One of the highlights (lowlights?) of Thursday night's Republican debate was the gay soldier, serving in Iraq, who got booed when he asked whether the candidates would circumvent the military's progress in accepting gay and lesbian service members. As seems to be a trend in Republican debates (remember the cheers for executions or letting the uninsured die?), some in the audience just could not contain their distaste. Oddly, none of the candidates said anything on behalf of the soldier, Stephen Hill, of whom Atlantic Wire colleague Ellspeth Reeve pointed out in her live blog, "you can tell he could beat up the whole audience, basically. At the same time!" Rick Santorum fielded the question with something about sexual activity having no place in the military, and said he would reinstate Don't Ask Don't Tell, but from the responses on Twitter and elsewhere in the press, he and the rest of the field all lost the round by not defending Hill. You kind of have to see this kind of thing to believe it, so check out the video clip, below.

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Adam Martin