Gingrich plays defense in key GOP debate
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2011/12/live-blog-gop-candidates-debate-in-iowa.html
Newt Gingrich defended himself from attacks on his record, character and rhetoric as six GOP presidential candidates traded jabs in the first of two pivotal debates before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3.
Michele Bachmann, lagging in the polls but needing to make a good showing in Iowa, coined a new term -- "Newt Romney" -- as she criticized Gingrich and Mitt Romney for their similar views on a host of issues, especially health care.
INTERACTIVE: Poll tracker
PHOTOS: Polls impact debate stage
She repeatedly used the phrase when discussing their past support for an individual health care insurance mandate. Such a mandate is central to the national health care law signed by President Obama, which Republicans want to repeal.
In a segment on character and values -- issues important to evangelical voters who play a key role in the Iowa caucuses -- the thrice-married Gingrich again admitted he has made "mistakes" and sought forgiveness from God.
But on an issue that exploded over the weekend, Gingrich did not back away from his remarks that Palestinians are an "invented" people. Romney charged that Gingrich's rhetoric makes it harder for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he seeks peace with the Palestinians.
We live blogged the debate that aired on ABC News. Some highlights are below.
10:47 p.m. ET
In the final segment about people the candidates admire, Bachmann gives credit to Herman Cain, who's not there, for talking to people plainly as he promoted his "9-9-9" economic plan. (She has criticized it in the past, especially the part about a new 9% national sales tax.)
10:44 p.m. ET
Gingrich says Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad, sitting in the audience, is his role model. "Get out of politics for a while. Come back when you're clearly too old, win the governorship decisively, do a great job," he says wryly, perhaps seeing himself a little like Brandstad as he seeks the White House.
Then the former House speaker talks about Santorum's "consistency and courage" on Iran and gives a shout out to Perry for getting him involved on 10th Amendment (states' rights) issues.
10:43 p.m. ET
Romney says each person on stage exhibits qualities of leadership. He also gives credit to Paul for his enthusiastic supporters "that's exciting to watch." Paul looks pleased.
10:42 p.m. ET
We're back from a break and the candidates are saying nice things about each other. Santorum gives credit to Gingrich for helping shape his conservative thinking and for giving him a boost when he was first elected to the U.S. House. Perry says Paul got him thinking about what's wrong with the Federal Reserve.
10:34 p.m. ET
Perry is talking about his plan for a part-time Congress and a balanced budget amendment. He says it will "go a long way to towards stopping a lot of the nonsense we're seeing in Washington."
10:32 p.m. ET
Sawyer asks Paul what government can do to encourage healthy behavior. He says "government shouldn't use force to mold behavior or mold the economy" -- and when it does "they've overstepped the bounds of the Constitution."
10:30 p.m. ET
Gingrich says a Congress that compels you to buy health insurance could compel you to buy anything, which is why he thinks the health care law is unconstitutional.
10:28 p.m. ET
A question from the audience follow along on Yahoo! (The site is a debate co-sponsor.) Stephanopoulos says 70% of the people who have written in on Yahoo! want to hear more about health care and the insurance mandate.
Romney is advocating state solutions, saying it's up to them to find out what works on any issue. He says the Massachusetts health care law was for his state only and states should do what's best for them.
10:26 p.m. ET
The topic is now bank bailouts. Bachmann says she didn't support that $700 billion bailout, and starts to talk about her upbringing. She says she knows what it's like for single mothers to struggle because she watched her mom raise her children after a divorce.
10:24 p.m. ET
Paul says he grew up poor but didn't know it. He says he got through medical school because his wife, Carol, worked. Paul is railing about the elimination of the middle class and the need to address "over borrowing."
Santorum says he grew up with "modest means" but was lucky to do so with a mother and father. He's now talking about the need for strong families and the need to "promote this institution of marriage" to make sure mothers and fathers are there for their children.
10:22 p.m. ET
On the question about personal financial struggles, Romney starts his answer to the question by saying he didn't grow up poor, but he had a dad who did. (Romney's net worth is said to be between $190 million to $250 million.)
He says his parents always made sure he and his brother worked as they were growing up. "I'm in this race not because I grew up without means but because I undersand...the specifics it takes to create jobs," Romney says.
10:20 p.m. ET
We're back from commercial break and a question has been posed about when was the last time you had financial difficulties. Perry talks about his upbringing and his mom making his clothes for him.
