Bret Baier introduces the candidates in order of popularity: Perry, Romney, Paul, Bachmann, Gingrich, Cain, Santorum, Huntsman, Johnson.
1. How will you help small business hire new employees?
PERRY - lower taxes, deregulate, tort reform, Injury lawyers, stay out off Texas. If it works in Texas, it'll work in DC. Baier: "Where's your jobs plan?" Look what we did in Texas. People understand Texas is special. #1 for relocation five years in a row.
ROMNEY - Baier: "WSJ calls you jobs plan timid". Obama's done everything wrong. It helps to have had a job to create a job. Our tax rates have to be competitive. Govt and regulators have to be allies of business not foes. Crack down on cheaters like China. I have 59 points in my plan. Baier: "What do you consider rich? Half-million?" I want everyone in America to be rich. I want everyone to have opportunities.
Baier tells viewers they can go to foxnews.com and vote on how rich is rich.
BACHMANN - Kelly: "How much of what I earn should I be allowed to keep?" Every dollar. Obama thinks it belongs to him. Obviously we have to give money back to govt to run govt.
2. With unemployment above 9%, would you support a federal right-to-work law?
SANTORUM - Kelly: "22 right-to-work states, 28 union states." We need to focus on public unions. Growing fastest, costs us the most, bankrupts states. They make up their private-sector equivalents. Get rid of public unions. (Applause.)
GINGRICH - Kelly: "Would you extend unemployment benefits?" Unemployment should be tied to training, so you can spend those 99 weeks training, not doing nothing. Let the states experiment with this and not pretend DC knows best.
HUNTSMAN - Wallace: "You subsidized clean energy in Utah. How's that different from Solyndra?" My wife's from here in Orlando. We have tough decisions. We need to fix the economy. We've learned subsidies don't work. Everyone wants to draw from the sun and the wind, but right now that doesn't work. Wallace: "But you'd said you'd subsidize natural gas." I will dance around that answer.
Huntsman's power-yellow tie puts Cain's pale-yellow tie to shame.
CAIN - Wallace: "Let's talk about your 9-9-9 plan." No danger in implementing it. No one answered the small-business question. This ecomony is on life support. Throw out the current tax code. My plan will treat everyone the same. Unlike Romney, mine throws the old code out. That dog won't hunt.
ROMNEY - My intent to help the people most hurt by Obama's ecomony. My plan is geared toward the middle class.
3. How do you plan to restore the 10th Amendment and allow states to govern themselves?
PAUL - The Prez should veto every bill that violates the 10th Amendment. Wallace: "You have more time." Any govt we want is proper at local levels. Let me throw out some libertarian meat.
JOHNSON - Baier: "What makes you a better libertarian candidate than Paul?" I won't presume that, but I have unique experience. I was a handyman. I promise a balanced-budget amendment. I promise to veto any bill where expenditures exceed revenue. I'm the #1 vetoing governor. I'd implement the fair tax.
It's a two-hour debate. It took 20 minutes to get everyone to be able to get in an answer. This is why we need less candidates on the stage, not more.
Here Fox News pats itself on the back for being the most interactive debate ever. The online poll marks $1 million + as "rich" with 44% of the votes. Then Baier refers to a word cloud where "illegal" is the biggest word. Huh?
PERRY - Kelly: "Gov. Romney has been hammering you on Social Security." We have made a solemn oath to those on SS, it will be there. Not the first time Mitt's been wrong (two people clap). In Massachusetts, 96% on that program are off. (?)
ROMNEY - Well, that's different than what's in your book. There's a Rick Perry out there that says SS is unconstitutional. You'd better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that. (Good line.) Let's make SS stable for the next 75 years.
PERRY - Speaking of books, RomneyCare was a bust and that's what ObamaCare was all about. Your hardcover book said Americans need RomneyCare, your paperback took that out.
ROMNEY - We were talking about SS but we can talk health-care. I said no such thing. It was a state plan. It's fine if you want to retreat from your words in your book but I won't retreat from mine. I believe in what I did. Read my book. Kelly: "Bachmann said Obama ushered in socialism. Gingrich when asked if Obama was socialist said 'Sure.' Do you believe Obama is a socialist?" Let me tell you the title I want to assign to Obama. "Former President Barack Obama.' I beleive in America. I believe in opportunity, freedom, free enterprise. I believe the govt is too big or we won't continue to be a free economy. I only spent four years as governor. I didn't inhale. (laughs)
HUNTSMAN - Kelly: "Would you raise taxes on millionaires, as 66% want according to polls?" This is not the time to raise taxes. We need to fix our taxes. WSJ endorsed our plan. Remove all deductions and have three rates of 8-14-23. Reduce corporate taxes to 25%. We need to fix structural problems.
