Rudy, Mitt Scorched in Debate

GOP presidential frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani came under a barrage of criticism from rivals and residents at the New Hampshire Republican debate last night. Attacks on Romney focused on his missteps on Iraq, and criticism of Giuliani centered on his personal life, reports Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. The focus on the two men underscored their looming status as the ones to beat.

When Giuliani was ripped on his fractured family, he responded: "I am not running as the perfect candidate for president. I am running as a leader." When Romney said the surge in Iraq was "apparently working," John McCain bristled. "The surge is working—not 'apparently,'" said McCain. (More New Hampshire stories.)