10:12 p.m. ET
Perry says the flap over Gingrich's rhetoric on Palestinians is a "minor issue." He tries to refocus the discussion to Obama's foreign policy. "This president is the problem, not something that Newt Gingrich said," Perry concludes.
10:11 p.m. ET
Santorum says you have to speak the truth about the Middle East, but you have to do so with "prudence."
10:09 p.m. ET
Romney is trying to make a contrast with Gingrich and his rhetoric. Romney says he would "exercise sobriety, care, stability and make sure in a setting like this I don't say anything that would harm that process," referring to the quest for Middle East peace. His point is that Gingrich has now made it harder for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make peace with the Palestinians.
"I'm not a bomb thrower rhetorically or literally," Romney says as a contrast to Gingrich.
10:07 p.m. ET
Gingrich says the Obama administration is making life more difficult for Israelis. "This is a propaganda war in which our side refuses to engage and we refuse to tell the truth," Gingrich says about his comment about Palestinians.
10:05 p.m. ET
Romney says it was a "mistake" on Gingrich's part to say the Palestinians are an "invented" people. Romney says it's important to stand with Israel.
"We stand with the Israeli people and link arms with them," Romney says before criticizing Obama and his policies on Israel.
10:04 p.m. ET
Gingrich is explaining his comment that Palestinians are an "invented" people. He is standing by his comment as true and historically accurate.
Among his comments tonight: There is essentially no difference between Hamas and Fatah, two Palestinian factions. "These people are terrorists," he says.
He says it's time someone has "the guts to stand up and say 'enough lying about the Middle East.' "
10:02 p.m. ET
We've moved on to Gingrich's comment that the Palestinians are an "invented" people. Paul says he doesn't believe in that, as he advocates a "non-interventionist" foreign policy. The congressman says "mentioning things that are unnecessary" is what gets us in trouble as he talks about why the United States shouldn't be the policeman of the world.
10:01 p.m. ET
It's Perry's turn to talk about immigration. He says the United States needs to enforce the laws already on the books. Perry slams the Obama administration for suing the state of Arizona over its illegal immigration law, which would require law enforcement to check the legal status of people they pull over or detain.
9:59 p.m. ET
Romney says Gingrich is essentially talking about a "form of amnesty." The right course, he says, is to secure the border. He believes illegal immigrants already in the United States should register that they're in the country, go back to their home countries and began a legal process to come back. Romney says the key measure is "no favoritism for permanent residency or citizenship."
9:56 p.m. ET
The topic is now immigration. Gingrich is talking about his plan to find some way to let illegal immigrants who have been in the country for 25 years and who have ties to a church and have families to get "residency." He says he's not advocating amnesty.
"I do not believe the people of the United States are going to send the police in to rip that kind of person out and ship them out of this country," Gingrich says.
9:54 p.m. ET
Gingrich says character is a real issue. You have to look at the person "whom you're going to loan the presidency." People have to know that they can trust a president, he says.
In his case, Gingrich says, he's made "mistakes" and he's had to "seek reconciliation." Gingrich doesn't come out and specifically mention his past marital infidelity. The ABC camera pans to his third wife, Callista, sitting in the audience as he speaks.
He goes on to say he's also a grandfather.
9:53 p.m. ET
Bachmann is talking about what the Founding Fathers wanted in a president. They wanted to look at the measure of the man (and now woman), she says. "Who are you really? What is your center? What's your core?" she says, talking about her Christian faith.
9:52 p.m. ET
Romney is asked why his first ad in Iowa talks about his family and marriage. He says it was brought on by an ad by allies of President Obama attacking him. Romney then pivots to criticizing Obama on job creation. There's no mention of Gingrich.
9:50 p.m. ET
Gingrich is standing there not really looking pleased as the candidates discuss marital infidelity and character issues. Gingrich has admitted his past marital infidelity, saying he has sought forgiveness.
Santorum says character does matter. "I hear it all the time: Who can we trust," Santorum says, emphasizing he's been married 21 years.
9:48 p.m. ET
Now we're moving to the issue of values, character and, specifically, should marital fidelity matter? It's not stated specifically, but this is where Gingrich's three marriages are going to come into play.
"Not only did I make a vow to my wife, I made a vow to God," he says, adding that such a vow "is stronger than a handshake in Texas."
