In a debate with a Republican Presidential aspirant, he declared that tough action against unfair trade practices was essential to defend the "standard of living of the American middle class."

Elizabeth Dole, former American Red Cross president and Republican Presidential aspirant, endorsed the NATO attack.

Another factor is that the seven Republican Presidential aspirants provide considerable competition for the committee's fund-raising events.

The substance of where we're going is solid," said Steven A. Merksamer, a Sacramento lawyer who has advised Republican presidential aspirants for years and who now advises Mr. Dole, "but we don't need to overreach.

Most notably, Mr. Romney is considered a possibility to follow in the path of his father, George W. Romney, a Michigan governor who became a Republican presidential aspirant.

The questioning by reporters came the day before a debate for the six Republican Presidential aspirants sponsored by The Des Moines Register and appeared to distract the Vice President.

In this manner, without any statutory changes, all Republican aspirants would receive a fair hearing, and the field would narrow down to the serious contenders.

And it offered a tempting line of attack for Republican Presidential aspirants looking for a hammer to use against a President who rode into office under a banner of ethical purity.

Republican presidential aspirants have gleaned this lesson over the past decade.

B17 News analysis: a political debate revealed Republican Presidential aspirants deeply divided over foreign policy and Democratic Presidential aspirants arguing details instead of basic principles.