And they're off

Moderator George Stephhanopolis is joined by the Register's David Yepsen at a table in front of the stage.

The debate started quickly without opening remarks but with the reading of ABC polling results of the candidates in Iowa. Here is the link to the ABC article siting the newest numbers. The results were: Romney-26, Giuliani-14, Fred Thompson-13, Huckabee-8, McCain-8, Brownback-5, Tancredo-5, Tommy Thompson-4, Paul-2, Hunter-1.

The poll does show definate movement of Governor Huckabee who had 2% in the last ABC poll on July 26. The Governor has spent a great deal of time in the state over the last month. Senator McCain's lower numbers come after staff resignations at the top level of his national campaign and cutting in half the size of this Iowa operation.

The first question follows the airing of a segment of a Brownback auto-call accusing Governor Romney of changing his position on abortion and also pointing out a donation his wife made to Planned Parenthood.

Brownback defended the call saying, "One word describes that ad; truthful." Romney replied that "Virtually nothing in that ad is true" and "Virtually every part of that ad is innaccurate" and "just completely wrong." Romney claimed that he is pro-life and said one of the strongest statements of the debate, "I am tired of people who are holier than thou because they've been pro-life longer than I have." The attacks were also called "desperate" and "negative".

Romney admitted that the postion that he had held when he campaigned for Senate and later Governor was painfully different then the way he personally felt, and later in the debate admitted as a big mistake.

Governor Thompson said a pro-life Republican nominee could face trouble with the church and Republican voters.