Perry says "if you cheat on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner."
"It's a characteristic that people will look at," he says.
9:37 p.m. ET
Perry is criticizing Romney about changes in his book and what it says about the health care debate in Massachusetts. Romney has insisted that he did not want the Massachusetts law he signed to be a national model ... and it sounded like he bet Perry $10,000 that the Texas governor is wrong about what his book says.
Perry says he's not a betting man.
9:36 p.m. ET
Gingrich says he wants to make a historical point, noting that in 1993 virtually "every conservative" supported an insurance mandate floated by the Heritage Foundation to "stop Hillarycare in the 1990s." He says that it's clear now that such a mandate is unconstitutional. (The Supreme Court will hear the case about the law signed by Obama next year.)
9:34 p.m. ET
Romney says he never supported a federal mandate on health insurance. Earlier, he had also made the point that he wished Obama had called him when crafting the national law so he could explain what did/didn't work in Massachusetts. Romney has always said that what he did in Massachusetts was a state solution to a state problem.
And speaking of mandates, Romney takes a shot at Perry for mandating an HPV vaccine for young girls in Texas.
9:33 p.m. ET
Perry is saying Bachmann is basically right: Gingrich and Romney are the same when it comes to supporting an individual mandate in health care. (One of his ads now airing in Iowa lumps his two GOP rivals with Obama on the issue.)
"The question is who can look Obama in the eye and say Obamacare is an abomination for the country," says Perry, who says he can.
9:32 p.m. ET
Romney is saying enough with this "Newt Romney" criticism. "I know Newt Gignrich, Newt Gingrich is a friend of mine and he and I are not clones," Romney says, in a play on a famous vice presidential debate retort of Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle. (See: "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" from 1988.)
9:31 p.m. ET
Bachmannn is going back to health care and the insurance mandate. She says Romney and Gingrich are one in the same on the issue -- calling them "Newt Romney" and the GOP nominee has to be a stark difference to Obama.
9:30 p.m. ET
Gingrich says a lot of what Bachmann says about his record and his post-congressional career is not true. "It's important that you be accurate," he scolds, as he said he has done no lobbying and didn't support cap and trade.
9:28 p.m. ET
Now it's Bachmann's turn, as she says Gingrich is the "consummate insider." She contends that she is the most consistent conservative on the stage.
She slams Gingrich for supporting a health insurance mandate. (Gingrich has said he did so in the 1990s only as opposition to what Hillary Rodham Clinton was proposing at the time.)
Bachmann is tieing Gingrich and Romney together on their positions, and coins a new word for their sameness: "NewtRomney."
9:25 p.m.ET
Paul is asked about his scathing campaign ad charging Gingrich with "serial hypocrisy."
Paul says the former House speaker has had different positions on issues, such as his one-time support for an insurance mandate. Now he's going after Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac, for which the former speaker earned millions.
Paul says no one can beat him when it comes to consistent positions.
9:24 p.m.ET
Gingrich is criticizing Romney's idea to eliminate capital gains taxes for those making $200,000 or less. Gingrich says it won't create jobs. Romney says he wants to help the middle class.
They begin to spar about their experiences and who is a career politician.
Now we're going back to the 1994 Senate race in Massachusetts.
"If I would have been able to get in the NFL like I wanted to as a kid I would have spent my life as a football player," Romney responds, as he makes the argument about the need for a president with private-sector experience.
9:22 p.m. ET
Gingrich wants to rebut each of Romney's points, especially Romney's remark about the former speaker being a "career politician."
Gingrich's response to Romney: "The only reason why you're not a career politician is you lost to Ted Kennedy" in 1994 (for a Massachusetts Senate seat.)
Now he's talking about his plan to have kids work while they're in school.
9:20 p.m. ET
We've switched topics: Who is the most conservative on the stage? Stephanopoulos tries to get Romney to go after Gingrich by naming their differences. Romney talks about Gingrich's views child labor laws and eliminating capital gains taxes. The key difference, he says, is their backgrounds and professional experiences. Romney says he knows how to handle the economy.
9:19 p.m. ET
Paul says he'd extend the payroll tax cut, but wants to make sure it's paid for. Among his ideas: bring U.S. troops home from overseas.
