Newsmax will be live blogging the CNN Republican Debate tonight in Jacksonville, Florida. The debate is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
9:57 p.m. On why he's the most qualified Paul says, "The freedom message in the Constitution is appealing to all political beliefs." Once again he stresses his foreign policy views, which fall to the left of many in the Democratic Party.
9:56 p.m.: Gingrich: We need a "big choice" election, explaining his qualifications for president. I've participated in the two largest conservative sweeps of modern times. I won't run a Republican campaign, but an "American campaign."
9:45 p.m.: On Israel, Gingrich points out that Floridians would not sit by if a foreign power lobbed missiles into their land.
Romney: "We are committed to a Jewish state in Israel. This president said nothing about the rockets rained on Israel from the Gaza Strip" and says Obama "time and time again has shown distance from Israel."
Gingrich defends comment that the Palestinians are an "invented" people. He says they are "technically an invention" and "prior to that they were Arabs. Israel has a right to exist," he says, adding that Obama is undermining the peace process. He calls for the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, not Tel Aviv.
9:38 p.m.: Santorum: "The United States should stand on the side of the Cuban people against these despots. We're going to reward this type of Marxism ... in our region. This is the exact wrong message at the exact wrong time." He's talking about Castro as well as Chavez.
9:35 p.m.: Asked about Reagan, Romney talks about Olympics. But before Romney ran for the Senate against Teddy Kennedy in 1994, he boasted of being an independent in the past and said he wasn't a fan of the Reagan-Bush years.
9:30 p.m.: Question is who wears the Reagan laurels best. Romney acknowledges that he wasn't coming of political age at the time. Gingrich responds to attack ads that appeared over the last two days accusing him of not being a strong Reaganite.
9:08 p.m.: Responding to a woman who lost her job and healthcare, Gingrich said there were two problems: expensive care and persistent unemployment. Romney slams adminstration for not creating an environment conducive to creating jobs. Santorum agrees with the other candidates, and also floated a health savings plan.
9:02 p.m.: Romney slams Gingrich for promsing local pork in every state he's in, but Gingrich said candidates should take the time to learn about the states they were campaigning in. Said the programs were possible if costs were kept under control.
9:00 p.m.: Extraordinary: candidates have spent nearly 10 minutes talking about lunar policy; an obvious bone to Florida's Space Coast, but still quite amazing.
8:59 p.m.: Romney on Gingrich lunar policy: if some employee came to me about a colony on the moon, I'd fire them.
8:53 p.m.: Santorum: Americans needed an inspiring program, but that the focus now should be on cutting costs. Paul said we shouldn't be going to the moon, but suggested "sending politicians there sometimes."
8:52 p.m.: Paul says he'll release his medical records, as do others. Paul said he would challenge the other three candidates to a 25-mile bike ride in the heat of Texas. And he adds playfully: "There are laws against age discrimination, so if you push this too much, you better be careful."
8:45 p.m.: Gingrich said he thinks every American should have the option of paying Mitt Romney's 15% tax rate.
8:31 p.m.: Gingrich accuses Romney of profiting directly from the housing crisis, through investments in Fannie and Freddie and Goldman Sachs. Romney lashes back: says his investments were through a blind trust. Besides, Gingrich has done the same, through mutual funds.
8:28 p.m.: Blitzer pauses and confirms that Romney's Spanish-language ad accuses Gingrich of calling Spanish "ghetto language" but angry Gingrich says he never said that. That he said it is beneficial for all children to learn English and that should be focus of efforts.
8:26 p.m. Paul weighing in once again with his view of foreign policy -- stay out of others' business, little military intervention abroad.
8:25 p.m. Interesting debate about policy in Central America and South America: Santorum talking about threat of Iran in Venezuela and Cuba.
8:23 p.m.:hollybdc: RT @michaelscherer: The ad Romney doesn't know about is in Spanish, which is why. http://tinyurl.com/7lctszy
8:22: p.m.: Debate has now moved on to English only. Blitzer has asked Romney about an ad his supporters are running suggesting that Gingrich has said "Spanish is language of the ghetto." Romney says he hasn't seen it.
8:21 p.m.: Romney: there are grandmothers who live on the other side of the border who are seeking to come here legally. There is a strong give and take between Romney and Gingrich on immigration, befitting Florida's large Hispanic and other immigrant populations.
8:19 p.m.: Gingrich to Romney: You tell me what language to use for someone who is willing to deport a grandmother.
8:17 p.m.: Romney bristles: I'm not anti-immigrant. My father was born in Mexico. He lays into Gingrich, cites the defense of Marco Rubio, who told Gingrich to take ads off.
8:16 p.m.: Gingrich: Be realistic: we're not going to walk into family homes or churches -- which will declare sanctuary -- and drag illegals out to deport them. That's not going to happen.
8:15 p.m.: Paul: real issue is the economy. In strong economic times, less focus on immigration. Suggests pulling troops abroad home to guard border. First applause of night.
8:14 p.m. Romney agrees. Unfair to the 11 million here? There are 3 groups of people here: legal, illegals, and those waiting at home in native countries who follow the law. Focus our attention on how to make legal immigration work.
8:11 p.m.: Gingrich: control the border. Fix legal immigration to make it easier to come. Deportation should also be made easy, especially for criminals. Stronger employer sanctions. He agrees that "self-deportation" will occur if laws toughened, and once again he states his belief that families, grandfathers, uncles etc... will not self-deport and there isn't the stomach to deport them.
8:09 p.m.: Question from the audience: illegal immigration. Santorum goes first: Agrees with Romney on enforcing laws and seems to agree with "self-deportation." "If you're first act entering this country is to disobey a law, it's not a particularly good way to enter the country." Then SS fraud: illegals have done a lot of things wrong; also gives a shoutout to E-verify law.
8:03 p.m.: Debate underway, Wolf Blitzer in opening remarks... He's asking audience to be "respectful" after much debate over NBC's near-silent audience on Monday. But crowd shows every sign of being on the level of South Carolina's audiences, which served Gingrich well.
7:53 p.m.: Ron Paul supporters have been quite vocal, nearly drowning out CNN's coverage at several points. About 100 are in the debate hall, according to reports.
7:52 p.m.:@NewtGingrich: Don't miss the debate tonight. During the debate you can follow Newt 2012 on twitter @newt2012HQ and @newt2012FL #withnewt
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.