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Republicans Square Off in South Carolina Debate

The debate was already highly anticipated. But he lacks money and campaign infrastructure heading into the Southern state primaries. Then you’ve got Jeb Bush; he got a new lease on life from his fourth-place finish in New Hampshire.

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Who should replace Justice Scalia? “He doesn’t speak Spanish” – Rubio on why Cruz doesn’t know what he said on Univision. Now, in the middle of a presidential race, candidates will be asked who should replace Scalia, and what kind of litmus tests they would place on a nominee.

GOP congressional leaders were quick to say that any nomination to fill Scalia’s position should happen under a new president, putting them at odds with Democrats and the White House.

Bless Donald Trump, for he did each of these things in Saturday night’s SC debate and was booed heavily-almost without interruption-for minutes.

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice”, McConnell said in a statement.

“We’re not going to get healing with President Obama”, Carson said.

Unfortunately for the Florida senator, it was because he had stumbled – big time.

Florida’s junior senator entered the last debate facing criticism from rivals who said that while he delivers a good speech and sharp answers in debates, he lacked depth. I would like the president to just, for once here, put the country first here.

“There it is”, Christie said.

“In hindsight”, Rubio admitted, “maybe that was a mistake”.

As for Christie? He dropped out of the race Wednesday. If Donald Trump is president, he will appoint liberals. Kasich finished second in New Hampshire.

This could prove to be a short-lived strategy.

For Bush, South Carolina is a state that both his father and brother won.

A debate that began with a somber moment of silence for Scalia devolved quickly into fighting between Trump and Bush, then between Trump and Cruz. But by Friday, Trump was again on the attack against Cruz, tweeting “If @tedcruz doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen”.

Cruz is holding nothing back.

Jeb Bush and John Kasich are vying with Rubio for the support of more traditional Republican voters.

Rubio accused his Senate colleague of spreading “lies”.

One spot is set in a children’s playroom. On the one hand, he probably can’t catch Trump, if polls are to be believed.

The former neurosurgeon just barely met the requirements to be on stage at Saturday night’s debate. That prompted Trump to interject that the September 11, 2001, attacks had occurred while George W. Bush was in office. And now, Jeb Bush is hoping to continue the family’s winning streak here next Saturday. Do you think President Bush should have been impeached? The former Florida governor said there should be a consensus behind that choice – but added that he didn’t expect Obama would pick a candidate in that vain.

Carson placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses but he slipped in New Hampshire, winning only about two percent of the vote.

Polls show Donald Trump well ahead of the other GOP contenders in SC, with Rubio, Sen.

But coming in second or third place within the establishment lane is far less acceptable for Bush here in SC than in New Hampshire. George W. Bush, his brother, is going to be campaigning for him in the state. Later, Bush took down Trump for disparaging women, the disabled, Hispanics, and Muslims.

As the first state in the South to hold a primary, SC also serves as a gateway to later contests across a region that has become the home base for the modern Republican Party.

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But the senator told reporters he’ll look for ways to be more aggressive in repelling onstage attacks.

Republicans move the battle for support to South Carolina