Minutes Into Debate, Perry and Romney Go for the Jugular on Job Creation

Within the first few minutes of the GOP presidential debate, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry were at each other's throats over the issue of job creation.

NBC moderator Brian Williams opened the debate by questioning the two on their respective records of job creation.

Soon after, the sparks started to fly.

Romney kicked off the festivities by stating that he wouldn't be running for president "if I had spent my whole life in government," insinuating Perry was a career politician.

Perry praised Romney for doing "a great job of creating jobs in the private sector," before turning the tables, stating, "when he [Romney] moved that experience to government, he had one of the lowest job creation rates."

He added that "we created more jobs in the last three months in Texas," than Romney did during his entire term as governor.

Romney didn't concede, however, stating that Perry benefited from his home-state's lack of income tax and its all-Republican legislature.  To take credit for that, Romney said, would be "like Al Gore saying he invited the Internet."

Perry gave his own zinger when he retorted, "Michael Dukakis created three times faster than you did."

"George Bush and his predecessor created jobs at a faster rate than you did," Romney blasted back.

Watch the two trade blows: