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Gingrich 'everyone's buddy'; Romney, Perry not so tight

(NEWSER) - We’ve seen them battle on camera—but how do the Republican candidates relate to each other behind the scenes? The candidates’ complex network of relationships is the stuff of TV drama, a New York Times piece suggests: They range from buddy-buddy to all-out “frenemies.” Having worked together as governors, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman seem to be the closest pair, palling around during debate commercial breaks, writes Ashley Parker. Newt Gingrich is “everyone’s buddy,” but is particularly close to Herman Cain. More»

Republicans debate national security

(NEWSER) - The Republican candidates were back at it tonight, this time in Washington and this time with a focus on national security. (Click to read about Mitt Romney's first-name moment .) Some highlights:

• Newt Gingrich: Strongly backed the Patriot Act. "All of us will be in danger for the rest of our lives," he said, and the government needs tools to protect Americans. He also argued that the US could "break Iran within a year" in part by sabotaging its refineries, reports AP . An outright attack should be a last resort, he added.
• Immigration: Big fight coming? Gingrich favored allowing some immigrants to stay, reports the Los Angeles Times . “I don’t believe that the party that says it's the party of the family is going to say it’s going to destroy families that have been here for more than a quarter of a century,” he said. “I'm prepared to take the heat in saying: Let's be humane in enforcing the law." His view caught immediate flak from Romney and Bachmann, notes Politico .
• Ron Paul: Called the Patriot Act "unpatriotic because it undermines our liberties" and would create a police state. "You might prevent a crime. But the crime then will be against the American people." On Israel, he broke with the pack, notes the New York Times blog : "I think they are quite capable of taking care of themselves." And the drug war is "another war we ought to cancel."

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."

They're contributing millions to candidates that aren't Romney

(NEWSER) - If you can't believe how many Republican presidential candidates are still in the race and you fear the possibility of a drawn-out primary that leads to a lower chance of unseating President Obama ... blame these guys. Politico reports on the three billionaires who are contributing millions to groups attacking Mitt Romney or backing non-Romney candidates:

• Sheldon Adelson: This Las Vegas casino mogul gave $5 million to a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich; he may give even more. The PAC is spending millions to run anti-Romney ads in South Carolina. Adelson, who has known Gingrich since the 1990s, has attributed his support to "loyalty."