Romney, Perry Go After Each Other In GOP Debate

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Side by side in confrontational debate, Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry sarcastically accused each other Thursday night of flip-flopping on Social Security and health care, flashpoints in their intense struggle for the party nomination.

In a debate that focused on character and credibility as much as other issues, Perry insisted he had backed off "not one inch, Sir" from what he had written in a campaign-season book published a few months ago.

Romney vouched for his own steadfastness moments later. "There are a lot of reasons not to elect me," he said. "There are a lot of reasons not to elect other people on this stage. ... But one reason to elect me is I know what I stand for. I've written it down. Words have meaning."

The two men assailed one another in the third debate in as many weeks in a race for the Republican presidential nomination growing testier by the day.

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