4. If forced to eliminate one department from government, which one would you eliminate?
CAIN - If forced, I'd start with the EPA. (applause.) It's out of control. "The EPA has gone wild." They regulate dust. Now for the rest of my time, I'd like to propose the Chilean model for fixing SS. We're not doing a service to Americans by bantering about what you call SS. Fix it!
GINGRICH - Kelly: "How can you slash spending by 40%?" By the way you describe the question, you can't. We might as well buy Greek bonds and go down together. next week I'm going to outline a 21st century Contract with America. I helped Kemp and Reagan in 1980. (For those who had 'Reagan' in your GOP drinking game, take your first gulp here.) I think it's doable and it takes real leadership.
5. I see teachers more focussed on federal mandates and trying not to get sued than education. What would you do about massive government overreach in the classroom?
JOHNSON - I'll reduce fed spending by 43%. I'll abolish Dept of Education. It gives 11 cents to each states with 16 cents worth of strings attached.
SANTORUM - Dept of Education doesn't serve the customer. It's parents' responsiblity to educate children. That has to change or education will not improve.
GINGRICH - Dramatically shrink Dept. of Education. Adopt pell grants for K-12 so parents could choose public, private or home-school.
PAUL - If you care about education you'll get govt out of educating our kids. We as GOP put in No Child Left Behind. Get rid of it. We should give tax credits to those who opt out.
PERRY - Lot of good ideas here on the side. (I'm in the middle.) Voucher systems. Everyone here but Romney is right on education.
ROMNEY - Nice try. Education needs to be at the local level. The best thing for education is great teachers. School choices. Test the children. As president, I'll stand up to natl teachers union. Baier: "Was Perry wrong on anything?" I'm not sure what he's saying.
BACHMANN - I'm a mom of 5 biological and 23 foster kids. We were concerned about our kids education. I'd repeal entire federal regulation law, I'd turn off the lights in Dept of Education and send all the $$$ back to the states.
CAIN - We must encourage and provide choices in education. Get fed govt out of education.
HUNTSMAN - I signed the second voucher bill in the US. I've actually done something about this.
BACHMANN - Wallace: "Border security?" Enforce laws on the books. Have fence cover every inch of southern border. No tuition breaks for illegals!
6. Do you support legislation requiring employers to use E-Verify? Will you impose penalties against businesses that continue to hire illegal workers.
GINGRICH - Outsource E-Verify to American Express because they know how to run a proram like that w/o massive fraud. I favor 100% control of border, English as offcl language of govt (applause), modernize legal visa system, make it easier and more practical.
ROMNEY - In Texas you get $22,000 tuition credit if you're illegal alien. You have to pay more if you're citizen from another state. That makes no sense. (Applause.) We have to have fence, border patrol, system like E-Verify, crack down on employers who hire illegals, get rid of magnet for illegals.
PERRY - Nobody on this stage has worked more on border security than I have. We have our Texas Ranger recon teams there now. Every day I have Texans on that border. If you say we shouldn't educate illegals, you have no heart. This was a state issue, we only had four dissenting votes when it passed. (Applause, followed by boos.)
SANTORUM - Wallace: "Is Perry soft on illegal immigration?" Nobody up here is suggesting illegals can't go to college. Most people have to pay the full load. Why do we have to subsidize the illegal students? Why give preferential treatment? I'd say he's soft on illegal immigration.
PERRY - Rick, have you ever even been to the border? (yes) To build a 1200-mile wall/border makes no sense. You puts boots on the ground. (does it work in Texas?) When I'm president (answer the question!) I will secure the border.
SANTORUM - Are you going to answer the question? Wallace: "He answered it."
PAUL - Wallace: "Do you know Americans who are ready to flee the US over the economy?" Too much regulation, too weak currency. If you care about your personal liberty, quit blaming illegal aliens for everything. Attack their benefits. No free rides, no birthright citizenship.
Fox News shows some Google trends, the the online poll wants Education cut - 47%
7. As president, how would you address Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. threats to Israel?
ROMNEY - Obama handled this wrong. He went around the world and apologized for America. Obama threw Israel under the bus. If you disagree with an ally, you discuss it in private. Stand behind your friends. Let the entire world know we will defend them. It's unacceptable for Iran to become a nuclear country.
CAIN - Reagan philopsophy of peace through strength. This admin isn't clear how we stand with Israel.
PERRY - Baier: "If you got a call at 3am, and you got a call that the Taliban had seized Pakistan's nuclear weapons, what's your first move?" Before it gets to that point, you need a relationship. Our allies need to understand clearly we'll stand with them. We should be better to India and Taiwan.
