thanks so much. just hours from now, eight presidential candidates will square off in tampa, florida. rick perry the front-runner and also the main target of his fellow republicans. and perry may have made the bull s-eye even bigger by attacking social security, a program considered sacred by millions of older americans. jim accosta is in tampa. and let s begin with word of a new endorsement we re hearing about this morning. reporter: that s right. if mitt romney was looking for a spark to help his campaign, he may have gotten it this morning. former minnesota governor tim pawlenty has announced that he is getting behind the former massachusetts governor. so that is good news for mitt romney. but this debate comes this evening, kyra, as a new cnn/orc poll shows that there is a big lead for rick perry. the race is basically boiling down to rick perry and whoever can keep up. texas governor rick perry has ditched his cowboy boots for his running shoes, staying far ahead of th