By Byron York Wasington Examiner
ORLANDO -- In the hours before another high-profile Republican debate Texas
Gov. Rick Perry is leveling some of the campaigns sharpest rhetoric yet at rival Mitt Romney. In an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity Wednesday night Perry said Republicans dont need to nominate Obama lite -- someone whos going to blur the lines between President Obama and our nominee.
When Hannity noted that in Republican circles Obama lite is a pretty rough term Perry explained
I think its important that we have a clear distinction between the candidates. When you take a look at what Mitt did from the standpoint of Romneycare in Massachusetts youre going to have a hard time finding a difference between Obamacare and Romneycare.
With that answer Perry left no doubt that Obama lite refers to just one person: Mitt Romney.
The response from the Romney camp late Wednesday night suggested the campaigns charges and countercharges are becoming more personal. Its amusing to listen to Al Gores campaign chairman from Texas lecture
Republicans on who they should nominate for president Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.
What we need to turn around this bad economy is Mitt Romney who has a solid record of accomplishment creating jobs in the private sector.
Perrys stepped-up rhetoric comes amid a growing sense that his campaign has lost altitude in recent days. Recent polls have shown Romney narrowing Perrys lead and a survey in South Carolina showed Perrys margin shrinking from 20 points to just four.
The Perry and Romney camps spent the day before the debate lobbing attack press releases at each other on the subjects of jobs Social Security and health care.
On Social Security it had appeared in recent days that Perry was subtly backing away from his use of the phrase Ponzi scheme. He did not use the words in an op-ed on Social Security for USA Today and he did not use them in the last Republican debate except to say that others have also used Ponzi scheme to describe Social Security.
But on Wednesday night Perry made clear hes still willing to use the term
saying at one point that young people know what a Ponzi scheme is when they look at Social Security.
A moment later Perry said I agree that this is a Ponzi scheme for our young people. So Perry appears to be all in on the Ponzi scheme question.
The debate sponsored by Fox News Google and the Republican Party of Florida is scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday night in Orlando.
