Herman Cain

(Newser) - And so it begins. The battle for the Republican nomination kicked off in South Carolina last night with the first presidential primary debate. Most high-profile contenders skipped the event, leaving the stage to Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, and Gary Johnson, Politico reports. Some highlights:

• Pawlenty said

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(Newser) - Newt Gingrich is still testing the waters for a 2012 White House run but he's already got a plan for his first day in the Oval Office. Gingrich—one of five GOP hopefuls who met voters in Iowa last night—issued a leaflet listing four executive orders that "whoever...

(Newser) - Herman Cain—currently the only declared GOP candidate for 2012—came in first in a straw poll of Tea Party supporters at an event in Phoenix yesterday. The conservative radio host from Georgia received 22% of the on-site ballots cast at the event organized by the Tea Party Patriots, the...