(CNN) — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum mixed it up over their records on the debt, taxes and earmarks Wednesday night in the first Republican presidential debate in almost a month, and the first before three contests in the next 10 days followed by the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses on March 6.

Answering a question from the audience on how to bring down the nation’s debt, the former Massachusetts governor attacked Santorum’s record when he was representing Pennsylvania in the Senate.

“Voting for the debt ceiling five different times without voting for compensating cuts,” said Romney, describing Santorum as a big spender in Congress. “Voting to fund Planned Parenthood, voting to expand the Department of Education. During his term in the Senate spending grew by some 80% of the federal government.”

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