9:16 p.m. ET
The topic: Would you extend the payroll tax cut? Bachmann gets the first stab at the question and she blasts Obama for "temporary gimmicks, not permanent solutions."
Romney would extend the tax cut because he says he doesn't want to raise taxes. But he says "this is just a Band-Aid." Romney criticizes Obama: "He thinks being hands-on in the economy is to work on his golf grip."
9: 12 p.m. ET
Rick Santorum says he wants "made in the USA" to be the platform of his administration, so he's touting his plan to boost manufacturing.
9:10 p.m. ET
Michele Bachmann says she wants the "win, win, win" plan after she gives a nod to Cain's 9-9-9 plan. (He's no longer in the race.) She wants to overhaul the tax code and make sure "everyone pays something." Bachmann also takes about cutting regulations and repealing "Obamacare" -- what the GOP calls the national health care law.
9:09 p.m. ET
Perry is up next, promoting his flat-tax plan. Now he's pivoting to his anti-Washington plan. "It's gonna take an outsider coming in," he says.
9:08 p.m. ET
Paul laments "we've dumped the debt" on the American people. He says that it's "time we liquidate the debt," lower taxes and vows to cut spending by $1 trillion in his first year in office.
9:06 p.m. ET
Romney says he understands how jobs are created, and that doesn't happen in government. He's going over seven points, and just slammed China for its trade policies. And "finally a government doesn't take in more money than it spends."
9:04 p.m. ET
Opening question is about jobs.
Gingrich says he's got a clear record and mentions "I worked with Ronald Reagan" and as House speaker he says he worked with Bill Clinton. He says he'll start with lower taxes, which he says is the opposite of President Obama's approach.
Updated 9 p.m. ET
Here we go. ABC is opening with video clips. George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer are moderating. Newt Gingrich is in the center, flanked by Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.
Our original post begins here:
Six GOP presidential candidates debate tonight Des Moines in the first of two critical debates ahead of the Jan. 3 caucuses.
The race to see who'll be the Republican nominee next year has taken many twists and turns, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich has emerged as the leader in national and state polls. He's followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who argues he is the best Republican to take on President Obama.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum will also take the stage at Drake University. Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman did not qualify for the debate and businessman Herman Cain suspended his campaign last week.
We'll be live blogging the debate in this space starting at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the action on your local ABC News affiliate.
Michele Bachmann, lagging in the polls but needing to make a good showing in Iowa, coined a new term -- "Newt Romney" -- as she criticized Gingrich and Mitt Romney for their similar views on a host of issues, especially health care.
INTERACTIVE: Poll tracker
PHOTOS: Polls impact debate stage
She repeatedly used the phrase when discussing their past support for an individual health care insurance mandate. Such a mandate is central to the national health care law signed by President Obama, which Republicans want to repeal.
In a segment on character and values -- issues important to evangelical voters who play a key role in the Iowa caucuses -- the thrice-married Gingrich again admitted he has made "mistakes" and sought forgiveness from God.
But on an issue that exploded over the weekend, Gingrich did not back away from his remarks that Palestinians are an "invented" people. Romney charged that Gingrich's rhetoric makes it harder for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he seeks peace with the Palestinians.
We live blogged the debate that aired on ABC News. Some highlights are below.
10:47 p.m. ET
In the final segment about people the candidates admire, Bachmann gives credit to Herman Cain, who's not there, for talking to people plainly as he promoted his "9-9-9" economic plan. (She has criticized it in the past, especially the part about a new 9% national sales tax.)
10:44 p.m. ET
Gingrich says Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad, sitting in the audience, is his role model. "Get out of politics for a while. Come back when you're clearly too old, win the governorship decisively, do a great job," he says wryly, perhaps seeing himself a little like Brandstad as he seeks the White House.
Then the former House speaker talks about Santorum's "consistency and courage" on Iran and gives a shout out to Perry for getting him involved on 10th Amendment (states' rights) issues.
10:43 p.m. ET
Romney says each person on stage exhibits qualities of leadership. He also gives credit to Paul for his enthusiastic supporters "that's exciting to watch." Paul looks pleased.
10:42 p.m. ET
We're back from a break and the candidates are saying nice things about each other. Santorum gives credit to Gingrich for helping shape his conservative thinking and for giving him a boost when he was first elected to the U.S. House. Perry says Paul got him thinking about what's wrong with the Federal Reserve.
