By Rachel Kapochunas, CQ Staff

The most striking thing about Wednesday’s Des Moines Register Republican presidential debate - the last before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 ‑ was the inclusion of Alan Keyes, whose powerful and sometimes astringent conservative rhetoric has drawn him attention but very few votes in a series of campaigns for President and U.S. Senate (Illinois and Maryland). He has not been included in any major national debate until today.

The questions were based on one of “The Iowa Polls” conducted by the newspaper, which asked respondents to identify the most important topics under-addressed in the presidential race. “Iowans say they know where the candidates are coming from” on issues such as Iraq and immigration, moderator Carolyn Washburn, editor at the Register, stated at the start of the debate. Tax policy, conservatism and trade were some of the major issues discussed. She noted that two weeks prior to the debate, 60 percent of Iowa Republicans said “they could still be persuaded to support another candidate.”

But with a total of nine Republicans participating in the 90-minute debate, candidate responses were limited. In attendance were: Rudy Giuliani ; Mike Huckabee ; Duncan Hunter ; Alan Keyes; John McCain ; Ron Paul ; Mitt Romney ; Tom Tancredo ; and Fred Thompson .

As a frontrunner in Iowa, Romney endured hits from his competitors, as did Huckabee, who recently experienced a surge in both national and Iowa polls.

In addition to questions, the debate also provided time for one 30-second speech from each candidate.

Here are CQ Politics’ Mosts and Bests:

• Most discussed issue: The economy.

On the relationship between economic and national security:

Paul said that the country’s economic situation is “absolutely” a threat to national security. “We’re in the midst of currency crisis... If we’re going to spend money, we ought to spend it at home. And that is why we have to change this foreign policy. We can’t afford it, to do what we’re doing today, because it will destroy our dollar.”

Huckabee said that the country’s economic freedom dictates other freedoms. “When we start outsourcing everything and we’re in that kind of a trade deficit, then just remember who feeds us, who fuels us, and who helps us to fight; that’s to whom we are enslaved,” Huckabee said.

On who bears the biggest tax burden:

Romney, who is wealthy, said: “I don’t stay awake at night worrying about the taxes that rich people are paying, to tell you the truth. I’m concerned about the taxes that middle class families are paying. They’re under a lot of pressure.”

On trade:

McCain said that America should make certain that every nation “respects human rights” but added that he would open trade markets as president and specifically help Iowans reap the benefits.

“I will open every market in the world to Iowa’s agricultural products. I’m the biggest free marketer and free trader that you will ever see. And I will also eliminate subsidies on ethanol and other agricultural products.”

Giuliani said he had reservations about the NAFTA trade agreement, but came around to realize it was beneficial to America. “America should think about free trade, global economy as something we want to embrace. This is what we’ve always wanted,” Giuliani said. He added, “We’re big dreamers here in this country. We’ve got plenty we can sell all over the world that’ll make up for what we’re buying.”

• Most complaints: Timing. During the debate, several candidates criticized the format, arguing that 15 seconds, 30 seconds or one minute were insufficient amounts of response time to complex questions.

At one point, Romney tried to clarify how much time was allotted, adding that “the time’s going pretty quick here.”

After waiting for the audience to finish laughing at a dig he made, Tancredo protested that his time was taken up. “Laughter does not count” towards the time limit, he said.

• Best rebellion: When candidates were asked to raised their hands to indicate their agreement that global warming is a “serious threat” and is caused by human activity, several refused to participate, protesting that a show of hands over-simplified a complex issue. This derailed the host and the discussion on global warming.

Thompson lead the pack, asking: “You want to give me a minute to answer that?” to which Washburn responded, “No, I don’t.”

“Well, then I’m not going to answer it,” Thompson stated to audience applause.

McCain and Giulani did choose to respond to Washburn’s question. McCain suggested that it will only benefit the country to err on the side of caution. “I know that climate change is real,” said McCain. “But let me put it to you this way: Suppose that climate change is not real and all we do is adopt green technologies, which our economy and our technology is perfectly capable of. Then all we’ve done is given our kids a cleaner world.”

Giuliani agreed with McCain’s statement, adding that energy independence is the best way to deal with the problem of global warming.

Keyes used the opportunity to criticize the moderator.

Washburn then modified the climate change question and posed it to additional candidates.

• Best dig: Thompson aimed squarely at Romney during a discussion on what segments of the population are bearing the most tax burden.

“My goal is to get into Mitt Romney ’s situation, where I don’t have to worry about taxes anymore,” Thompson said. Romney is the wealthiest presidential candidate in either party.

• Most personal question: Washburn asked Giuliani if he would promise to run an open White House in light of recent news that his administration in New York City allegedly handled his security expenses in a way that obscured public disclosure. Giuliani got testy.

“I’m used to being analyzed. I haven’t had a perfect life. I wish I had. And I do the best that I can to learn from my mistakes,” he said. “But as far as open, transparent government, I think I’ve had both a open, transparent government and an open, transparent life.”

While he was mayor, Giuliani’s public affair with his current wife Judith caused a scandal in New York. He was married to Donna Hanover at the time.

• Best offense-as-defense: Keyes railed against the debate hosts, his competitors and even took a shot at American voters. Keyes reported raising less than $70,000 in his Sept. 30 Federal Election Commission (FEC) report and has not been included in many national polls.

Keyes said his GOP competitors “represent the very elite who year, after year, after year, have destroyed our Constitution, betrayed our rights and undermined our strength created by our people in the world.” During the debate he encouraged viewers to “stop listening to these phonies and start looking for people who will actually fulfill the words that they speak.”

He believed he was not being given enough time to speak during the debate and at one point, interrupted “Do I have to raise my hand to get a question?” He later told Washburn “your unfairness is now becoming so apparent that the voters in Iowa must understand there’s a reason for it.”

• Most asked question by the viewers to themselves: Why was Alan Keyes invited?

According to the Des Moines Register, Keyes met the criteria for Wednesday’s debate, which were:

1. Candidates must have filed an FEC Form F-2 “Statement of Candidacy” with the Federal Election Commission, and

2. Candidates must have publicly announced an intention to run for the nomination of the Republican or the Democratic Party for President of the United States, and

3. Candidates must have had a campaign office inside the State of Iowa as of October 1, 2007, and

4. Candidates must have employed at least one paid campaign staff representative to perform full-time campaign duties in the State of Iowa on behalf of the candidate since at least October 1, 2007, and

5. Candidates must have had at least a 1% support showing in the Des Moines Register’s October, 2007 Iowa Poll.

Keyes received 2 percent in that poll, but did not receive any percentage in the paper’s November poll.

• Most likely-to-be asked audience question during tomorrow’s Democratic debate at 2 pm ET: Why wasn’t Dennis Kucinich included?

According to the Register, because the Kucinich office is located in someone’s home and not in a separate space, he did not meet the criteria to be included.