Essential Politics: Debate perspectives from every angle

I’m Christina Bellantoni, the Essential Politics host today. Let’s get started.

They came, they debated, they moved on to the next one. The Los Angeles Times was all over every angle.

Catch up quickly by reviewing our moment-by-moment live blog, seeing which candidate got the most speaking time, learning how the candidates feel about increasing the minimum wage or read our highlights of the evening by Noah Bierman.

And here are Evan Halper’s takeaways from the undercard debate.

Cathleen Decker offers her analysis of a main forum that she says "gave renewed life to candidates struggling to find their footing" — you can read it all here — and appeared on camera with Seema Mehta for a video recap posted here.

I am pretty sure I have watched every presidential primary debate for at least the last decade. But last night, instead of settling in for every jab and memorable moment, I was a guest at a beautiful wedding of dear friends in the nation’s capital.

I got to a television just as the debate was ending, and I decided to try a little experiment. I would tune in to each of the major cable networks for five minutes each to learn their takeaways. It could make for an interesting entertainment column, the differences in style and substance.

Bill O’Reilly was interviewing Charles Krauthammer on Fox News for a subdued review that scolded former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for not delivering. CNN’s Anderson Cooper had an eight-person panel that seemed to think Sen. Ted Cruz had a good evening, though over on MSNBC former RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Chris Matthews were making fun of Cruz for promising to eliminate the Department of Commerce — twice.

The one thing about which pundits on all three networks seemed to agree: Donald Trump complaining that Carly Fiorina was "interrupting everybody" was the soundbite of the evening.

Watch the moment here.

The GOP candidates meet again Dec. 15. The Democrats running for president debate for a second time Saturday. We’ll be there.

SCHIFF RAILS ON BENGHAZI PANEL

Christine Mai-Duc reports that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) had some strong words about the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Monday night.

"I always forget that I’m on the Benghazi committee, which seems odd, but it just doesn’t seem like a real committee to me," Schiff said at a forum at the Los Angeles LGBT Center in West Hollywood.

Though he initially discouraged Democrats from participating in the committee, which he called a "complete abuse of the congressional investigative power," Schiff said he’s "glad that we were in the room … because we have been able to point out the abuses and misrepresentations by the committee."

Seizing on comments from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) connecting the Benghazi hearings with Hillary Rodham Clinton’s poll numbers, Schiff said McCarthy, as then-Speaker John Boehner’s No. 2, was "in the best position to know" why the former speaker changed his mind and decided to form the committee.

"Quite apart from what people have said, if you look at the actions of the committee, and their singular focus on Secretary Clinton, it really is completely discrediting of the enterprise," Schiff said.

Read more about Schiff’s role on the panel here.

FEMINISTS GO AFTER WESTLY

Feminist leaders Gloria Steinem and Eve Ensler on Tuesday asked former state controller Steve Westly to cancel his plans for a 2018 gubernatorial run. They wrote in the letter they were disturbed by a September report in the Wall Street Journal they said revealed he helped "protect a violent domestic violence abuser from facing judgment."

"Let us be perfectly clear — your work defending this violent abuser in order to personally profit disqualifies you from any public office," Steinem and Ensler wrote. "Your actions are unforgivable and we will not sit idly by while you campaign as a Democrat. If you choose to run, we will make sure voters know the facts. We ask that you reconsider your plans to run for governor."

Patrick McGreevy has the details, and the response from Westly.

'SNL' ACTOR TURNED IOWA CANDIDATE HITS CALIFORNIA ATM

Gary Kroeger, a "Saturday Night Live" cast member in the early 1980s and onetime host of "The Newlywed Game," is heading to California for a fundraiser hosted by some of his pals in show business.

The Thursday evening soiree at Spiritworks Subterranean Speakeasy in Burbank benefits Kroeger for Congress — his campaign for Iowa’s 1st district. Actors George Hamilton, Alan Ruck of "Spin City" and "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" and Jeffry Stein are listed on the invitation, obtained by the Los Angeles Times’ Jean Merl, along with producer Jeff Mirkin and John Hoke.

An online version of the invite that appears to be an earlier version also lists "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writer David Fury and producer Alan Zweibel.

The hosts had a little fun with the contribution levels, labeling them: "I knew Gary when" at $2,700, "I’d tell others I know Gary" at $1,000, "Oh yeah, I know Gary" at $500, "Met Gary once" at $250 and "I think I remember him" at $100.

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS JOIN VETERANS DAY MESSAGE

Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) joined other House veterans and military service members in a Veterans Day video talking about their service.

Lieu serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves and previously served in the Air Force. Thompson served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant and platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He received a Purple Heart.

Watch the video.

Other veterans in California’s delegation include Reps. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley), a retired Marine Corp. Colonel; Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), a retired Air Force and Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant; Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), an Army Specialist; Darrell Issa (R-Vista), a retired Army and Army Reserve Captain; and Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), a retired Marine Corp. and Marine Corp. Reserve Major.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

-- So what’s next for losing 2014 gubernatorial nominee Neel Kashkari? Jim Puzzanghera reports that he’s off to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to head up the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Kashkari, the Republican nominee who spent more than $7 million last year in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Gov. Jerry Brown, takes over on Jan. 1.

-- Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer will join Reps. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) and Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and other members of the House and Senate negotiating the final version of the six-year highway bill, Senate leaders announced Tuesday. The group, called a conference committee, has little time to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the infrastructure funding legislation. Current funding expires Nov. 20 and both chambers have the rest of the week off. Here is our primer about the compromise on the table, if you missed it earlier.

-- Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris is not happy about the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on the president’s immigration executive orders.

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