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Updated 01/27/2012 09:33 AM

Decision 2012: GOP Candidates Lash Out Over Housing Crisis

By: Michael Herzenberg

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"Repulsive," "offensive" and "inexcusable" are just some of the adjectives Republican presidential hopefuls hurled at one another Thursday during the final debate before Tuesday's Florida primary. NY1’s Michael Herzenberg filed the following report.

Newt Gingrich called Mitt Romney the most anti-immigrant candidate on stage Thursday during the GOP debate.

“We're not going to walk in there and grab a grandmother out and then kick ‘em out,” said Gingrich.

“My father was born in Mexico, my wife's father was born in Wales. The idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive,” Romney responded.

The polls show former House Speaker Gingrich and former Massachusetts Governor Romney virtually tied for the lead in Florida, a state with where immigration is especially relevant and important to voters.

"I think we spend way too much time worried about the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Use some of those resources on our own border," said Ron Paul.

Floridians are also focused on the housing market. It's a state hard hit by foreclosures, a point not lost on the candidates.

“Fannie Mae were Freddie Mac were a big part of why we have the housing crisis in the nation that we have. And we’ve had this discussion before. Speaker Gingrich was hired by Freddie Mac to promote them. We should have had a whistle-blower, not a horn-tooter,” said Romney.

“Governor Romney has an investment in Goldman Sachs, which is today foreclosing on Floridians, so maybe Governor Romney in the spirit of openness should tell us how much money he's made off of how many households that have been foreclosed by his investments," said Gingrich.

“But have you checked your own investments? You also have investments in mutual funds that also invest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” said Romney.

“To compare my investments with his is like comparing a tiny mouse with a giant elephant,” said Gingrich.

“That subject really doesn’t interest me a whole lot,” said Paul.

"Can we set aside that Newt was a member of Congress and used the skills that he developed as a member of Congress to go out and advise companies, and that’s not the worst thing in the world, and that Mitt Romney is a wealthy guy because he went out and worked hard, and leave that alone and focus on the issues,” said Rick Santorum.

Santorum said he wants to gradually get rid of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Ron Paul said the government-backed mortgage giants should have been auctioned off after the crash.

Gingrich said he would break them up and wean them from federal sponsorship, while Romney said that the right course is getting people back to work.