Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, representative Duncan Hunter of California, senator John McCain of Arizona, representative Ron Paul of Texas, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, and Tommy Thompson, former governor of Wisconsin and President George W. Bush's first secretary of Health and Human Services. Mrs. Reagan, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fred Ryan, chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation were among those in attendance. Candidates discussed the Iraq War, the War on Terror, taxes, healthcare, abortion, stem-cell research, gay rights, illegal immigration, and
USS Ronald Reagan the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. In November destroyers assigned to "Ronald Reagan" conducted exercises with the Indian Navy after which the Indian Navy ships and a Japan Self-Defense Force destroyer conducted exercises with "Ronald Reagan". Later in November the vessel conducted drills with two other US aircraft carriers, and . It was the first time in a decade that three US carrier strike groups had operated together in Asia. They were also joined by the Japanese helicopter destroyer "Ise" and the guided missile destroyers "Inazuma" and "Makinami". After working with the Japanese warships the carrier groups conducted drills with seven