On the Campaign Trail: Sept. 6

The GOP presidential field prepares for Sept. 7 debate.

Barack Obama - Although it was an official White House event, President Obama’s Labor Day speech in Detroit had much of the feel of a campaign stop. As Obama, who is experiencing record-low job approval ratings, challenged congressional Republicans to work with him to create jobs, the crowd responded with shouts of “Four more years!”(Photo: AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Barack Obama - Although it was an official White House event, President Obama’s Labor Day speech in Detroit had much of the feel of a campaign stop. As Obama, who is experiencing record-low job approval ratings, challenged congressional Republicans to work with him to create jobs, the crowd responded with shouts of “Four more years!”(Photo: AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michele Bachmann - In a major shakeup, veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins stepped down from his role as Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign manager, citing health reasons. The timing couldn’t be worse, given Bachmann’s declining popularity since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP presidential race. "Legitimately, it's a Romney-Perry race," Rollins said Monday in an interview on CNN. "I think she's the third candidate at this point in time, which is way different and better than we thought when we started this thing.”(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

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Michele Bachmann - In a major shakeup, veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins stepped down from his role as Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign manager, citing health reasons. The timing couldn’t be worse, given Bachmann’s declining popularity since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOP presidential race. "Legitimately, it's a Romney-Perry race," Rollins said Monday in an interview on CNN. "I think she's the third candidate at this point in time, which is way different and better than we thought when we started this thing.”(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

Herman Cain - GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain continued to tout his non-politician status during a weekend campaign stop in Florida, which Cain says sets him apart from the GOP pack. But, with his single-digit poll numbers — not in a good way, it seems. In a South Carolina Republican forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint, he promoted his “9-9-9” plan, which would replace the federal tax code with an across-the-board sales, income and corporate tax rate of nine percent.(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

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Herman Cain - GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain continued to tout his non-politician status during a weekend campaign stop in Florida, which Cain says sets him apart from the GOP pack. But, with his single-digit poll numbers — not in a good way, it seems. In a South Carolina Republican forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint, he promoted his “9-9-9” plan, which would replace the federal tax code with an across-the-board sales, income and corporate tax rate of nine percent.(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

Newt Gingrich - Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, at a Republican forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint, said that his first priority as president would be to repeal President Obama’s health care reform legislation. He also said that there is an extraordinary gap between the America that the founding fathers created and the current system. “We are in great danger of decaying from citizenship to being ‘subjects’,” he said. “This is a system run amok.”(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

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Newt Gingrich - Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, at a Republican forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint, said that his first priority as president would be to repeal President Obama’s health care reform legislation. He also said that there is an extraordinary gap between the America that the founding fathers created and the current system. “We are in great danger of decaying from citizenship to being ‘subjects’,” he said. “This is a system run amok.”(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

Jon Huntsman - Jon Huntsman’s presidential prospects continue to fade. The former China ambassador didn’t even meet the Real Clear Politics five-percent average poll threshold to merit an invitation to the American Principles Project Palmetto Freedom Forum hosted by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. This week Huntsman is taking aim at Mitt Romney in a new online video ad that contrasts his number-one rating in job creation to Romney, who rated 47 when they were both governors.(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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Jon Huntsman - Jon Huntsman’s presidential prospects continue to fade. The former China ambassador didn’t even meet the Real Clear Politics five-percent average poll threshold to merit an invitation to the American Principles Project Palmetto Freedom Forum hosted by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. This week Huntsman is taking aim at Mitt Romney in a new online video ad that contrasts his number-one rating in job creation to Romney, who rated 47 when they were both governors.(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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Ron Paul - In a new campaign ad, Rep. Ron Paul contrasts his support for Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980 with fellow Texan Gov. Rick Perry’s support for Sen. Al Gore’s 1988 White House bid. "And now, America needs to decide who to trust," the ad says. "Al Gore's Texas cheerleader, or the one who stood with Reagan?"(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

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Ron Paul - In a new campaign ad, Rep. Ron Paul contrasts his support for Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980 with fellow Texan Gov. Rick Perry’s support for Sen. Al Gore’s 1988 White House bid. "And now, America needs to decide who to trust," the ad says. "Al Gore's Texas cheerleader, or the one who stood with Reagan?"(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

Rick Perry - All eyes will be on Texas governor and GOP frontrunner Rick Perry as he faces the nation and his presidential rivals during the critical Sept. 7 debate, sponsored by NBC News and Politico. He will have to defend his previous positions, such as giving in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants at the state’s universities and his 2008 endorsement of a federal economic recovery package in 2008.(Photo: AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)

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Rick Perry - All eyes will be on Texas governor and GOP frontrunner Rick Perry as he faces the nation and his presidential rivals during the critical Sept. 7 debate, sponsored by NBC News and Politico. He will have to defend his previous positions, such as giving in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants at the state’s universities and his 2008 endorsement of a federal economic recovery package in 2008.(Photo: AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)

Mitt Romney - In a USA Today op-ed, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney outlined his plan to turn around the U.S. economy. Each of the 59 policy proposals “is rooted in the conservative premise that government itself cannot create jobs,” Romney wrote. They include marginal income tax rates and eliminating President Obama’s health care bill, and interest dividends and capital gains for middle-class taxpayers.(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

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Mitt Romney - In a USA Today op-ed, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney outlined his plan to turn around the U.S. economy. Each of the 59 policy proposals “is rooted in the conservative premise that government itself cannot create jobs,” Romney wrote. They include marginal income tax rates and eliminating President Obama’s health care bill, and interest dividends and capital gains for middle-class taxpayers.(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)

Rick Santorum - Like Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum’s Real Clear Politics national poll average was not high enough to participate in last weekend’s American Principles Project Palmetto Freedom Forum, though he still spent time campaigning in South Carolina. "So [Sen. Jim DeMint] doesn't invite me — he invites Rudy Giuliani, who is not a conservative and isn't even in the race?" Santorum vented to a group of reporters. "To me, it just doesn't make any sense, but my job is to continue and be in South Carolina on Monday."(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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Rick Santorum - Like Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum’s Real Clear Politics national poll average was not high enough to participate in last weekend’s American Principles Project Palmetto Freedom Forum, though he still spent time campaigning in South Carolina. "So [Sen. Jim DeMint] doesn't invite me — he invites Rudy Giuliani, who is not a conservative and isn't even in the race?" Santorum vented to a group of reporters. "To me, it just doesn't make any sense, but my job is to continue and be in South Carolina on Monday."(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)