MESA, Arizona-- Republican candidates pulled no punches Wednesday in Arizona, with each seeking to make his case and diminish his opponents in the final GOP debate before Super Tuesday on March 6.
With upcoming primaries in Arizona and Michigan, frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum clashed early over bailouts for the auto industry, including Romney's comments on allowing Detroit to go bankrupt.
"He supported the folks on Wall Street, and bailed out Wall Street, was all for it," said Santorum, "And then when it came to the auto workers and the folks in Detroit, he said no."
"No way would we allow the auto industry in America to totally implode and disappear," Romney said in defense. "That was my view, go through bankruptcy. When that happens, then the market can help lift them out."
It was the topic of birth control that drew the strongest reaction from the Republican audience. An outspoken critic of the use of contraceptives, Santorum roused the audience's disapproval while explaining why he voted for a bill that included Title X funding for family planning -- despite his personal opposition.
"I think I was making it clear that while I have a personal moral objection to it, even though I don't support it, that I voted for bills that included it, and I made it very clear in subsequent interviews that I don't support that," said Santorum.
The doctor in the house, Ron Paul said government shouldn't be in the business of family planning, and said any funding for Planned Parenthood would result in federal funding for abortions.
"Planned Parenthood should get nothing, let alone designate how they spend," said Paul.
An hour in, the Arizona debate finally reached the topic of immigration. With Texas Governor Rick Perry watching in the audience, friend and former rival Newt Gingrich pledged to work with Perry and other governors of border states to complete a national border fence manned by federal agents.
"There are 23,000 Department of Homeland Security agents in the D.C. area," said Gingrich. "I'm prepared to move up to half of them to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This is a doable thing."
The two hour debate also covered the topics of education, response to Iran's nuclear program and federal earmarks. Following Wednesday's debate, candidates will return to the campaign trail as 13 states prepare for primaries in the next two weeks.
