GOP Debate Turns Testy

Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney wasted little time getting into attack mode tonight as the eight Republican candidates squared off in a feisty debate. Romney said Giuliani encouraged illegal aliens to settle in NYC when he was mayor, and Giuliani accused Romney of employing illegal aliens at his home, which he labeled a "sanctuary mansion." At one point, the audience booed Giuliani when he persisted in his attack, the AP reports.

When Romney said it would be un-American to check the papers of workers because of "funny accents," Giuliani criticized his "holier-than-thou" attitude. The fireworks between the top two contenders stole the thunder of the debate, in which candidates answered live questions from people on YouTube on everything from abortion to farm subsidies. (More Republican stories.)