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Republican presidential candidates hold TV debate Republican presidential candidates spar in TV debate
(about 1 hour later)
The Republican presidential candidates are battling it out at a national debate in Florida - the last before the battleground state holds its primary. Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have clashed over immigration at a debate in Florida, the last before the key state's primary.
Earlier, front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich traded attacks from the campaign trail. While pledging he would not deport long-term illegal immigrants, Mr Gingrich accused Mr Romney of being the most anti-immigrant candidate.
Mr Gingrich called his rival part of the "old order", while a pro-Romney support group rolled out another attack ad against Mr Gingrich. Mr Romney labelled Mr Gingrich's claim "repulsive" and accused him of using "highly charged epithets".
Florida is a key swing state that holds its nominating contest next Tuesday. Florida is a swing state that holds its nominating contest next Tuesday.
Thursday night's debate in Jacksonville, Florida, is hosted by CNN and is the last time the four candidates will appear together on a national stage ahead of Florida's influential poll. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul appeared alongside Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, and Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House.
'Leadership and character' Thursday night's debate in Jacksonville is the last time the four candidates will appear together on a national stage ahead of Florida's influential poll.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul are appearing alongside Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, and Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House. 'Over-the-top'
The latest opinion polls show pack leaders Mr Romney and Mr Gingrich in a virtual tie. Immigration, which is a hot-button issue in Florida, a state with a large immigrant - especially Latino - population, dominated the opening exchanges of the debate.
But the stakes are high: a win in Florida has the potential to catapult one contender towards the eventual nomination. Mr Romney said Mr Gingrich should apologise for running ads calling him an anti-immigrant candidate.
On the campaign trail on Thursday the two leading candidates intensified their attacks on each other. "The idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive," Mr Romney said to audience cheers. "It's simply the kind of over-the-top rhetoric that's characterised American politics too long."
Mr Gingrich drew a bead on Mr Romney's past as a wealthy businessman, reminding voters gathered at a campaign stop that Mr Romney was "somebody who owns lots of stock in a part of Goldman Sachs that was explicitly foreclosing on Floridians". "I think you should apologise for it and recognise that having differences of opinions does not justify labelling people with highly charged epithets."
"They're counting on us being too stupid, or too timid," Mr Gingrich added, suggesting that Mr Romney was hoping to prevent his rivals from divulging details of his relationships with organisations that have benefited from the economic recession. Mr Gingrich's campaign withdrew a radio ad this week that made the anti-immigrant charge, after Cuban-born Florida Senator Marco Rubio called on him to do so.
Mr Romney also attacked Mr Gingrich's plans to establish a permanent base on the moon, largely with private funding.
"It may be a big idea, but it's not a good idea," Mr Romney said, suggesting that any executive who came to him with the proposal would be fired.
During a discussion about housing, Mr Gingrich and Mr Romney clashed over their links to federal mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Mr Gingrich said Romney was making money from investments in funds that were "foreclosing on Floridians".
Florida accounts for almost a quarter of home foreclosures in the US and the state's unemployment rate - at 9.9% - remains above the national average of 8.5%.Florida accounts for almost a quarter of home foreclosures in the US and the state's unemployment rate - at 9.9% - remains above the national average of 8.5%.
Meanwhile Mr Romney, highlighting Mr Gingrich's chequered tenure as Republican Speaker of the House in the 1990s, asked voters whether they "really need someone who is part of the culture of Washington for the last 35 years to go there again and continue". Mr Romney hit back that his rival, too, had invested in mutual funds with the two lenders, which many Republicans blame for the housing crisis.
In recent attack ads, Mr Romney has portrayed his rival as a "DC insider" and a new advert, released by a group of supporters known as a super political action committee (PAC) takes aim at Mr Gingrich's vaunted relationship with former President Ronald Reagan. He said the former House speaker was a "spokesman'' for the federal lenders, a reference to a contract that one of Mr Gingrich's businesses had for consulting services.
"From debates, you'd think Newt Gingrich was Ronald Reagan's vice-president," the ad says. Mr Santorum said the discussion was getting sidetracked with "petty personal politics".
"On leadership and character, Gingrich is no Ronald Reagan." He called for the candidates to focus on more substantive issues, asking the moderator: "Can we set aside that Newt was a member of Congress... and that Mitt Romney is a wealthy guy?"
Mr Gingrich recounted his interaction with Reagan, telling supporters at a campaign event that former First Lady Nancy Reagan "said that Ronald Reagan's torch had been passed to me". Healthcare was another flashpoint in the debate, with Mr Santorum vigorously denouncing Mr Romney for his role in implementing "Romneycare", the healthcare policy rolled out in Massachusetts while he was governor.
"I was carrying out the values that he believed in," he added. The programme was the model for the healthcare reforms - reviled by conservatives - which President Barack Obama signed in 2010.
The latest opinion polls show pack leaders Mr Romney and Mr Gingrich in a virtual tie, with a slight advantage to the former Massachusetts governor.
The stakes are high: a win in Florida has the potential to catapult one contender towards the eventual nomination.
On the campaign trail earlier on Thursday the two leading candidates continued to attack each other.