Republican front-runner Rick Perry came under heavy fire on Social Security, jobs and his record in Texas in a heated US presidential debate last night as rivals tried to halt his momentum.
Mr Perry, who has soared to the top of opinion polls in the Republican race, renewed his fight with main challenger Mitt Romney over Social Security. They accused each other of frightening seniors about the popular retirement programme.
Mr Perry's rivals questioned his claims about Texas job creation, his stance on illegal immigrants and an executive order he gave as governor, which he admitted was a mistake, that young girls be vaccinated for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.
The lively exchanges and repeated focus on Mr Perry reinforced his growing stature as the candidate to beat in the 2012 race for the nomination to challenge president Barack Obama.
Mr Perry played defence numerous times, easing back from his earlier comments on Social Security and the Federal Reserve and deflecting where possible.
He softened his harsh criticism of the Social Security retirement programme and said he wanted to start "a legitimate conversation" about its future. Mr Perry launched the Social Security fight last week when he called the programme a Ponzi scheme and a "monstrous lie."
"The term Ponzi scheme I think is over the top and unnecessary and frightful to many people," said Mr Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who pressed Mr Perry on whether he still believed the retirement programme should be shifted to the states and ended as a federal programme.
"We're not going to take that programme away," Mr Perry said.
"Rather than trying to scare seniors, like you're doing and other people, it's time to have a legitimate conversation about how to fix that programme so it's not bankrupt."
The Social Security debate will be watched closely in Florida, which has the country's second-biggest proportion of elderly voters and hosts a crucial nominating contest next year.
''We're frightening the American people, who just want solutions," said Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor, adding that Republicans could not win an election by promising to dismantle Social Security. "We've got the answers, we don't have leaders," he said.
Former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich said he was not worried about Mr Romney and Mr Perry frightening seniors "when president Obama scares them every day."
Mr Perry, a conservative Tea Party favourite, frequently drew applause from the conservative crowd at the debate, which was co-sponsored by Tea Party groups that have reshaped the US political scene with their focus on limited government and reduced spending.
US Representative Michele Bachmann, whose campaign has faded badly in the last month after winning a straw poll in Iowa, targeted Mr Perry over his executive order on the vaccine programme in Texas.
She accused Mr Perry of issuing the order because his former chief of staff was a lobbyist for Merck & Co, the company that made the drug.
"Was this about life, or was it about millions for a drug company," asked Ms Bachmann, who has seen Mr Perry rob her of much of her religious and social conservative support.
Mr Perry said Merck gave him a $5,000 donation. "If you're saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I'm offended," he said.
Ms Bachmann shot back: "I'm offended for all the little girls and the parents who didn't have a choice."
Mr Romney said Mr Perry's record on job creation in Texas, which has outpaced most other states in adding new jobs, was the result of Mr Perry's lack of an income tax, natural resources and other factors rather than his policies.
"I think Governor Mr Perry would agree with me that if you're dealt four aces that doesn't make you necessarily a great poker player," Mr Romney said.
Mr Perry tempered earlier comments targeting Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, but again said it would be "almost treasonous" to allow the central bank to be used for political purposes.
Those comments were turned back on him later during a discussion of his opposition to a border fence in Texas.
"For Rick to say you can't secure the border is pretty much a treasonous comment," Mr Huntsman said, playing off Mr Perry's Bernanke comments, which caused a stir last month.
Other candidates participating were businessman Herman Cain, US Representative Ron Paul and former US Senator Rick Santorum.
The debate was the fifth of the Republican presidential campaign. It will be followed by another debate next week in Orlando, Florida, as the White House race heats up.