10:34 p.m. ET
Perry is talking about his plan for a part-time Congress and a balanced budget amendment. He says it will "go a long way to towards stopping a lot of the nonsense we're seeing in Washington."
10:32 p.m. ET
Sawyer asks Paul what government can do to encourage healthy behavior. He says "government shouldn't use force to mold behavior or mold the economy" -- and when it does "they've overstepped the bounds of the Constitution."
10:30 p.m. ET
Gingrich says a Congress that compels you to buy health insurance could compel you to buy anything, which is why he thinks the health care law is unconstitutional.
10:28 p.m. ET
A question from the audience follow along on Yahoo! (The site is a debate co-sponsor.) Stephanopoulos says 70% of the people who have written in on Yahoo! want to hear more about health care and the insurance mandate.
Romney is advocating state solutions, saying it's up to them to find out what works on any issue. He says the Massachusetts health care law was for his state only and states should do what's best for them.
10:26 p.m. ET
The topic is now bank bailouts. Bachmann says she didn't support that $700 billion bailout, and starts to talk about her upbringing. She says she knows what it's like for single mothers to struggle because she watched her mom raise her children after a divorce.
10:24 p.m. ET
Paul says he grew up poor but didn't know it. He says he got through medical school because his wife, Carol, worked. Paul is railing about the elimination of the middle class and the need to address "over borrowing."
Santorum says he grew up with "modest means" but was lucky to do so with a mother and father. He's now talking about the need for strong families and the need to "promote this institution of marriage" to make sure mothers and fathers are there for their children.
10:22 p.m. ET
On the question about personal financial struggles, Romney starts his answer to the question by saying he didn't grow up poor, but he had a dad who did. (Romney's net worth is said to be between $190 million to $250 million.)
He says his parents always made sure he and his brother worked as they were growing up. "I'm in this race not because I grew up without means but because I undersand...the specifics it takes to create jobs," Romney says.
10:20 p.m. ET
We're back from commercial break and a question has been posed about when was the last time you had financial difficulties. Perry talks about his upbringing and his mom making his clothes for him.
10:12 p.m. ET
Perry says the flap over Gingrich's rhetoric on Palestinians is a "minor issue." He tries to refocus the discussion to Obama's foreign policy. "This president is the problem, not something that Newt Gingrich said," Perry concludes.
10:11 p.m. ET
Santorum says you have to speak the truth about the Middle East, but you have to do so with "prudence."
10:09 p.m. ET
Romney is trying to make a contrast with Gingrich and his rhetoric. Romney says he would "exercise sobriety, care, stability and make sure in a setting like this I don't say anything that would harm that process," referring to the quest for Middle East peace. His point is that Gingrich has now made it harder for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make peace with the Palestinians.
"I'm not a bomb thrower rhetorically or literally," Romney says as a contrast to Gingrich.
10:07 p.m. ET
Gingrich says the Obama administration is making life more difficult for Israelis. "This is a propaganda war in which our side refuses to engage and we refuse to tell the truth," Gingrich says about his comment about Palestinians.
10:05 p.m. ET
Romney says it was a "mistake" on Gingrich's part to say the Palestinians are an "invented" people. Romney says it's important to stand with Israel.
"We stand with the Israeli people and link arms with them," Romney says before criticizing Obama and his policies on Israel.
10:04 p.m. ET
Gingrich is explaining his comment that Palestinians are an "invented" people. He is standing by his comment as true and historically accurate.
Among his comments tonight: There is essentially no difference between Hamas and Fatah, two Palestinian factions. "These people are terrorists," he says.
He says it's time someone has "the guts to stand up and say 'enough lying about the Middle East.' "
10:02 p.m. ET
We've moved on to Gingrich's comment that the Palestinians are an "invented" people. Paul says he doesn't believe in that, as he advocates a "non-interventionist" foreign policy. The congressman says "mentioning things that are unnecessary" is what gets us in trouble as he talks about why the United States shouldn't be the policeman of the world.
10:01 p.m. ET
It's Perry's turn to talk about immigration. He says the United States needs to enforce the laws already on the books. Perry slams the Obama administration for suing the state of Arizona over its illegal immigration law, which would require law enforcement to check the legal status of people they pull over or detain.
