GOP debate: Newt Gingrich survives, Rick Perry and Ron Paul score Des Moines Register//KATHIE OBRADOVICH But Perry really made his mark when he successfully goaded Mitt Romney into one of the worst moments he's had in a debate so far. Perry challenged Romney on a passage in his first book, claiming an early edition said the Massachusetts health-care program should be a model for the national plan. Romney disputed the claim and when Perry persisted, he jokingly offered a $10,000 bet. Perry didn't take the bet, but he won the point. Newt not only survived, but thrived, and showed why he deserves to be the frontrunner and why he's not likely to lose altitude quickly. And Mitt Romney, after a series of flawless debate performances, made a huge unforced error proposing a $10,000 bet. Five Takeaways from Saturday's Debate National Journal//Ronald Brownstein Mitt Romney needed a strong performance to reverse the perception that he is losing altitude, and while he delivered some effective answers, he created more problems than he solved Saturday. The single indelible image from the debate will be Romney reaching across to bet Texas Gov. RickPerry $10,000 in a dispute over what Romney wrote in his book. Romney foes will take that bet Politico//Alexander Burns The line of the debate, as far as Democrats are concerned, is evidently Mitt Romney's offer of a $10,000 bet to Rick Perry. The DNC has already blasted out an email titled: "Here's What the Average American Family Can Buy with $10,000." D.N.C. Attacks Romney Bet NYTimes//Michael Shear What will everyone remember from the debate tonight? Even before it was over, the Democratic National Committee sought to make sure that voters don't forget Mitt Romney's spontaneous offer to bet Rick Perry $10,000 on a dispute about what Mr. Romney had written in his book. "Here's What the Average American Family Can Buy with $10,000," the D.N.C. said in an e-mail to reporters Democrats Do Backflips Over Romney's 10K Bet TPM//Benjy Sarlin Democrats could barely contain their glee after Mitt Romney proposed a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry over his health care position. "He's going to own that $10,000 bet line," DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse said on Twitter. "Nothing else he has said in this debate matters." Campaign's New Buzzword: a $10,000 Bet National Journal//Sophie Quinton The most memorable line of Saturday's Republican presidential debate wasn't a line -- it was a number. And if you didn't catch it, the Democrats are going to make sure you do. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, smiling and with his hand outstretched, offered Texas Gov. Rick Perry a $10,000 bet. Romney and Gingrich spar, weather scrutiny from the field MSNBC//Michael O'Brien The Democratic National Committee (DNC), which has been dogged in its criticism of Romney during the primary, picked up on the moment, emailing reporters a list of items the average American family could buy with $10,000. "Mitt Romney is going to rue the day he offered a $10,000 bet in this debate," said a senior Democratic Party strategist. "Talk about a window in to his out-of-touch soul. And he did it in the same debate where he again called the payroll tax cut for the middle class a temporary band-aid. Republican debate in Iowa: Mitt Romney gambles with $10k bet? Politico// REID J. EPSTEIN If Mitt Romney had said $10 or a $1 million, the line might have flown right by, but offering Rick Perry a $10,000 bet on stage at Saturday night's debate gave his opponents a perfect new way to cast him as anout-of-touch rich guy. The focus was on the sum, and the avenue it gave both Romney's Republican rivals and Democrats into what's one of his main vulnerabilities: He grew up rich and got richer, often at the expense of closing down businesses through his work at Bain Capital. A $10,000 bet between Romney and Perry tops chatter at GOP debate Associated Press BIG MOMENT: What's $10,000 among friends? Mitt Romney challenged Texas Gov. Rick Perry's claims that the former Massachusetts governor backed a requirement that individuals purchase health care coverage. Romney's rivals seized on it. Democrats were giddy about the moment, which they planned to use to cast Romney as an elitist who could afford such lavish bets. Romney's $10,000 bet was "odd" and very "Wall Street" Des Moines Register//JASON CLAYWORTH Mitt Romney's proposed $10,000 bet to Rick Perry during tonight's echoes the words of a Wall Street politician, said Robert Haus, Iowa co-chairman for the Texas governor's Iowa campaign. "That's the language of Wall Street and not the language of Main Street, Iowa," Haus said. "I just think it went right past people." Romney seeks $10,000 bet during GOP debate CBS News//Brian Montopoli At issue was Perry's claim that he read in Romney's book "No Apology" that the individual health care mandate Romney signed into law as Massachusetts governor "should be the model for the country." That seemed to anger Romney, who responded, "you know what, you've raised that before, Rick. And you're wrong." Romney's decision to offer a $10,000 bet was immediately seized upon by the Democratic National Committee, which spotlighted the amount of the bet. "FACT: $10,000 is almost three times what the average family