of raising my taxes to keep our community poor.

While I thought the candidates did a fair job in articulating the issues if they are serious about winning the general election in 2008 then I highly recommend that they have an serious urban plan and a serious educational agenda. The educational agenda should include expansion of options on a federal level. Gone are the days of ducking the Black community or the Hispanic community. We are tired of liberal policies in our community and it has gotten so worse that liberal policies are anti-family policies as well as anti-educational option policies.

So, if Team Romney, Team McCain or whoever want me to help them on their journey they need to show our community real talk and not relay someone from the camp to come and talk to me about Mitt's urban agenda or John's urban agenda. Our community need real solutions for real problems. And to set the record straight, I have NOT endorsed any GOP candidate for President. They have to talk family values through educational choices to promote wealth creation to get my full endorsement.

Kudos to the Michigan Republicans for putting this event on in Dearborn, Michigan. Job well done.