Romney: I'll Release Taxes ... in April

Cain needs more substance; Perry just needs a better performance: Politico

(NEWSER) - Tonight’s GOP debate—the last one for three weeks—is one of the few remaining chances for the Republican presidential candidates to change the opinions (for better or worse) of millions of TV viewers before Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucuses . With that in mind, Maggie Haberman offers some advice to the candidates, via Politico :

• Hermain Cain: He’s sitting pretty right now, but he needs to prove he deserves to be on top. Cain doesn't exactly hit the ball out of the park when discussing his 9-9-9 plan , but "given his foreign policy weaknesses and his inability to correctly identify a 'neocon' to [David] Gregory, he may want to avoid talking about anything other than '9-9-9.'"
• Rick Perry: He needs to stop giving canned answers, and keep Mitt Romney from turning all of his attacks back on him. But mostly, “he needs to avoid seeming like the Rick Perry of the last four debates, and more like the confident version who took the stage for the first half-hour at the Reagan Presidential Library face-off.”

What to watch for in tonight's GOP debate

(NEWSER) - The Republican presidential candidates head back to New Hampshire tonight for the Granite State's second debate of the year. What to watch for, courtesy of Politico , the Washington Post , and Reuters :

• It's now or never for Rick Perry: Following a series of disappointing debate performances, time is running short for the Texas governor to prove himself to donors and voters. He's pumped up his practice routine and is getting more sleep, but some are still worried he's not doing enough to prepare.
• Herman Cain steps into the spotlight: Now that he's second place in the polls, Cain finds himself on center stage—literally. He'll stand next to Mitt Romney, bumping Perry one space to the left, and he'll be expected to turn in a top-tier debate performance to match his standing. Expect to see more attacks from the others on stage, particularly Rick Santorum and possibly Perry.

SC governor says he's not part of Washington chaos

(NEWSER) - Another big endorsement for Mitt Romney, this one a bit more impressive than Christine O’Donnell : Nikki Haley announced her endorsement this morning on Fox and Friends. The South Carolina governor is one of the most coveted endorsements remaining, Politico notes. “When I look at the focus of what every family cares about, it’s jobs, the economy and spending. And what I want is someone who is not a part of the chaos that is Washington,” Haley said. More»

He doesn't want to get in Mitt's way in SC, officials explain

(NEWSER) - Jon Huntsman will officially drop out of the presidential race and endorse Mitt Romney at 11am today in South Carolina—but why? Just last Tuesday, Huntsman was suggesting that Romney was "pretty much unelectable" after his statement about liking to fire people . Politico explains:

• Huntsman "didn’t want to stand in the way of the candidate most likely to beat Barack Obama and turn the economy around," says one campaign official. "That’s Mitt Romney." And Huntsman's handful of South Carolina voters will likely switch to Romney—even a small number of extra votes could help Romney clinch the win—which is why Huntsman, who wants to be seen as a team player since Romney will likely be the nominee, will exit now rather than after the South Carolina primary.
• Huntsman also saw a better chance to control the coverage of his exit by getting out now. If he waited until after the primary, his withdrawal could be overshadowed by Rick Perry's anticipated departure. By leaving now, Huntsman departs on the high note of his New Hampshire third-place finish, which came after a surge in the polls.

Newt Gingrich falls to third with 18%

(NEWSER) - Just a month ago, Newt Gingrich had a huge lead in South Carolina, and two months ago Rick Santorum was languishing at 1%. Times, they have a'changed. Santorum has vaulted into second with 24% of the vote in the latest Rasmussen poll , just behind Mitt Romney's 27%. Gingrich has fallen to third with 18%, followed by Ron Paul with 11%. Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman are in the single digits with 5% and 2% respectively. More»