Politics: Fightin' Words

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Politics Fightin' Words Rick Perry and Mitt Romney duke it out at the presidential debate in Las Vegas. By John Dickerson Posted Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011, at 10:47 AM ET LAS VEGAS—In order to give the CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate a regional flair, the network created a horseshoe logo. The candidates went one better. They turned the debate into a Wild West bar fight. It started with a scuffle over Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, then tipped over tables in a skirmish over Mitt Romney's health care plan in Massachusetts. The candidates talked over each other, their voices escalating. They accused each other of lying. At one testy point, when Romney was lecturing Rick Perry about interrupting, he put his hand on the Texas governor's shoulder. He was trying to provoke him. Watch it, Mitt—he could be packing.   But after the townsfolk came out from behind the water barrel and the children were allowed to walk the streets again, what had changed? Not much. This was the most entertaining debate of the eight so far. But the shoving and bickering—while a sign that the first contest is less than three months away—probably didn't change the state of the race: an eventual Romney vs. Perry matchup being interrupted by a Cain interlude. Cain was at the bottom of the first pile-on. Every candidate said his 9-9-9 plan was a bad idea. It would create a national sales tax, a value-added tax, and would hit the poor disproportionately. Cain said these were all "knee-jerk" reactions and encouraged people to read the plan on his website. This wasn't an answer but a dodge ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate GOP Candidates Preach Progressive Taxation and Social Mobility. Why Bash Obama for Espousing the Same? Monkey, Wolf Among Exotic Animals Still Loose After Zoo Escape in Ohio After 20 Years, Is U2's Achtung Baby Worth All This Fuss? It Wasn't That Great.	Advertisement
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