Bush, Carson seek to steady campaigns in GOP debate

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Republicans Jeb Bush and Ben Carson sought to steady their presidential campaigns in Tuesday night's GOP debate, with Bush taking advantage of a policy-focused contest to detail positions on the economy and immigration while Carson swatted away mounting questions about the veracity of his celebrated biography.

After a furor over moderators' aggressive tone in the last debate, Tuesday's hosts from Fox Business Network allowed the eight candidates to deliver lengthy, uninterrupted answers and avoided attempts to get them to engage with one another.

Bush entered the debate in a precarious position, desperate to ease the anxiety of donors and other supporters.

While it's unclear if his competent performance Tuesday night will be enough to reset his campaign, he highlighted his fluency on domestic policy issues and described himself as best prepared to take on Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton in a general election.

In one of the night's notable exchanges, Bush stood by his plan for allowing some people living in the U.S. illegally to have a path to legal status, an unpopular position with many Republicans.

While Trump has generated attention through his outspoken statements on the campaign trail, he delved into the policy discussions in Tuesday's debate, including outlining his opposition to a new Asia-Pacific trade deal supported by many Republicans.

[...] he's proved to be an awkward campaigner and has sometimes appeared out of step with a Republican electorate eager to voice its frustration with the political class.

Late Tuesday, New York hedge fund manager and major Republican benefactor Cliff Asness, who decided several days ago to back Rubio, told the campaign he'd begin making his choice known to other influential donors.

Both were dropped from the top-tier debate with low poll numbers in national surveys, sparking criticism for the way networks hosting the debates have determined participation.