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Jan 6, 2008 11:36 am US/Eastern
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Romney Bears Brunt Of GOP Rivals' Criticism
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) ―
Surging in New Hampshire, John McCain seemingly should be the candidate taking heat from his Republican presidential opponents. But Mitt Romney was the one assailed during a high-stakes GOP debate.
Romney's rivals want to cripple his campaign with back-to-back losses in Iowa and New Hampshire that would hamper the wealthy former Massachusetts governor in states beyond.
Back and forth it went on Sunday, two days before the primary and only hours after Saturday night's debate.
"My friend, you can spend your whole fortune on these attack ads, but it still won't be true," McCain told his chief competitor Saturday night, taking issue with Romney's characterization of the Arizona senator's immigration plan as amnesty.
"I don't describe your plan as amnesty in my ad, I don't call it amnesty," Romney shot back -- even though two of his TV commercials use the term, including on that says McCain "wrote the amnesty bill that America rejected."
On Sunday, Romney acknowledged: "I was incorrect."
The immigration skirmish was just one of several in which Romney was on the defensive.
"The guy with the ball is the guy people are trying to tackle," Romney told ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday, brushing aside the criticism of the night before. Pressed about the frequent characterization of him as a flip-flopper, Romney blamed his chief rival in New Hampshire, saying: "The McCain campaign from the very beginning did a masterful political job of trying to tag me as that."
Romney argued that his positions as he runs for president are consistent with the actions he took as governor -- despite evidence that he has shifted to the right on some issues. He castigated politicians who he said are more interested in personal insults than changing government -- even as his campaign sought to portray McCain as a nasty politician who has a record of personally attacking his opponents.
McCain, for his part, sought to walk a careful line.
"He has changed his position on almost every major issue," McCain said of Romney on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. He added: "That doesn't mean he's not a good person."
Romney's aggressive demeanor over the past few days and his rivals' willingness to openly assail him reflect the stakes in the wide-open race for the Republican presidential nomination. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, defeated Romney in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday with an underfunded campaign. Now Romney faces a strong challenge from a resurgent McCain in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday. Michigan, where Romney was reared and is competing strongly, votes a week later.
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Texas Rep. Ron Paul also participated in the 90-minute debate.
Romney walked onstage fresh from a victory earlier in the day in the scarcely contested Wyoming caucuses. Seeking to become the first Mormon president, he said the outcome was "just the beginning."
A pre-debate poll in New Hampshire suggested McCain's momentum had carried him into a narrow lead over Romney, with Huckabee in third place. It also suggested Huckabee had not yet profited from his victory in Iowa. But the results of an election in one state often take several days to show up in surveys in another state.
Romney, who has contributed more than $17 million of his own money to his bid, could hang in the race far longer than others. But it would be difficult, though not impossible, to rebound from a second straight loss, given that his strategy has been based on using consecutive victories to steamroll the field in later-voting states.
His rivals keyed in on Romney's record of reversing and shifting positions on issues such as abortion, gun control and gay rights as well as his recent attempt to cast himself as someone who can makes major changes and fix a dysfunctional Washington.
"We disagree on a lot of issues, but I agree you are the candidate of change," McCain said with a laugh, using Romney's latest theme against him.
During a discussion on Iraq, Romney told Huckabee, "Don't try and characterize my position."
"Which one?" Huckabee fired back.
Giuliani, too, slapped at Romney. Giuliani cited Ronald Reagan's granting amnesty to illegal immigrants in the 1980s and said: "I think he'd be in one of Mitt's negative commercials."
Romney did not help himself at one point, giving his opponents fodder to criticize him over the health care plan he signed into law as governor; it required residents to get health insurance. "I like mandates. The mandates work," Romney said. Thompson did a double-take: "I beg your pardon? I didn't know you were going to admit that. You like mandates."
The criticism led Romney, who has run arguably the most negative campaign of any Republican, to plead several times for his rivals to refrain from personal attacks.
"You know, we're wise to talk about policies and not to make personal attacks," Romney said. At another point, he complained, "The continued personal barbs are interesting but unnecessary."
Yet, as the candidate begged for civility, his aides were busy e-mailing news releases that went after McCain personally, pointing out instances in which the senator used expletives against his political foes.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)