spends on groceries in a year," read one Tweet. Romney's net worth was estimated by his campaign to be between $190 million and $250 million. Bill Burton, who runs a Democratic interest group called Priorities USA, told the Associated Press the commentshows Romney "could not be more out of step." Free-for-All Iowa Debate Highlights Fluid Race Real Clear Politics//Scott Conroy The debate's most memorable moment came during an exchange between Romney and Rick Perry, who has largely receded from the forefront of the political conversation after a series of stumbles and additional scrutiny left his once surging campaign languishing in the polls. "Rick, I'll tell you what," Romney said, extending his hand toward Perry, who was standing next to him. "10,000 bucks. $10,000 bet?" Romney's unusual offer set off immediate chatter about whether the sight of the multimillionaire candidate offering such a high-priced wager, even in jest, would reinforce perceptions that he is unable to identify with middle-class Americans. Romney bets Perry $10,000 that he's right about book Dallas Morning News Wanna bet what the most talked about moment from Saturday's GOP debate will be? The strangest exchange among the candidates came when Mitt Romney offered a $10,000 bet to Rick Perry over what his book says about a mandate to buy health insurance. Perry accused Romney of cutting from the paperback version of his book an endorsement of a federal mandate for health coverage. But Romney's proposal is likely to linger as voters struggle in a sagging economy. Analysts were quick to note that for the typical American family, $10,000 is about three months' income. Thoughts on Tonight's Debate Weekly Standard// DANIEL HALPER Rick Perry accused Romney of supporting a federal individual mandate. Romney seemed annoyed, assured him he always believed the Massachusetts plan was good for his state only, and offered Perry a $10,000 bet if the Texas governor could prove otherwise. Perry responded by saying he is not a betting man. Romney made his point, but the offer of a high dollar bet—something most Americans would not be able to do in the heat of an argument—surely reminded many viewers of the immense wealth of the former chief of Bain Capital. Romney's $10,000 bet highlights personal wealth Associated Press//STEVE PEOPLES He could have bet a beer. Or maybe a steak dinner. But during a heated dispute with Rick Perry during Saturday night's debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Mitt Romney extended his right hand and asked the Texas governor if he'd wager $10,000 to settle a dispute over his healthcare record. The rich bet instantly provided Romney's opponents with new ammunition for their charge that he's out of touch with middle-class America. It was an exchange that spanned less than a minute. But it's one that likely won't soon be forgotten. Romney's $10,000 bet highlights personal wealth Boston Globe//Associated Press//STEVE PEOPLES He could have bet a beer. Or maybe a steak dinner. But during a heated dispute with Rick Perry during Saturday night's debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Mitt Romney extended his right hand and asked the Texas governor if he'd wager $10,000 to settle a dispute over his healthcare record. The rich bet instantly provided Romney's opponents with new ammunition for their charge that he's out of touch with middle-class America. It was an exchange that spanned less than a minute. But it's one that likely won't soon be forgotten. Critics pounce on Romney's $10,000 bet offer Houston Chronicle//Associated Press//STEVE PEOPLES He could have bet a beer. Or maybe a steak dinner. But during a heated dispute with Rick Perry during Saturday night's debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Mitt Romney extended his right hand and asked the Texas governor if he'd wager $10,000 to settle a dispute over his healthcare record. The rich bet instantly provided Romney's opponents with new ammunition for their charge that he's out of touch with middle-class America. It was an exchange that spanned less than a minute. But it's one that likely won't soon be forgotten. Romney Offers $10,000 Debate Wager as Gingrich Weathers Attacks Bloomberg//JohnMcCormick and Kristin Jensen Newt Gingrich came under persistent fire in a debate yesterday as the latest front-runner in the Republican presidential race, while top rival Mitt Romney opened himself up for attacks of being out of touch with ordinary Americans by offering a $10,000 wager onstage. The Democratic National Committee jumped on the $10,000 offer, suggesting it showed Romney is out of touch with middle- class Americans. That sum is more than four months' pay for most and more than a year's worth of mortgage payments, the DNC said in an e-mail to reporters. Republican Iowa debate: Romney offers $10,000 bet BBC News Newt Gingrich, the new frontrunner, fought off heavy attacks from rivals who portrayed him as a Washington insider and questioned his judgement. Meanwhile, correspondents say Mitt Romney may have hurt his campaign by challenging fellow contender Rick Perry to a $10,000 (£6,300) bet. The debate is the 12th since the campaign began. Iowa Republican debate: Gingrich banks Romney's '$10,000 bet' gaffe The Guardian//Ewen MacAskill His main rival, Mitt