SANTORUM - Baier: "If Iraq's govt crumbled, would you support sending troops back?" We shouldn't be out in the first place. We need tens of thousands to make sure it's a smooth transition.
8. When are we going to get someone in the White House to stop sending billions of dollars overseas to countries that hate us?
GINGRICH - Replace virtually all govt-to-govt aid, have incentives instead. When you have countries who vote against you constantly in UN, why are we giving them money?
JOHNSON - Biggest threat to our natl security is we're bankrupt. Balanced-budget amendment. Reduce military spending. Military alliances are key to others picking up slack. Trade promotes friendship. We should revisit Cuba.
BACHMANN - Bret, can I weigh in on this? Cuba is a state sponsor of terror.
HUNTSMAN - I need to respond to Santorum. I'm the only one here with real foreign policy experience. Our core is broken. We're 25% of the world's GDP. The world is better off when the US is strong. It's time to come home from Afghanistan. (Applause.)
SANTORUM - Just because our economy is sick doesn't mean our country is sick or our values are sick. We shouldn't fight wars for politics, and our generals are fighting with one arm tied behidn their back.
HUNTSMAN - Only Pakistan can save Pakistan, only Afghanistan can save Afghanistan, and only America can save America. (Applause.)
BACHMANN - Kelly: "Is there limit on govt's ability to inject religion into public square?" The US govt should not be a state church. That's the fundamental point. All people should be free to express their belief in God.
9. Do you intend to circumvent the progress that's been made for gays in the military?
SANTORUM - Any sexual activity has no place in the military, and the fact that they've made it a provision and give them a special privilege by removing Don't Ask Don't Tell, I believe it undermines the military's ability. Kelly: 'What would you do as president about soldiers that are out?" Social experimentation, I'd reinstitute Don't Ask Don't Tell but would not throw out the ones that are already out. Keep it to yourself.
PAUL - Kelly: "How can you support rape exception or morning-after pill if you believe life begins at conception?" How do you police the day-after pill? It doesn't make sense practically. No one can outprespect me with life, but the law doesn't solve the problem, only the moral character of the people.
PERRY - Kelly: "Bad blood between you and Bush?" I called and wished him happy birthday. We differ in style and substance. I was vocal against Medicaid part-B and No Child Left Behind.
CAIN - Wallace: "You survived colon & liver cancer." (Applause.) "You say if ObamaCare if you were first being treated, you'd be dead now. Why?" My cancer was detected in March 2006 to the end of the year, I was able to get the necessary CAT scans, tests, chemo, surgery, recoup, etc. If we'd been under ObamaCare and a bureaucrat was trying to tell me when I could get care, I only had 30% chance of survival. Doctors said my speed of care helped save me.
10. As a college student, to allow us to stay on parents insruance longer was a godsend. Will you repeal that provision of ObamaCare?
HUNTSMAN - When I hear this discussion, I think of my daughter with diabetes. This ObamaCare bomb is creating such uncertainty. Let's go to the states and experiment and find break-throughs. Do what we did in Utah, we need afforable health insurance.
BACHMANN - Wallace: "You were wrong about HPV causing mental retardation." I was just relaying what a woman told me, but it was wrong for govt to mandate a vaccine. Perry made a decision where he gave parental rights to a big drug company. That company gave him capign contributions and his former chief of staff was their lobbyist.
PERRY - I got lobbied on this issue, lobbied by a woman who had Stage IV cervical cancer. I've admitted we should have had an opt-in, but I don't understand what part of "opt-out" parents don't get. i erred on the side of life. Wallace: "Texas has one of the hardest list of restrictions to get on Medicaid." Each state shoudl decide how they do health-care, not one size fits all. People continue to move to Texas, because we've created a state where opportunity is the word of the day.
ROMNEY - Wallace: "Perry called RomneyCare socialist and said we shouldn't elect Obama-Lite." I don't think he knows what he's talking about regarding that. Our plan in Mass has good parts and bad parts. One thing you heard from Cain is crucial, we should get rid of ObamaCare. I'd do an executive order on Day 1.
PERRY - I think Americans just don't know sometimes what Mitt Romney they're dealing with. He was for standing up for Roe v Wade before he was against it. He was for ObamaCare before he was against it.
ROMNEY - Nice try. I wrote a book two years ago. My positions are laid out in that book, I stand by them. You wrote a book six months ago and you're already retreating from your positions there. "Words have meaning."
Baier - a question for the candidates. Pres. Obama promised hope and change. I'm asking how you're going to turn this country around.
HUNTSMAN - This is a human tragedy with 15 million unemployed. I would drop 3 things on the steps of Congress. 1. Tax plan 2. Deregulate 3. Energy independence.
