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November 20, 2011 | | CANDID Things got emotional at the Republican presidential debate Saturday night in Iowa. Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and former pizza executive Herman Cain each fought back tears when speaking about their faith—leading forum moderator Frank Luntz to say he felt “like Dr. Phil.” The sit-down, backed by three conservative Christian organizations, focused on social and moral values. The Daily Beast’s Michael Tomasky writes that this is exactly what the Founding Fathers wanted from a presidential debate—a discussion of civic virtue. Plus, watch video highlights. PRECIOUS The International Criminal Court wants to try Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, but the rebels from the town of Zintan who captured him want him tried inside the country. The information minister of the Libyan transitional government agrees, saying the onetime heir apparent will not be handed over to The Hague. The National Transitional Council will discuss its decision with the ICC's chief prosecutor when he visits Libya on Monday. SURRENDER Maybe the supercommittee isn't so super. Tasked with cutting the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion by this Wednesday's deadline, the panel of 12 lawmakers is expected to admit defeat as soon as Monday. The bipartisan group hasn't been able to agree on anything. The unfinished business will allow automatic budget cuts to kick in, and will likely set up a year-end battle as Congress is expected to fight over whether to cut emergency jobless benefits and extending an expiring payroll tax break. NO DEAL The Arab League's deadline for Syria to end its violent crackdown on protesters has come and gone, and the regime of Bashar al-Assad hasn't exactly backed down. The conflict has now reportedly killed 3,500 people, and although the Arab League has proposed a peace plan that would send a 500-member observer mission to the country to end the conflict, Syria is demanding alterations—such as reducing the observer team to 40. The League has rejected the demands. Meanwhile, rocket-propelled grenades hit the headquarters of the ruling Baath Party in Damascus Sunday, the first time the capital has been confronted with opposition attacks. OCCUPY A day after police were caught on video pepper-spraying what seemed to be peaceful "Occupy" demonstrators sitting on the ground at the campus of the University of California, Davis—officers claimed they were "surrounded" by the protesters—another large crowd of students gathered again, this time to interrupt the university chancellor’s press conference. Chancellor Linda Katehi declined to comment on the pepper-spray incident, and then claimed that she felt threatened and trapped inside her office building. Protesters waited outside, chanting "We are peaceful" and "Just walk home," so after a few hours Katehi left to go to her car—in an eerily silent walk of shame. Katehi said she will address the students on Monday. | | 
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