2011 GOP debate in Tampa, Florida, sponsored by the Tea Party Express

2011 GOP debate in Tampa, Florida, sponsored by the Tea Party Express and broadcast by CNN.

Moderator: Wolf Blitzer:
"Welcome to the Florida State Fairgrounds here in Tampa, the site of the first ever Tea Party/Republican presidential debate. One year from now, right here in Tampa, the Republican National Convention will nominate the Republican candidate for president of the United States. Tonight, eight contenders will be on this stage to try to convince voters he or she is the best choice to hold the highest office in the country. And joining them inside this hall, Tea Party activists from Florida and across the nation.

"Tonight's debate is airing on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, and the American Forces Network seen on U.S. military bases in 175 countries and aboard Navy ships at sea around the globe. We also want to welcome our co-sponsors, the Tea Party Express, and more than 100 state and local Tea Party groups from across the United States."

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Michele Bachmann: Mandating morning-after pill availability is wrong.

Budget & Economy     Herman Cain: Audit the Federal Reserve; but fix it, don't end it.     Herman Cain: This economy is on life support; we need a bold solution.     Jon Huntsman: Clear out the cobwebs; debt is a cancer.     Michele Bachmann: Raising debt ceiling is just a blank check for spending.     Michele Bachmann: The Fed should not make loans to foreign governments.     Mitt Romney: Can't balance budget by cutting waste; must cut spending too.     Mitt Romney: The country needs a turnaround, and that's what I do.     Mitt Romney: Better that The Fed manages currency than Congress.     Newt Gingrich: Modernizing government would save $500B per year in waste.     Rick Perry: People are tired of spending on programs we don't want.     Rick Perry: Using the Federal Reserve for political purposes is treason.     Ron Paul: We spend $1.5T on wars; start by cutting there.

Corporations     Jon Huntsman: Clean out corporate welfare and subsidies from the tax code.     Jon Huntsman: Utah was best state for businesses AND for jobs.     Michele Bachmann: Reducing repatriation tax to zero would bring in $1.2T.     Rick Perry: Free up small businessmen and -women to risk capital.     Rick Perry: Texas is the land of freedom from over-regulation.     Rick Santorum: Cut all corporate tax rates to zero.

Energy & Oil     Jon Huntsman: Wean ourselves from heroin-like addiction to foreign oil.     Newt Gingrich: Every green tax credit is a tax loophole.

Environment     Herman Cain: The EPA has gone wild with abuse.

Foreign Policy     Newt Gingrich: We have failed for a decade to deal with North Korea & Iran.

Government Reform     Rick Perry: Make Washington inconsequential in your lives.     Rick Perry: Tort reform was powerful TX job creator; do same federally.     Ron Paul: Some Executive Orders are legal; but power has been abused.

Health Care     Herman Cain: First, repeal ObamaCare; second, patient-centered reforms.     Michele Bachmann: End the idea that government should keep buying more stuff.     Michele Bachmann: Never force little girls to have HPV vaccinations.     Michele Bachmann: ObamaCare is unconstitutional; I'm committed to its repeal.     Mitt Romney: Reform Medicare, but don't cancel prescription program.     Mitt Romney: I stand by what I did in Massachusetts.     Mitt Romney: Health Savings Accounts give patients stake in health costs.     Mitt Romney: ObamaCare has enormous differences from RomneyCare.     Rick Perry: Medicare prescriptions are a $17T hole in our budget.     Rick Perry: I made a mistake on using Executive Order for HPV.     Rick Perry: HPV order balanced cancer protection against parental choice.     Rick Perry: RomneyCare OK for MA, but not for TX nor US.     Rick Santorum: Private sector insurance works, even for Medicare.     Rick Santorum: Mandatory inoculations of children is wrong.

Homeland Security     Ron Paul: Military spending is not necessarily defense spending.     Ron Paul: Islamists attacked us for US bases on Arab lands.

Immigration     Jon Huntsman: H1B visa process is broken; we need immigrant brainpower.     Michele Bachmann: It's not the American way to give immigrants rights.     Mitt Romney: Of course a border fence; of course no free tuition.     Rick Perry: Failed federal responsibility to secure the border.     Rick Perry: Discounted in-state tuition regardless of immigration status.     Rick Perry: Let illegals contribute to society & pursue citizenship.     Rick Santorum: Finish the border fence; make English the official language.

Jobs     Herman Cain: I understand workers' needs because I've been a worker.     Jon Huntsman: This country needs more workers.     Mitt Romney: Nation should learn lesson from right-to-work states.     Newt Gingrich: The American people create jobs; not government.     Rick Santorum: Focus the Fed on sound money, rather than job creation.

Social Security     Herman Cain: Let younger workers opt into personal retirement accounts.     Jon Huntsman: Stop frightening Americans & fix the system.     Michele Bachmann: Keep promise to older workers; reform for younger.     Mitt Romney: Congress taking money from Trust Fund is criminal.     Mitt Romney: Keep Social Security as an essential federal program.     Newt Gingrich: Take away politicians' power & control over our retirement.     Rick Perry: Slam-dunk guarantee to preserve Social Security for elders.     Rick Perry: Social Security was unconstitutional, but don't take it away.     Rick Perry: We need conversation about Social Security run by states.     Rick Santorum: 1994: Proposed raising retirement age, despite unpopularity.     Ron Paul: System is broke; allow young people to get out.

Tax Reform     Jon Huntsman: Individual tax rates: 8%, 14%, 24%; corporate rate: 25%.     Mitt Romney: FairTax is structured poorly against the middle class.     Ron Paul: You don't "pay for" tax cuts; they give people's money back.

War & Peace     Jon Huntsman: Time has come for us to get out of Afghanistan.     Rick Perry: Transition out of Afghanistan but keep non-military presence.     Rick Santorum: Jihadists want to kill us for what we are.     Ron Paul: Of course Arab countries retaliate against US presence there.

Welfare & Poverty     Ron Paul: Churches used to take care of ill without insurance.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Herman Cain Jon Huntsman Michele Bachmann Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Rick Perry Rick Santorum Ron Paul