Bachmann, Romney Score as Debate's 'Big Winners'

First 2012 debate for Romney, Bachmann, Gingrich

(NEWSER) - Seven top Republican presidential hopefuls will gather this month for the first New Hampshire 2012 debate. Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum will meet at Saint Anselm College for the face-off, hosted by CNN ’s John King. It's the first debate of the election for Bachmann, Gingrich, and Romney, and it will be held June 13, some eight months before the state’s primary. More»

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»

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."

He fumbles badly; Cain allegations get barely a mention

(NEWSER) - The GOP candidates debated again tonight, with a wonky focus almost exclusively on the economy, reports AP . Despite all the policy talk, though, it's a safe bet that a big story line will be a doozy of a blooper by Rick Perry: He promised to abolish three federal agencies— commerce, education, and ... he couldn't remember the third. "Oops," he said after some awkward fumbling. (Before answering his next question, he said it was energy, but he was already being savaged in the Twittersphere. See the video from Mediaite at left.) As for the Herman Cain allegations, they did come up after about 20 minutes—with the question greeted by audience boos, notes the New York Times .

• Cain: "The American people deserve better than someone being tried in the court of public opinion based on unfounded accusations," he said to applause. "I value my character and my integrity more than anything else."
• Mitt Romney: "Herman Cain is the person to respond to these accusations," he said when asked about it next. "He just did. The people in this room and around the country can make their own determination."

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»