Top GOP Hopefuls Prep for First Big Debate

Ames debate much feistier than last go-round

(AP) - Eight GOP hopefuls castigated President Obama and each other tonight in a frequently testy debate in Ames, Iowa. Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann were especially hostile to each other early, while Mitt Romney largely avoided any one-on-one battles and focused on the president. Overshadowing the debate: News that Rick Perry, who wasn't a participant, would announce his candidacy this weekend. Some highlights:

• Romney said, "I'm not going to eat Barack Obama's dog food," when asked whether he would have vetoed the debt ceiling legislation. "What he served up is not what I would have as president of the United States."

Rivals seem united at New Hampshire debate

(NEWSER) - Seven rivals for the 2012 Republican nomination took to the stage in New Hampshire for a debate tonight, but their focus was on attacking President Obama, not trying to score points off each other. Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Michele Bachmann—who announced her candidacy during the debate —did little to emphasize their differences, generally passing up opportunities to criticize each other, the Washington Post finds. More»

Texas governor makes his presidential debate debut

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry made his debate debut tonight, and it's clear the new frontrunner is happy to mix it up. He and Mitt Romney went after each other with gusto, notes AP , as evidenced by an early exchange: After Perry criticized Romney's record of creating jobs in Massachusetts, Romney zinged back by saying that Perry taking credit for job growth in Texas is like Al Gore taking credit for the Internet. “Michael Dukakis created jobs three times faster than you did, Mitt,” Perry said. “As a matter of fact,” Romney retorted, “George Bush and his predecessor created jobs at a faster rate than you did, Governor.” Later, Perry called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme," while Romney said, “Our nominee has got to be someone who isn’t committed to abolishing Social Security," notes Politico . More»

Ron Paul finishes second, Pawlenty third; Perry gets 718 write-ins

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry may have cast a big shadow over the Republican field today, but Michele Bachmann had a pretty good day, too: She won the Ames straw poll, with 4,823 votes of the nearly 17,000 cast, reports Politico . Ron Paul finished a close second (4,671), followed by Tim Pawlenty (2,293) in a distant third that doesn't bode well for his campaign. Rick Santorum (1,657) and Herman Cain (1,456) rounded out the top five. Perry got 718 write-in votes just hours after announcing his candidacy in another state and despite not being on the ballot. That's ahead of Mitt Romney (567), Newt Gingrich (385), and Jon Huntsman (69), all of whom were on the ballot but didn't contest. Bringing up the rear: Thaddeus McCotter with 35 votes. More»

Perry doesn't stumble, pokes fun at his previous gaffe

(AP) - Unsparing in their criticism of President Obama, Republican presidential hopefuls also disagreed among themselves tonight on Afghanistan, waterboarding, and Iran. Some debate highlights:

• Mitt Romney: "If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."
• Perry pokes fun: The infamous gaffe came up. Asked about the department of energy, he quipped, "Glad you remembered it," to laughter. When the questioner said he'd had time to think about it, Perry said, "Me, too."