9:59 p.m. ET
Romney says Gingrich is essentially talking about a "form of amnesty." The right course, he says, is to secure the border. He believes illegal immigrants already in the United States should register that they're in the country, go back to their home countries and began a legal process to come back. Romney says the key measure is "no favoritism for permanent residency or citizenship."
9:56 p.m. ET
The topic is now immigration. Gingrich is talking about his plan to find some way to let illegal immigrants who have been in the country for 25 years and who have ties to a church and have families to get "residency." He says he's not advocating amnesty.
"I do not believe the people of the United States are going to send the police in to rip that kind of person out and ship them out of this country," Gingrich says.
9:54 p.m. ET
Gingrich says character is a real issue. You have to look at the person "whom you're going to loan the presidency." People have to know that they can trust a president, he says.
In his case, Gingrich says, he's made "mistakes" and he's had to "seek reconciliation." Gingrich doesn't come out and specifically mention his past marital infidelity. The ABC camera pans to his third wife, Callista, sitting in the audience as he speaks.
He goes on to say he's also a grandfather.
9:53 p.m. ET
Bachmann is talking about what the Founding Fathers wanted in a president. They wanted to look at the measure of the man (and now woman), she says. "Who are you really? What is your center? What's your core?" she says, talking about her Christian faith.
9:52 p.m. ET
Romney is asked why his first ad in Iowa talks about his family and marriage. He says it was brought on by an ad by allies of President Obama attacking him. Romney then pivots to criticizing Obama on job creation. There's no mention of Gingrich.
9:50 p.m. ET
Gingrich is standing there not really looking pleased as the candidates discuss marital infidelity and character issues. Gingrich has admitted his past marital infidelity, saying he has sought forgiveness.
Santorum says character does matter. "I hear it all the time: Who can we trust," Santorum says, emphasizing he's been married 21 years.
9:48 p.m. ET
Now we're moving to the issue of values, character and, specifically, should marital fidelity matter? It's not stated specifically, but this is where Gingrich's three marriages are going to come into play.
"Not only did I make a vow to my wife, I made a vow to God," he says, adding that such a vow "is stronger than a handshake in Texas."
Perry says "if you cheat on your wife, you'll cheat on your business partner."
"It's a characteristic that people will look at," he says.
9:37 p.m. ET
Perry is criticizing Romney about changes in his book and what it says about the health care debate in Massachusetts. Romney has insisted that he did not want the Massachusetts law he signed to be a national model ... and it sounded like he bet Perry $10,000 that the Texas governor is wrong about what his book says.
Perry says he's not a betting man.
9:36 p.m. ET
Gingrich says he wants to make a historical point, noting that in 1993 virtually "every conservative" supported an insurance mandate floated by the Heritage Foundation to "stop Hillarycare in the 1990s." He says that it's clear now that such a mandate is unconstitutional. (The Supreme Court will hear the case about the law signed by Obama next year.)
9:34 p.m. ET
Romney says he never supported a federal mandate on health insurance. Earlier, he had also made the point that he wished Obama had called him when crafting the national law so he could explain what did/didn't work in Massachusetts. Romney has always said that what he did in Massachusetts was a state solution to a state problem.
And speaking of mandates, Romney takes a shot at Perry for mandating an HPV vaccine for young girls in Texas.
9:33 p.m. ET
Perry is saying Bachmann is basically right: Gingrich and Romney are the same when it comes to supporting an individual mandate in health care. (One of his ads now airing in Iowa lumps his two GOP rivals with Obama on the issue.)
"The question is who can look Obama in the eye and say Obamacare is an abomination for the country," says Perry, who says he can.
9:32 p.m. ET
Romney is saying enough with this "Newt Romney" criticism. "I know Newt Gignrich, Newt Gingrich is a friend of mine and he and I are not clones," Romney says, in a play on a famous vice presidential debate retort of Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle. (See: "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" from 1988.)
9:31 p.m. ET
Bachmannn is going back to health care and the insurance mandate. She says Romney and Gingrich are one in the same on the issue -- calling them "Newt Romney" and the GOP nominee has to be a stark difference to Obama.
9:30 p.m. ET
Gingrich says a lot of what Bachmann says about his record and his post-congressional career is not true. "It's important that you be accurate," he scolds, as he said he has done no lobbying and didn't support cap and trade.
9:28 p.m. ET
Now it's Bachmann's turn, as she says Gingrich is the "consummate insider." She contends that she is the most consistent conservative on the stage.
