Herman Cain shot back against allegations of sexual harassment even as chief rival Mitt Romney said accusations made publicly in New York raise serious questions about Cain.
ABC News and Yahoo! interviewed every major Republican candidate Tuesday, one year out from election day 2012 and two months before the Iowa Caucus-goers become the first to state their preference in the primary.
It was Cain’s first opportunity to respond in a live interview to the allegations made by Sharon Bialek, a former employee of a foundation run by the National Restaurant Association. Cain said he didn’t remember Bialek. Romney took the opportunity to issue his strongest attack on Cain, while the rest of the Republican field tread lightly around the issue.
The interviews, conducted across the country throughout the day, highlighted the many policy and personality differences between the candidates.
Below is a rundown of what each had to say. Click here for analysis from ABC News’ Political Director Amy Walter on what we learned from the interviews.
And read more about the candidates’ personalities, which showed through during a “lightning round” of personal questions .
“I have had nothing but the utmost respect for any and all women as well as those who have worked under my leadership,” Cain told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl in the ABC News/Yahoo Newsmakers interview. “I can categorically say I have never acted inappropriately with anyone, period. And as far as these latest charges… I reject all of those.”
Cain said the charges are “baseless” and “bogus” and that the accusations are an attempt from his opponents to derail his candidacy.
“When I first saw her [Bialek]… I didn’t even recognize her,” Cain said.
When asked if Bialek was lying, Cain replied, “Yes, I’m saying that as nice a way as I can.”
Read more about allegations against Cain.
Cain also talked about his unconventional campaign, and suggested that his status as an outsider is threatening to Washington Republicans.
Read more about Jonathan Karl’s interview with Herman Cain.
But Romney said any accusations need to be taken seriously.
“Anytime there is an accuser that comes forward with charges of this nature you recognize this is a very serious matter and it should be taken seriously,” said Romney.
In addition to raising questions about the allegations against Cain, Romney defended his own record on abortion and other issues. Democrats have accused him of having “no core” for evolving his stance on abortion and other things. Romney said that’s a diversionary tactic.
“I’ll let the slings and arrows come, as they may. And continue talking about the failure of this presidency. And I know, of course, the last thing the president wants to do and his team wants to do is to talk about their record,” he said. “But I’ll keep bringing it back to it. They failed.”
Romney also said he thinks Presidents Obama and Bush were wrong in their approach to saving the auto industry through a managed bankruptcy. And he answered some personal questions, including recalling his worst job — bailing hay despite a hay allegy – and saying he’d choose Academy Award winner Gene Hackman to play him in a movie.
Read more about George Stephanopoulos’ interview of Mitt Romney.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said individuals should not be questioned on their “decision about their sexuality” and said he would be “comfortable” returning to the military policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
Perry said DADT worked well before President Obama repealed it in what Perry described as a response to president’s political base.
“I think you go back to commanders in the field and have that conversation. I think Don’t Ask Don’t Tell worked very well,” Perry told Christiane Amanpour. “I think the idea that the president of the United States wanted to make a political statement using our men and women in the military as the tool for that was irresponsible.”
Perry said he would not rule out a preemptive strike against Iran to ensure the country does not develop nuclear weapons, and said Obama should have taken measures to overthrow the current regime.
“I think the United States needed to be actively involved in taking that oppressive regime out of control of Iran. We had an opportunity and we missed it.”
Asked what Democrat on Capitol Hill he could work with, Perry pointed to a higher Democrat – Joe Biden – saying he “gets it” compared to the president, who he said is “dividing this country.”
“I think it would be very helpful if we had a president of the United States that is not about dividing this country, and I think President Obama is about dividing this country with frankly no thought about what it does to the future of this country,” Perry said.
“I could sit down and talk to Joe Biden. I think Joe Biden gets it.
Ron Paul called Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren “a socialist” and suggested the federal highway system was a mistake.
ABC’s Terry Moran read to Paul a widely cited viral video defense of government by Warren , the consumer advocate who is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat.
He responded to Warren’s argument that a wealthy person who has benefited from government in areas like security and roads and should give back.
“She’s a socialist,” Paul said. “She wants the government to do all this.”
“When the state runs things that is a socialist idea that it should be collective,” he said. “I preach home schooling and private schooling and competition in schools.”
Paul said he believe none other Republican candidates represents the small government ethos than he does.
And it wasn’t surprising that the Texas congressman said his favorite song was “Born Free.”
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