IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Top Talkers: Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa

 With the Ames straw poll in Iowa just a day, another Republican is jumping into the 2012 presidential race.  A spokesman for Rick Perry says the Texas
Republican presidential candidates from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; businessman Herman Cain; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; former...
Republican presidential candidates from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; businessman Herman Cain; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, pose for a photo before the start of the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011.

 

With the Ames straw poll in Iowa just a day, another Republican is jumping into the 2012 presidential race.  A spokesman for Rick Perry says the Texas Governor will officially announce that he is running for President tomorrow in South Carolina.

It comes after the top 8 declared Republican candidates were in Iowa last night for a debate.  The group was asked if Governor Perry was “outsmarting” them by not participating. Texas Congressman Ron Paul said, “Maybe he’s not up to the challenge.”

According to most polls and political analysts, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is considered the early front-runner in the race and so far the consensus is that Romney's performance last night didn’t change his status.  However, the Governor was questioned for staying out of the debt ceiling debate until it was nearly over.  When asked whether he would have vetoed the bill, Romney said, I'm not going to eat Barack Obama's dog food, all right? What he served up was not what I would have done if I'd have been President of the United States.”

At one point, the candidates were all asked if they would walk away from a deal that cut spending in a 10-1 ratio with tax increases.  Everyone on stage raised their hands, unanimously saying “no” to any deal that raises taxes.  Soon after, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had some tough criticism on the latest deficit reduction plan.  Gingrich said, “I think this super committee is about as dumb an idea as Washington has come up with in my lifetime.  The idea that 523 congressmen and senators are going to sit around for 4 months while 12 brilliant people picked for political reasons are going to sit in some room and brilliantly come up with a trillion dollars or force us to choose between gutting our military and accepting a tax increase is irrational.  They're going to come in just before Thanksgiving and say, we can shoot you in the head or cut off your right leg...which do you prefer?”