The latest GOP debate has wrapped up, and it's clear Rick Perry had Mitt Romney in his sights. They had a number of nasty exchanges, including one in which Perry resurrected allegations that Romney hired a lawn service that employed illegals:
- Perry: "You stood here and did not tell the truth that you had illegals working on your property. The idea you can talk about any of us having an immigration issue is beyond me."
- Romney: He denied the charges and fired back that Perry favors amnesty and is weak on immigration, which led to a shouting match between the two, notes the New York Times. "This has been a rough couple of debates for Rick," said Romney. "You have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking."
- Blaming the contractor: Romney also used this line to explain the lawn controversy: "We went to the company and we said, look, you can't have any illegals working on our property. That's—I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals." Notes Ben Smith at Politico: "Remarkably, none of his opponents seized on that calculation."