Rivals assail Romney in South Carolina debate

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Under heavy debate pressure from his rivals, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney defended his record as a venture capitalist, insisted he bears no responsibility for attack ads aired by his allies and grudgingly said Monday night he might release his income tax returns this spring. Romney came under criticism from the opening moments of the debate, the first of two in the run-up to this weekend’s first-in-the-South primary in South Carolina. The former Massachusetts governor won the first two events of the campaign, the Iowa caucuses and last week’s New Hampshire primary, and leads in the pre-primary polls in South Carolina. (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)