EDITORIAL: Views from the nation's press

Nov. 12—The Miami Herald on how DeSantis was strong, Haley was sharp, Ramaswamy just loud — and Trump won:

There were few fireworks at Wednesday's Republican debate in Miami. No major flops either (though Vivek Ramaswamy continued to prove he's unfit to be president and, in the famous words of Chris Christie at a previous debate, he sounds more "like ChatGPT.")

Was there a clear winner? With Donald Trump not on stage — and instead holding a rally about 10 miles away in Hialeah — can you truly declare one?

Wednesday was a good night for Ron DeSantis. With only five candidates on stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, he had a chance to talk at length about Israel, gunning down Mexican cartels and other topics.

The question at this point isn't whether DeSantis will surpass Trump in polls that show the former president with a double-digit lead. DeSantis is fighting to be the anti-Trump alternative, and his debate performance, as good as it was, didn't neutralize the main threat for that No. 2 spot: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

If DeSantis' presence on stage has become more polished over the course of three debates, he's also facing a formidable opponent in Haley. Quick on her toes — or, as she boasted, her "five-inch heels" — Haley didn't cede any ground.

Neither did DeSantis when Haley accused him — in a misleading way — of opposing fracking. He defended his stance that he supports it elsewhere in the country, but said, "I don't think it's a good idea to frack in Florida's Everglades" and that many Floridians agree with him. They likely do given that, in 2018, state voters banned offshore drilling.

With the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel as the backdrop, the first part of the debate was devoted to foreign policy. DeSantis landed a good one-liner, saying he would tell Benjamin Netanyahu to "Finish the job" against Hamas. He acknowledged the threat of antisemitism in the United States and said he would cancel the visas of college students who support the terrorist group. He sounded tough, so how hard would it be to denounce neo-Nazi marches that have taken place near Orlando — something he has yet to do?

Foreign policy doesn't usually decide presidential elections, until it does. With the wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine, the world is more dangerous. DeSantis came out strong on Israel, but the topic has been Haley's strength since the first debate. By calling Vladimir Putin a "thug," and defending the need to support Ukraine to deter Russia, she may face resistance from a Republican Party that's skeptical of U.S. involvement in the war, but she makes a strong argument that America is weaker when it sits on the sidelines.

DeSantis' answer on Ukraine, by the way, was a flop. He said he would not send troops to the country, even though that's not under consideration, and deflected by switching to border security.

Meanwhile, at Trump's Hialeah rally, the focus wasn't an unstable world or policy discussions. It was Trump himself, as usual.

Trump took his adoring audience on a gallop down memory lane, reviewing his greatest hits — mean-spirited nicknames, murderous illegal immigrants and all.

The former president touted his Muslim travel ban; name-dropped — "Crooked Joe Biden," "Pencil Neck" Adam Schiff and, of course, "Ron DeSanctimonius;" pledged to "stop the invasion of our Southern border;" and compared illegal immigrants to bloody-thirsty Hannibal Lecter. He promised "the largest deportation operation in American history."

He told his predominantly Hispanic fans that he would protect them from communism on these shores.

Most amazing, as always, were Trump's shameless accusations that the "radical left Democrat communists" are shredding the Constitution and gutting the rule of law. "We are not the ones endangering American democracy," he said. "We are the ones saving it."

This from the man who incited the Jan. 6. Capitol assault on U.S. democracy; faces charges in Georgia that he "unlawfully conspired" to change the 2020 election outcome while participating in a "criminal enterprise;" and vows to use the hammer of the law to rain down retribution on his enemies.

Right, "saving" our democracy.

What would truly reinforce our democracy is a strong Republican alternative to Trump, one that respects our Constitution and democratic processes. But, we're not naive. Given the former president's outsize popularity, it's hard to envision any other candidate's path to primary victory.

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The Las Vegas Review-Journal on how it's only taxpayer money:

Fiscal responsibility has never been a hallmark of the current administration — and President Joe Biden isn't much concerned about changing course. Now the White House stands by as federal bureaucrats let billions in COVID aid go up in flames.

During the pandemic, Congress approved the $500 billion Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Its mission was to provide loans of up to $2 million through the Small Business Administration to help businesses cover non-payroll expenses incurred during shutdowns. The loans — more than 4 million — were to be repaid.

Like many similar COVID initiatives, the EIDL program was infested with fraud. According to Reason magazine, an estimated $136 billion — one-third of the money distributed — was sent to scammers. The statute instructed the SBA to refer all delinquent loans to the Treasury Department, "which has the authority to take steps the SBA cannot, like garnishing wages and foreclosing on property, in order to encourage repayment," Reason reports.

Yet the SBA in April stopped efforts to collect fully 75 percent of the loans — those under $100,000 — on the basis that enforcement costs "would likely be more than the recovery amount" thanks to the extent of the fraud.

Who says crime doesn't pay?

To make matters worse, the SBA's inspector general says that ignoring delinquencies likely violates federal law. It also sets an awful precedent.

"SBA's decision not to pursue all available collection activities for these loans," wrote Inspector General Hannibal "Mike" Ware, "does not hold those who borrowed upon the public trust accountable and could incentivize other COVID-19 EIDL recipients to stop paying on their loans, creating a larger chain of delinquency."

Republicans in the House and Senate have demanded answers. The House Small Business Committee last month opened an investigation into the SBA's decision, while Republicans in the upper chamber have requested records from the agency. "It's completely unacceptable," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told The Washington Post, "that SBA is leaving taxpayers on the hook for $62 billion in EIDL loans."

Unacceptable, yes. Surprising, no. This is the same administration, after all, that sought without congressional authorization to erase up to $10,000 in debt for each student loan borrower. There seems to be few limits when it comes to Mr. Biden giving away taxpayer money.

"The overall losses to taxpayers threaten to reach into the billions of dollars," the Post reported, "compounding the government's fiscal troubles as the deficit rises and interest rates soar."

The president is clearly indifferent to any of that. Republicans should continue to demand the SBA pursue the delinquent loans. It's past time someone showed respect for the taxpayers.