(CNN) -- President Barack Obama told a Labor Day crowd in Detroit that he's prepared to fight for a new job growth plan, defend organized labor and take steps to "restore the middle class in America," while five Republican candidates hoping to defeat him next year all called for repealing the major legislation passed so far in Obama's presidency. 

The Republican presidential candidates participating in the Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia, South Carolina, which was televised on CNN, were unified in advocating the end of the health care reform law and the Wall Street reform measure passed by a Democratic-led Congress. 

They also all expressed strong anti-abortion views and their belief in marriage being between a man and a woman at the event set up by Sen. Jim DeMint, a leading tea party conservative. 

Meanwhile, in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, other Republican presidential contenders ripped Obama's handling of the economy and pledged to take an economically battered America in a new direction marked by less spending and fewer regulations. 

The sharply differing visions raised new questions about the ability of top Democrats and Republicans to tackle pressing budgetary and other issues while positioning themselves for what promises to be a bitterly contested campaign next year. 

In a speech that likely previewed his scheduled address Thursday to a joint session of Congress to present a jobs plan, Obama directly challenged Republicans, whom he has accused of obstructing progress in order to score political points. 

"These are tough times for working Americans," Obama told the union-dominated crowd at a rally that included a warm-up from Aretha Franklin. "The time for Washington games is over. The time for action is now." 
how many republican candidates were there?
while five Republican candidates