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Gov. O'Malley Criticizes GOP Presidential Hopefuls On National Platform

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Less than a year until the next presidential election. Republican hopefuls held another debate Saturday night, and now Maryland's governor goes after the GOP field.

Adam May has more.

On top of leading Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley's national profile is growing. Over the last few weeks, he's appeared on numerous national political shows. This Sunday, he spoke for Democrats on CBS' "Face the Nation."

O'Malley attacked GOP presidential hopefuls following Saturday's debate.

"What has happened in the course of these Republican presidential debates is a lot of, sort of, erratic statements, a lot of behavior that is not really in keeping with some of the longer traditions of the party of Lincoln. So you see a real pandering to extremists,"  O'Malley said.

The debate topics included controversial interrogation techniques labeled torture by President Obama.

"If I were president, I would be willing to use waterboarding. I think it was very effective," said Republican Presidential Candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Herman Cain agreed.

"I would return to that policy. I don't see it as torture. I see it as an enhanced interrogation technique," Cain said.

The candidates did not attack each other, instead they went after the president.

"If we reelect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon," said Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. "If you elect Mitt Romney-- if you elect me as the next president-- they will not have a nuclear weapon."

Governor O'Malley fired back.

"There's been no ideas about job creation, no new ideas about growing our middle class, no new ideas about reinvesting in this great idea of America," O' Malley said.

The first primaries will be held January.

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