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- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by Alex M. Parker
Romney, Bachmann, Santorum, Paul blast Perry on Social Security, taxes, immigration, vaccines
Even if you hadn't read any polls in the
The debate lived up to its title, with audience members loudly cheering
But although Romney may have failed to set Perry's candidacy back, the wide field of long-shot candidates may yet do that for him. Perry faced arrows from his right over the size of government in Texas, his policies on illegal immigration and a 2007 executive order which required vaccination of schoolgirls for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, the most commonly sexually transmitted infection and a cause of cervical cancer. (Perry repeatedly pointed out that the order included an opt-out clause for parents.) While Romney tried to blast Perry as having little to do with job creation in Texas, Paul likely hurt Perry's chances more by noting that many of the jobs are with the federal government. Paul also blasted Perry for raising taxes during his tenure. "So I would put a little damper on this, but I don't want to offend the governor, because he might raise my taxes or something," the fellow Texan quipped. Paul's claim of increased taxes likely refers to a 2006 tax reform effort which raised some taxes while lowering others, and was attacked at the time by many anti-tax conservatives.
Perry also took a drubbing from Bachmann over the HPV vaccinations. The controversial issue, which touches on issues of sexual politics as well as fears of government intrusion on family life, seemed to fluster Perry more than any other during the debate, especially when Bachmann suggested that the Texas governor only signed the order to aid the drug manufacturer, a Perry contributor who had hired his former chief of staff as a lobbyist. "If you're saying that I can be bought for
Santorum joined Bachmann to blast some of his stances on border security and
illegal immigration, perhaps Perry's biggest vulnerability in the
Perry may have won the debate simply by surviving the onslaught. Once again, he didn't exactly wow Republican observers, but he didn't spook them, either. But while Romney failed to knock down the new front-runner, the current situation may play in his favor. The only path to the nomination for the moderate governor is to see the ultra-conservative
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Rick Perry Faces Heat from GOP Rivals | Politics
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