ORLANDO, Fla. — In their third debate in as many weeks, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas engaged in a sometimes heated back and forth over immigration , health care and entitlements, their rivalry dominating a stage that included seven other candidates struggling to catch up in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. 
 
 Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry arrived here with a strategic imperative to challenge the other’s consistency and conservative credentials. The tensions only grew as the night wore on, to the point where Jon M. Huntsman Jr., the former governor of Utah, joked that Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry were at risk of bludgeoning each other to death. 
 
 Still, after two hours of dueling it was unclear whether Mr. Perry had achieved his goal of knocking Mr. Romney off his fairly unruffled stride. It was similarly not certain that Mr. Romney had made headway in knocking Mr. Perry down a few pegs from what has been a relatively strong opening to his young campaign. 
 
 Mr. Romney sought to capitalize on the concern among many conservatives about Mr. Perry’s position on illegal immigration, harshly criticizing the Texas policy that allows illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. 
 
 “That just doesn’t make sense to me,” Mr. Romney said, noting that illegal immigrants get as much as $22,000 a year in tuition breaks that out-of-state citizens do not get. 
 
 Offering an impassioned defense of that policy — and receiving boos from a segment of the audience — Mr. Perry did not back down, saying, “If you say that we should not educate children that have come into our state for no other reason than they’ve been brought here by no fault of their own, I don’t think you have a heart.” 
 
 The debate, held at the Orange County Convention Center and sponsored by Fox News, Google and the Republican Party of Florida, featured robust audience participation and questions submitted via YouTube. The 5,000 people there responded loudly at times, including boos during a question from a gay solider about the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding gay and lesbian service members. 
 
 And while the Fox News moderators sought to engage all of the candidates, the exchanges between Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry — standing side by side — overshadowed the others. 
 
 At one point, Mr. Romney cited a passage from Mr. Perry’s book “Fed Up!” and said the Texas governor had suggested that state or local governments be allowed to run their own Social Security programs. He accused Mr. Perry of running away from his own words. 
 
 “There’s a Rick Perry out there that’s saying the federal government shouldn’t be in the pension business,” Mr. Romney said. “You better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that.” 
 
 Mr. Perry hit back by accusing Mr. Romney of editing his book “No Apologies” between printings to remove a passage saying that the health care plan he instituted in Massachusetts — considered a model for President Obama’s overhaul — was good for the nation. 
 
 “You said that it was exactly what the American people needed to have — that’s Romneycare — given to them as you had in Massachusetts,” he said. 
 
 Mr. Romney responded by saying: “I actually wrote my book, and in my book I said no such thing. And it’s fine for you to retreat from your own words in your own book, but please don’t try and make me retreat from the words that I wrote in my book.” 
 
 As the exchange continued, Mr. Perry, standing to Mr. Romney’s right, joked, “It’s kind of badminton” and swung his arm. But later he set any joking aside, saying of Mr. Romney, “I think Americans don’t know sometimes which Mitt Romney they’re dealing with.” 
 
 Mr. Romney had managed to emerge relatively unharmed from the past few debates, and the pressure was on Mr. Perry to change that. If Mr. Perry’s key line was meant to be a solid punch to the jaw, he seemed to rush it and stumble a bit. 
 
 “Is it the Mitt Romney that was on the side of — against the Second Amendment before he was for the Second Amendment? Was it — was before — he was before the social programs from the standpoint of — he was for standing up for Roe v. Wade before he was against first — Roe v. Wade?” he said. “I mean we’ll wait until tomorrow to see which Mitt Romney we’re really talking to tonight.” 
 
 A late attempt at humor seemed to go astray as well, when Mr. Perry was asked which of the candidates on stage he would pick as his vice-presidential nominee. Speaking of Herman Cain, a former business executive, Mr. Perry said he would “mate him up” with the former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to make a perfect political partner. Mock wincing, Mr. Romney remarked coolly that the night had produced “a couple of images I’m going to have a hard time getting out of my mind.” 
 
