Romney Solid, Perry Wobbly at GOP Debate

Nine Republican presidential candidates squared off in Orlando, where front-runners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney sparred over who is more conservative, with Romney hitting the Texas governor for allowing illegals in-state tuition subsidies, and Perry firing back over Romney's Obama-like health care plan while governor of Massachusetts. MSNBC scored Romney an evening best A- and gave Perry a C+. Several pundits also thought former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum fared well, possibly eclipsing Michele Bachmann as the leading social conservative. The line of the night: "My next door neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this administration," quipped former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, making his first televised debate appearance.

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