CAIN - It starts with economic growth, I have my 9-9-9 plan, but there is a severe leadership deficiency in DC. Reagan said we're a shining city on the hill, we're sliding down that hill. I'd get us back on top of that hill.
BACHMANN - The #1 reason employers aren't hiring is becuz of ObamaCare; it's the first thing I'd do.
ROMNEY - All across America, people are trying to see if they have enough money to get to the end fo the month. These are tough times but we are a patriotic people. We need a leader who tells the truth, has integrity and leads, we'll turn things around.
PERRY - We get rid fo ObamaCare, we get rid of EPA or job-killing regulations. Make America energy independent. (Didn't Huntsman give that answer?)
PAUL - I've been warning about economic bubbles for 20 years. Deal with Fed, deal with free markets, deal with tax and regulatory systems. People create jobs, not govt.
GINGRICH - 32 years ago we were in the same place. We had a failing presidency, the Soviet Union was on offense. Reagan said 'When your brother-in-law's unemployed, it's a recession. When you're unemploed, it's a Depression. When Jimmy Carter's unemployed, it's a recovery." Obama needs to lose decisively.
SANTORUM - We have a pres. who doesn't understand what America's all about. Reagan belived in you. Obama's the new King George III ruling from on high.
JOHNSON - My next-door neighbor's dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this administration. (Biggest laugh of night; too bad it's a joke Rush Limbaugh's already told.) Balance the federal budget now, not 20 years from now. If getting rid of corporate taxes doesn't create tens of millions of jobs, I don't know what does.
11. If you had to pick someone on this stage as your VP, who would it be?
JOHNSON - Paul. We're heading to a monetary crisis.
SANTORUM - I would pick whoever would do what I would do. I'd probably pick Gingrich.
GINGRICH - I don't have any idea who I would pick. It would have to be someone capable. These are all friends of mine, I can't imagine hurting their feelings by picking one.
PAUL - I'm in third place now, so when I'm in the top two I'll start thinking about it.
PERRY - Staying with the game-show idea, if you could combine Cain & Gingrich you'd have a really interesting VP.
ROMNEY - There are a couple images I'm going to have a hard time getting out of my head. If you're lucky enough to get the nomination of this party. Every one up here would be a better president than Obama. Baier: "You called Perry unelectable over SS." I didn't use that word, the newspaper did, but we all agree we need to make Obama a former president,
BACHMANN - Obama hasn't gone to the basement. We need to choose a candidate who represents consitutional conservatives.
CAIN - It's hypothetical. I'll play the game. If Romney would throw out his jobs plan and replace it with 9-9-9, he has a shot. If he won't, I'd probably go with Gingrich. But it is a game.
HUNTSMAN - I'm tempted to say Perry & Romney will bludgeon each other to death, reminds me of Guiliani & Thompson in 2008. I'd pick Cain. Our yellow ties show we support the gold standard.
So how did they do, really?
9. GARY JOHNSON - First time there, and he looks like a frumpled suit. His dogs line got a laugh but otherwise there was no point to him being there.
8. MICHELLE BACHMANN - She's fading into the woodwork. Her answers are getting repetitive, and the "HPV causes mental retardation" has backfired on her. No regaining of mojo at this debate.
7. RON PAUL - Another guy who's suffering from repetition and generalities. Never really got off his platitudinal talking points.
6. RICK SANTORUM - He had more confidence and crisper answers, but a major misfire when he got the YouTube question from the gay soldier. Not only did a few boos break out, but Santorum didn't defend him or thank him for his service, he just said all outed soldiers won't be thrown out but any new recruits will be back under the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. Really? How's that supposed to work?
5. JON HUNTSMAN - No bad jokes this time around. He's positioning himself as the palatable center-right candidate and was strongest on the foreign-policy questions.
4. RICK PERRY - Whenever he'd swipe at Mitt, Romney had a stronger counter-punch. At this point, his plan seems to be to drag Romney down into the mud. His foreign policy answers seemed shaky, and his response on illegal immigration failed with the audience. The worse Perry does, the more tempting it must be for Chris Christie or Sarah Palin to say, "Okay, fine, I'll run!"
3. NEWT GINGRICH - He's doing better at conveying a sunny attitude than in previous debates. He's magnanimous with his opponents and specific in his answers. If he had a different bio, he'd be a viable candidate.
2. HERMAN CAIN - His strongest showing yet. Maybe the VP slot is a possibility for him after all.
1. MITT ROMNEY - It's much nicer for him this time around without John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Guiliani pounding away on him during every debate. He really only has to deal with Perry, and he's clearly outmatching him. "Nice try" is his "There you go again."
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