 Mr. Huntsman, who served as ambassador to China in the Obama administration, appeared to express frustration that the night had been so much about Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry. He noted that four years ago the two supposed Republican front-runners were former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York and former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee. 
 
 “They seemed to disappear altogether,” he said. “I can’t remember where they went.” ||||| ORLANDO — The Republican presidential field strayed away from the central 2012 topic of jobs Thursday night to wage a pitched debate over a pair of far more explosive issues: immigration and Social Security. 
 
 In the Orlando debate’s most dramatic clash, Rick Perry defended himself from a multi-front attack on his immigration record, struggling to fend off rivals he called heartless for their attitude towards the children of undocumented immigrants. 
 
 Text Size - 
 
 + 
 
 reset Perry defends immigration policy POLITICO 44 
 
 Three of Perry’s opponents – including his nearest competitor, Mitt Romney – accused the Texas governor of coddling illegal immigrants with a law allowing young people who broke the law by entering the United States to claim in-state tuition benefits in Texas. 
 
 “That kind of magnet draws people into this country to get that education,” Romney charged. “We have to turn off the magnet of extraordinary government benefits.” 
 
 Under fire from Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann on the same issue, Perry said he didn’t believe in punishing children who entered the country illegally through no fault of their own. 
 
 To candidates who disagree, Perry said: “I don’t think they have a heart.” 
 
 “We need to be educating these children because they will become a drag on our society,” Perry said, drawing boos from the audience. 
 
 The immigration exchange was a rare debate moment that put the staunchly conservative Perry on the defensive by attacks from the right. 
 
 But it was not the only moment in the evening where Perry appeared unsteady or unfocused in his performance. 
 
 Though the Texan has rocketed to a high single-digit lead in most 2012 primary polling, Perry has yet to hand in a commanding debate appearance, and on Thursday gave a conspicuously meandering answer on foreign policy that will reinforce questions about his preparedness as a candidate. 
 
 In general, the debate hosted by Fox News, Google and the Republican Party of Florida followed a familiar script: Perry and Romney attacked each others’ views on Social Security, everybody beat up on the Obama administration and most of the candidates faded into the background. 
 
 In addition to Perry, Romney, Bachmann and Santorum, there were five other candidates on stage: Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich and Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor making his first debate appearance in months. 
 
 For much of the first hour, the debate was a fairly humdrum affair, showcasing an array of high-tech bells and whistles offered by Google, which co-sponsored the debate. 
 
 The first set of questions came from viewers who submitted their questions on YouTube, and largely allowed the candidates to recite talking points without being challenged by moderators. 
 
 And Fox took time away from the candidate forum to share results from instant polls of the debate viewers, who answered questions such as: How much does someone need to make before they are considered rich? ||||| 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. 
 
 Republican presidential candidates Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, share a laugh during a Fox News/Google debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. (AP... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidates from left, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Texas Gov. Rick Perry,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidates businessman Herman Cain, left, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, get together prior to a debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, listens as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes a comment during a Fox NEws/Google debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, laughs as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes a comment during a Fox News/Google debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney points to the audience with Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, prior to a debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan... (Associated Press) 
 
 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. 
 
 Perry runs ahead in national opinion polls, with Romney a close second, and they compete daily for endorsements from members of Congress and other party luminaries in hopes of gaining a permanent edge before the caucuses and primaries begin early next year. 
 
 The other contenders on the stage struggled at times to gain the debate spotlight, even as they struggle to gain traction in the polls. 
 
 The GOP presidential hopefuls all agreed quickly on one point _ that President Barack Obama's handling of the economy was woeful. They said they would cut taxes, eliminate government regulations and take other steps to help create jobs in a nation with 9.1 percent unemployment. 
 
 Yet the two-hour event was marked by clashes over Social Security, health care, immigration, gun rights and more. 
 
