Hopefuls spar over abortion, taxes

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Under pressure from rivals, the leading Republican presidential contenders defended their conservative credentials on abortion, gun control and tax cuts in a feisty debate Tuesday night.

“Republicans should be uniting” to defeat the Democrats, implored former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, rather than stressing their differences.

Giuliani, pressed repeatedly on his support for abortion rights, wasn’t the only contender to field pointed questions.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded he had signed legislation banning assault weapons but said, “Let’s get the record straight.” He said he is a supporter of the rights of gun owners under the Second Amendment.

Arizona Sen. John McCain said he would make sure President Bush’s tax cuts are made permanent, even though he voted against them because they were not accompanied by spending cuts.

“If we don’t make them permanent, then every business, farm and family will have to adjust their budgets to what is in effect a tax increase,” he said.

All three men sought to stand their ground – and protect their standing in the presidential race – in a 90-minute debate at the University of South Carolina.

The 10 men on the debate stage differed only by degree when it came to the familiar Republican themes of tax cuts, reduced spending and a smaller federal bureaucracy.

Giuliani called for “Reagan-like budget cuts across the board” of between 5 percent and 20 percent, and Tommy Thompson said he had made many vetoes while governor of Wisconsin to hold down spending.

In a change from the campaign’s first debate May 3, some contenders who lag in the polls jabbed at the front-runners.

Asked whether he believes McCain, Romney and Giuliani were soft on immigration, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado said, “I do.”

That wasn’t all, he added quickly, saying his rivals had undergone recent conversions on abortion and other issues.

“I trust those conversions when they happen on the road to Damascus and not on the road to Des Moines,” he said, contrasting the biblical with the political.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore bore in, as well: “Some of the people on this stage were very liberal in characterizing themselves as conservatives, particularly on the issues of abortion and taxes and health care.”

He singled out Giuliani for his position on abortion and said Mike Huckabee raised taxes while governor of Arkansas.

Huckabee responded that the state raised taxes in response to a court order and said he had cut taxes repeatedly.

On the defensive for much of the evening, Giuliani switched gears nearly an hour into the debate, challenging Rep. Ron Paul’s suggestion that the U.S. bombing of Iraq had contributed to the terrorist attacks of 2001.

As mayor of New York at the time of the attacks, Giuliani said sternly, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before, and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations.”

His rebuke to Paul drew some of the loudest applause of the night. McCain and Romney also sniped at one another.

Romney criticized the Arizona senator for working across party lines on two bills that conservatives oppose, measures on immigration and campaign spending.

In a slap at the former Massachusetts governor, McCain said: “I haven’t changed my position in even-numbered years or … because of the different offices that I may be running for.”

Romney, in turn, poked at McCain’s call for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying: “Some people have said we ought to close Guantanamo.” Romney said, he would imprison even more suspected terrorists there. “I’m glad they’re at Guantanamo. I don’t want them on our soil,” he said.