The economy took center stage at the beginning of Monday night’s GOP debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and his policies while at Bain Capital faced the bulk of the criticism during the opening minutes.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took aim at Romney, accused him of increasing taxes while governor of Massachusetts and cutting jobs while at the venture capitalist firm Bain Capital. Romney defended his record saying that he balanced the budget every year of his term.  Rick Perry touted job creation during his tenure as governor of Texas and urged Romney to release his income tax returns, something Romney has thus far refused to do.

And the hits against Romney, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, kept coming.  Rick Santorum piled on Romney, complaining that an ad run by a Super PAC that supports Romney is factually inaccurate.  Santorum used his first opportunity to speak to question the frontrunner about his stance on allowing felons who have completed their sentence to vote (something the Super PAC ad claimed Santorum supported).  Romney replied that he did not believe those who are convicted of violent crimes should be allowed to vote, but that he did not have the political capital to pass such legislation in the heavily Democratic Massachusetts legislature.

Monday’s debate was sponsored by Fox News and the Wall Street Journal and comes five days before the South Carolina primary.  The GOP panel is missing former Utah Jon Hunstman who suspended his campaign earlier on Monday.

Watch the debate live here.