Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, thanks former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for his endorsement during a news conference in North Charleston, S.C., Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, thanks former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for his endorsement during a news conference in North Charleston, S.C., Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)
FILE - In this April 9, 2010, file photo then-Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty , left, gives former Massachusetts. Gov. Mitt Romney a pat on the back at a conservative Freedom Foundation of Minnesota event in Bloomington, Minn. Pawlenty is endorsing Mitt Romney for president. That's the word from Romney's campaign. Pawlenty is a former Minnesota governor who dropped out of the GOP nomination race last month after a poor showing in the Iowa straw poll. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig,File)
Texas Governor Rick Perry and law enforcement personnel observe the playing of "TAPS" during a memorial service at the Texas State Cemetery Twin Towers Monument in Austin, TX, Sunday, Sep. 11, 2011. America observed the 10th anniversary of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with remembrance services around the country. (AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)
Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during a memorial service at the Texas State Cemetery Twin Towers Monument in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. America observed the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with remembrance services around the country. (AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Republican presidential hopefuls plan to use a televised debate Monday to press frontrunner Rick Perry to justify his criticism of Social Security, which has dominated the contest in recent days.
Perry, the Texas governor, partly explained his remarks in an op-ed article in USA Today. In it he said his proposed changes would not affect current and soon-to-be retirees. Perry wrote that "reforms," which he did not specify, are needed to shore up the program's long-term health.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, touting an endorsement from a former rival Monday, has sharply criticized Perry for calling Social Security's funding arrangement a "Ponzi scheme" and "monstrous lie" in a California debate last week.
The government predicts that unless Social Security is modified it will be unable to fully fund benefits starting in 2037.
Romney is running second to Perry in recent polls of Republicans. The two men and six other candidates planned to face each other Monday in a two-hour debate sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express.
Romney won an endorsement from former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who recently dropped out of the GOP contest. People close to Perry's campaign said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal would endorse the Texas governor and accompany him to Tampa.
Romney made an earlier stop Monday at Boeing Co.'s new $750 million plant in North Charleston, S.C. He criticized the Obama administration's links to organized labor, arguing that a National Labor Relations Board's complaint against the aeronautics giant is White House payback to unions.
Romney suggested that any economic stimulus package should include legislation telling the NLRB to drop its complaint against Boeing. The company is accused of retaliating against union actions in Washington state.
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Associated Press writers Bruce Smith in South Carolina and Kasie Hunt in Washington contributed to this report.
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