From there, the questions covered a range of topics from Medicare to China to the World Trade Organization.

After a chunk of time had passed without any questions about the family farm, Bauer raised the issue, saying he didn't want to leave the state without discussing the farm crisis. At that point many of the candidates praised ethanol as a renewable energy source.

Bush, governor of the state containing the newly crowned smoggiest city in America, Houston, said that ethanol was "good for our air." Keyes noted that "people look at the family farm as if the only thing we get from the family farm is food," whereas the family farm is home to "individuality and a commitment to the community."

But beneath the genial goodwill lurked hunger and even anger, and at times -- especially as the candidates entered phase two when they could question one another -- the presidential hopefuls tweaked one another with pointed remarks.

Bush, beginning a remark by noting that Bauer opposes his position on admitting China into the World Trade Organization, received an interrupting reply from Bauer. Bush responded that he had merely been making the comment rhetorically.

"It's hard to tell with you sometimes, governor," Bauer said.

Soon after, Bauer again went after Bush, trying to get the front-runner to commit to not naming a pro-choice running mate like the most demonized woman of the evening, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, a pro-choice Republican Bauer characterized as waiting by the phone for Bush's call.

But Bush didn't take the bait. Calling it "presumptive" (somebody please get this man a dictionary) for a hopeful to start talking about running mates, the more than occasionally Clintonesque governor side-stepped the issue entirely.

The candidate give-and-take sometimes strayed into lameness -- like when Forbes asked Bauer if he shared his hostility toward the International Monetary Fund, which Bauer did, kind of. Or curiosity, as when Keyes heralded Microsoft and asked Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatch how on earth he could agree with the government's "socialist" lawsuit against the new-media beast.

But the most telling moment came when Bush finally took off the gloves and gingerly took on McCain, acknowledging the strong challenge his candidacy is posing (at least in New Hampshire) and fairly effectively slapping him on the issue of taxes.

"You've been talking a lot about pork in Washington," Bush said, noting that his philosophy is that "if you want to get rid of pork, stop feeding the hog." Recalling the hypothetical low-income single mother who would be helped by his tax cut proposal, and noting that McCain called Bush's proposal "excessive," Bush said that "in reviewing your plan, the single mom gets no tax cut."

In the media room, Bush aides scurried from table to table with figures showing that this "single mother with two kids making $40,000" -- from now on, let's just call her Gladys -- would pay $1,310 in income taxes under President Bush, and $2,810 under President McCain.

Later, McCain noted that he had voted against every single tax increase "including the one offered by [Bush's] father." On stage, however, he blinked. He recovered quickly, however, returning the conversation to the influence of "special interests," and trying to get Bush to commit to refusing party "soft money" if he becomes the nominee -- an agreement he is making with a Democratic presidential aspirant, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, on Thursday.

Bush demurred, saying that McCain's plan would hurt Republicans unless it would include paycheck-protection for union members who don't want their dues going to political activities. Again, McCain's best response to this came later when he noted that "everybody opposed to campaign finance reform says it's because 'you're not doing this,' or 'you're not doing that.' But it's another issue in which Americans should [use to] make a decision" about their choice in candidates."

Other spirited moments made this the best of the three full GOP debates so far. Pressed by McCain as to why he would advocate no military involvement in Chechnya, Keyes noted that McCain wasn't asking him about a far bloodier conflict in Sudan. "I'm not going to suggest that it's because the people dying there are black," Keyes said, completely suggesting that it was because the people dying there are black.

But Keyes' fiery rhetoric offered a moment of levity as well. After Keyes advocated the repeal of the income tax, calling it irrelevant as to whether the tax is imposed by "a nice politician like Mr. Bush or a bad politician like Bill Clinton" -- Bush breathed a sigh of relief that he had been spared.

"At least he called me nice," Bush said.

But it was the stiff, upright Hatch who got off possibly the best line of the evening. Noting that a comment Hatch had made "usually means 'Hold your wallet,'" Forbes was flummoxed when Hatch rejoined "Steve, I couldn't even lift your wallet."

Apparently under the impression that Gov. Whitman is the Antichrist, Forbes tried to tar Bush with her pending endorsement, while Bauer then noted that Forbes once was strongly allied with her.

When the candidates were asked which philosopher or thinker had most influenced them, Forbes offered John Locke, and McCain said Teddy Roosevelt, but Bush said "Christ -- because he changed my heart."

When asked to elaborate for the benefit of non-Christians, Bush said, "If they don't know, it's going to be hard to explain."

Maybe he can't explain Jesus, but after Bush's strong performance Monday night, he probably spent the rest of the night thanking him.

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