She slams Gingrich for supporting a health insurance mandate. (Gingrich has said he did so in the 1990s only as opposition to what Hillary Rodham Clinton was proposing at the time.)
Bachmann is tieing Gingrich and Romney together on their positions, and coins a new word for their sameness: "NewtRomney."
9:25 p.m.ET
Paul is asked about his scathing campaign ad charging Gingrich with "serial hypocrisy."
Paul says the former House speaker has had different positions on issues, such as his one-time support for an insurance mandate. Now he's going after Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac, for which the former speaker earned millions.
Paul says no one can beat him when it comes to consistent positions.
9:24 p.m.ET
Gingrich is criticizing Romney's idea to eliminate capital gains taxes for those making $200,000 or less. Gingrich says it won't create jobs. Romney says he wants to help the middle class.
They begin to spar about their experiences and who is a career politician.
Now we're going back to the 1994 Senate race in Massachusetts.
"If I would have been able to get in the NFL like I wanted to as a kid I would have spent my life as a football player," Romney responds, as he makes the argument about the need for a president with private-sector experience.
9:22 p.m. ET
Gingrich wants to rebut each of Romney's points, especially Romney's remark about the former speaker being a "career politician."
Gingrich's response to Romney: "The only reason why you're not a career politician is you lost to Ted Kennedy" in 1994 (for a Massachusetts Senate seat.)
Now he's talking about his plan to have kids work while they're in school.
9:20 p.m. ET
We've switched topics: Who is the most conservative on the stage? Stephanopoulos tries to get Romney to go after Gingrich by naming their differences. Romney talks about Gingrich's views child labor laws and eliminating capital gains taxes. The key difference, he says, is their backgrounds and professional experiences. Romney says he knows how to handle the economy.
9:19 p.m. ET
Paul says he'd extend the payroll tax cut, but wants to make sure it's paid for. Among his ideas: bring U.S. troops home from overseas.
9:16 p.m. ET
The topic: Would you extend the payroll tax cut? Bachmann gets the first stab at the question and she blasts Obama for "temporary gimmicks, not permanent solutions."
Romney would extend the tax cut because he says he doesn't want to raise taxes. But he says "this is just a Band-Aid." Romney criticizes Obama: "He thinks being hands-on in the economy is to work on his golf grip."
9: 12 p.m. ET
Rick Santorum says he wants "made in the USA" to be the platform of his administration, so he's touting his plan to boost manufacturing.
9:10 p.m. ET
Michele Bachmann says she wants the "win, win, win" plan after she gives a nod to Cain's 9-9-9 plan. (He's no longer in the race.) She wants to overhaul the tax code and make sure "everyone pays something." Bachmann also takes about cutting regulations and repealing "Obamacare" -- what the GOP calls the national health care law.
9:09 p.m. ET
Perry is up next, promoting his flat-tax plan. Now he's pivoting to his anti-Washington plan. "It's gonna take an outsider coming in," he says.
9:08 p.m. ET
Paul laments "we've dumped the debt" on the American people. He says that it's "time we liquidate the debt," lower taxes and vows to cut spending by $1 trillion in his first year in office.
9:06 p.m. ET
Romney says he understands how jobs are created, and that doesn't happen in government. He's going over seven points, and just slammed China for its trade policies. And "finally a government doesn't take in more money than it spends."
9:04 p.m. ET
Opening question is about jobs.
Gingrich says he's got a clear record and mentions "I worked with Ronald Reagan" and as House speaker he says he worked with Bill Clinton. He says he'll start with lower taxes, which he says is the opposite of President Obama's approach.
Updated 9 p.m. ET
Here we go. ABC is opening with video clips. George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer are moderating. Newt Gingrich is in the center, flanked by Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.
Our original post begins here:
Six GOP presidential candidates debate tonight Des Moines in the first of two critical debates ahead of the Jan. 3 caucuses.
The race to see who'll be the Republican nominee next year has taken many twists and turns, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich has emerged as the leader in national and state polls. He's followed by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who argues he is the best Republican to take on President Obama.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum will also take the stage at Drake University. Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman did not qualify for the debate and businessman Herman Cain suspended his campaign last week.
We'll be live blogging the debate in this space starting at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the action on your local ABC News affiliate.
