Romney remains least risible Republican candidate for another week

Mitt Romney has accused Barack Obama of lacking the authority and foresight to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons.

According to the Times (£), Romney said:

“If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if we elect Mitt Romney – if you elect me as the next President – they will not have a nuclear weapon.”

The Times added (£):

Declaring that America must not shirk its responsibility as the “leader of the free world”, he said that the White House should impose crippling sanctions on Iran. “If all else fails… Then of course you take military action.”

Not wanting to be outdone, Rick Perry used the debate to pledge further major policy changes:

He was in bold and combative mood, winning strong applause for pledging to cut all foreign aid to zero before asking countries to explain why they deserved US assistance. He defended the use interrogation techniques that might save American lives. “This is war,” he said. “That’s what happens in war.”

Perry has much to do to overcome his massive gaffe at the last Republican debate, when he completely forgot one of the three departments he was planning to abolish were he elected:

For those curious, the third department was energy. To paraphrase our own Will Straw, the video would be more funny if he weren’t advocating scrapping the entire US education department.

Finally, Herman Cain remains in the race, just about. He’s now at the “wheeling out the family” stage of a sex scandal, and his wife dutifully appeared on Fox News to say he was a very nice man really.

Gloria Cain said:

“You hear the graphic allegations and we know that would have been something that’s totally disrespectful of her as a woman. And I know the type of person he is. He totally respects women.”

Jon Stewart is just about the only commentator left covering the Cain campaign, for reasons which are abundantly clear; the man may be less likely to be the next president than one of his own pizza boys, but he remains comedy gold:

See also:

• GOP: Bullying’s OK if God tells you to – Alex Hern, November 8th 2011

• USA 2012: Cain self-destructs, and Huntsman attempts to drag Romney into the fray – Alex Hern, November 1st 2011

• Republican tax plans put the myth of conservative economic prowess to bed – Alex Hern, October 27th 2011

• Obama mocks the mad Right and makes the case for the State – Shamik Das, September 9th 2011

• Republican elephants enter the room as rivals to Obama – Dominic Browne, May 26th 2011