Michele Bachmann's uphill struggle

Rick Perry is looking to make a strong first impression on the national stage.

Mitt Romney is hoping for another flawless debate performance, while Michele Bachmann, perhaps, is shooting for relevance in what increasingly appears to be a two-man race.

The three presidential candidates were to appear onstage today at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library with the rest of the Republican field for the first of three debates in as many weeks.

Polls show Perry and Romney, the former Massachusetts Governor, competing for the lead.

There are signs that the rocket that shot Bachmann to near the front of the Republican nomination race is starting to sputter.

Signalling trouble is news that Ed Rollins, the veteran Republican consultant who over his long career has advised Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, is leaving his day-to-day post as top strategist in Bachmann's campaign, citing his health.

Rollins, who is 68, suffered a stroke last year.

While he has said he will still be available in a less hands-on capacity, his deputy, David Polyansky, is leaving her team entirely.

- Independent, AP