 Romney accused Perry of having said the federal government "shouldn't be in the pension business, that it's unconstitutional," a reference to Social Security benefits. 
 
 Noting his rival's denials, Romney mocked him. "You better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that," he said. 
 
 Perry soon returned the favor, saying that Romney switched his position on health care between editions of a book he had published. In one edition, Perry said, Romney advocated expanding to the rest of the country the health care program he signed in Massachusetts. "Then in your paperback you took that line out, so speaking of not getting it straight in your book, Sir." 
 
 "It's like badminton," said Perry. 
 
 The Massachusetts legislation required residents of the state to purchase health coverage or pay a fine, a cornerstone of the law that Obama won from Congress last year that has inflamed conservative voters across the country. 
 
 Perry also accused Romney of flip-flopping his views on the rights of gun owners. 
 
 In fact, both Perry and Romney have sought to blur if not rewrite portions of their own records as they vie for the nomination. 
 
 In Romney's case, that has meant trying to win support from conservative voters despite the moderate positions he held on social issues while he was governor of Massachusetts. 
 
 And for Perry, it has meant trying to fend off criticism that his views on Social Security and other issues do not render him unelectable. 
 
 Perry gave no ground on one issue _ his support for a state law in Texas that gives the children of illegal immigrants reduced tuition to state colleges and universities. 
 
 "If you say that we should not educate children who have come into the state for no other reason than they've been brought there, by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," he said. 
 
 That drew a retort from former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. "No one is suggesting that students who are illegal in this country shouldn't go to colleges and universities," he said, adding that he objects to giving them state subsidies to do so. 
 
 "Most folks have to pay the full boat. ... Why should they be given preferential treatment as an illegal in this country?" he said. 
 
 There was relatively little jockeying on the economy. 
 
 "The president's party wants to take from some people and give to others. That isn't the way to lift America," said Romney. 
 
 Perry said his state ranked first in the country five years in the row in attracting businesses looking to relocate. "Something special happened there ... and we plan to keep it that way," he said. 
 
 Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told one questioner, "You should get to keep every dollar you earn," then backpedaled. "Obviously we have to give money back to the government so we can run the government," she said. 
 
 The two-hour event was sponsored by Fox News and Google, in keeping with an emerging trend in which mainstream media organizations partner with Internet companies . 
 
 Without saying so, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave an endorsement of sorts to one of the elements of Obama's job proposals. Asked whether he would renew unemployment benefits for those out of work, he said they should be required to participate in a "business led" job training program. "I believe it is fundamentally wrong to give people money for 99 weeks for doing nothing." He added. 
 
 Obama has called for Congress to extend the current system of unemployment benefits, but he also wants to permit states to experiment with the type of training program that has been used in Gingrich's home state of Georgia. 
 
 Also on stage were Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, businessman Herman Cain and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.
– Republicans got back into debate mode tonight, with Rick Perry and Mitt Romney trading a series of sharp and sometimes sarcastic barbs at one another over Social Security, immigration, and other issues, reports AP. No fewer than nine candidates were on the stage, thanks to the invite extended to former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. (He got perhaps the biggest applause line of the night with this line: "My neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready projects for this country" than Obama.) But Perry and Romney were the main focus, and their back-and-forth on Social Security typified things: Perry said his position on it isn't as radical as his foes say, adding it was "not the first time that Mitt's been wrong on some issues before," notes the New York Times. Romney responded: "There's a Rick Perry out there that's saying the federal government shouldn't be in the pension business. You better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that." Perry then accused Romney of changing views of his Massachusetts health care law in different versions of his book, and later widened the flip-flopping charges to a host of other issues. (Romney used the phrase "nice try" at different times to deflect Perry criticisms.) Immigration also emerged as a main issue, with Romney, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum criticizing the Texas policy of giving in-state tuition benefits to immigrants' kids, notes Politico. Bachmann called such programs "magnets," but Perry said of his critics, "I don't think you have a heart." Catch up with live-blogging and details on the other candidates here.