RICK PERRY, TEXAS GOVERNOR
On Texas policy to give in-state college tuition fees to the children of illegal immigrants:
"If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our 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. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society."
On creating a better climate for small business:
"What we've done in the state of Texas over the course of the last decade is to lower that tax burden on the small businessmen and women, have a regulatory climate that is fair and predictable and sweeping tort reform that we passed in 2003 that told personal injury trial lawyers, 'Don't come to Texas because you're not going to be suing our doctors frivolously.' ... If it'll work in the state of Texas, it'll work in Washington, D.C."
Accusing Romney of changing positions on issues:
"I think Americans just don't know sometimes which Mitt Romney they're dealing with ... we'll wait until tomorrow and see which Mitt Romney we're talking to tonight."
On Romney's criticism of the Social Security government retirement system:
"Now, it's not the first time that Mitt has been wrong on some issues."
MITT ROMNEY, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR
On immigration:
"We have to crackdown on employers that hire people that are here illegally. And we have to turn off the magnet of extraordinary government benefits like a $100,000 tax credit -- or, excuse me, discount for going to the University of Texas. That shouldn't be allowed. It makes no sense at all."
On whether he thinks Obama is a socialist:
"Let me tell you the title that I want to hear said about President Obama, and that is: former President Barack Obama. That's the title I want to hear.... What President Obama is, is a big-spending liberal. And he takes his political inspiration from Europe and from the socialist democrats in Europe. Guess what? Europe isn't working in Europe. It's not going to work here."
NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER
On what would happen if political gridlock in Washington continues:
"We might as well buy Greek bonds and all go down together."
GARY JOHNSON, FORMER NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR
On Obama's jobs record:
"My next door neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this president.'
MICHELE BACHMANN, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM MINNESOTA
On the tax burden:
"Barack Obama seems to think that when we earn money, it belongs to him and we're lucky just to keep a little bit of it. I don't think that at all. I think when people make money, it's their money. Obviously, we have to give money back to the government so that we can run the government, but we have to have a completely different mind-set. And that mind-set is, the American people are the genius of this economy. It certainly isn't government that's the genius."
HERMAN CAIN, BUSINESSMAN
On which federal department he would eliminate:
"If I were forced to eliminate a department, I would start with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and start all over. It's out of control. Now, I know that makes some people nervous, but the EPA has gone wild. The fact that they have a regulation that goes into effect January 1, 2012, to regulate dust says that they've gone too far."
RICK SANTORUM, FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR
On immigration:
"Governor Perry, no one is suggesting up here that the students that are illegal in this country shouldn't be able to go to a college and university.... The point is, why are we subsidizing? Not that they can't go. They can go. They just have to borrow money, find other sources to be able to go. And why should they be given preferential treatment as an illegal in this country?"
(Compiled by JoAnne Allen)