Romney, had a poor night. When everything else about this debate is forgotten it will still be remembered for Romney's extraordinary bet with Texas governor Rick Perry over a point about healthcare. Romney, who is worth between $190m and $250m, bet Perry $10,000 he was wrong, a challenge Perry turned down. Spin doctors for Romney's rivals were quick to point out that the $10,000 line would harm him with voters, consolidating his reputation as being very rich. Few in Iowa, even if they were sure of a point, would dream of betting such an amount, one of Perry's spin doctors said. Mitt Romney's Losing $10,000 Bet at Iowa Debate The Atlantic//Garance Franke-Ruta Texas Gov. Rick Perry finally turned the tables on Mitt Romney Saturday night in an exchange at the debate in Des Moines that saw the former Massachusetts governor fumble in just the way Perry had previously, after being goaded into a making a fool-hardy remark. It may have been intended as a figure of speech, but for a candidate who was in his youth photographed with money falling out of his suit, who is known for coming from a plush background and having made an even vaster fortune, and who was not able to name a single instance of material want, ever, when probed on the subject at thedebate, it didn't seem so metaphorical. Mitt Romney's $10,000 bet could come back to haunt him Chicago Tribune//James Oliphant Mitt Romney, the millionaire who has tried again and again to try to show voters that he's just another everyday Joe, may have given his GOP rivals and President Obama a gold-plated gift in Saturday's debate in Iowa. While sparring with Rick Perry over healthcare at the debate in Des Moines, Romney challenged Perry to a wager. The stakes? A cool 10 grand. That's not exactly your typical bar bet. Romney Stumbles at GOP Debate Daily Beast Newt Gingrich held his own at the Iowa debate Saturday night as his rivals went after the new frontrunner. Gingrich took fire for most of the event, with Mitt Romney attacking him for calling the Palestinians an "invented people" and Rick Perry going after him for his infidelity. But his message that "I've made mistakes at times, I've had to go to God for forgiveness" appeared to resonate. Romney, on the other hand, seems to be floundering, at one point challenging Perry to a $10,000-bet on whether a line about health care appeared in the first edition of Romney's book. That wager isn't likely to help him win over working-class Iowa voters. Romney's $10K Bet a Bad Move Newser//Mark Russell Trailing a surging Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney needed to make a splash in last night's GOP debate to take back the momentum. Well, Romney definitely splashed, thanks to his bold $10,000 wager over his belief in an individual mandate for health insurance—but how much do you want to bet Romney wishes he could take back the big-money wager now? After trying so hard to prove to people that he is just a regular guy, multi-millionaire Romney "may have given his GOP rivals and President Obama a gold-plated gift in Saturday's debate in Iowa," writes the LA Times. "Not a lot of 99%'ers are out there making $10,000 bets," tweeted a former Obama White House aide, adding, "If corporations were people, $10,000 bets actually wouldn't be that big ofa deal." $10k fallout Politico//DYLAN BYERS Mitt Romney's attempt to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry was far and away the most controversial moment from Saturday night's GOP debate. The DNC went on the offensive almost immediately, "He's going to own that $10,000 bet line," DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse tweeted. "Nothing else he has said in this debate matters." In fact, the $10k bet went viral so fast that #What10kbuys, a hashtag put out by Woodhouse and the DNC, started trending worldwide. Romney Offers $10K Bet in Debate Over Health Care Position Slate//Ben Johnson The takeaways from last night's Republican debate in Iowa: Newt Gingrich won't easily be knocked from the top, Gov. Rick Perry isn't a betting man, and Mitt Romney is willing to spend $10,000 on proving a point. During the high-spirited debate at Drake University, which saw most candidates taking aim at either Romney or Gingrich, Gov. Perry accused Romney of changing hisposition on health care between editions of his book, according to The New York Times. Romney's response? "Rick, I'll tell you what," Romney said during the exchange, reaching out his hand. "Ten thousand bucks? Ten thousand dollar bet?" Romney's $10,000 bet challenge sparks buzz Boston Globe//Glen Johnson Mitt Romney's frugality despite being a millionaire is legendary, but the Republican presidential candidate seemed to undercut his reputationlast night by offering rival Rick Perry a $10,000 bet during a debate. The comment generated buzz not so much for the substance of the dispute, which stemmed from a passage in the hardcover version of Romney's book "No Apology" that was deleted from the subsequent paperback edition. Rather, the buzz last night stemmed from the figure: $10,000. It wasn't $1, or $1,000, or $1 million dollars, but an intermediary sum that came off sounding like an easily producable amount for Romney, a former venture capitalist with three homes and whose net worth isestimated at up to $250 million.