The Romney-Giuliani Campaign Fight Is Getting Tiresome Early

Monday, November 26, 2007

RUDY GIULIANI, MITT ROMNEY

The best way to get a grasp of the seemingly endless back-and-forth between the Giuliani and Romney camps is to read Bryon’s great article.

The second best way is to just take a look at the dueling-banjos e-mails piling up in my and the rest of the campaign world’s e-mailboxes, many of which have been spotlighted on the Corner earlier today. Sometimes I feel like we campaign correspondents are that third friend stuck between two friends who refuse to talk to each other, but who are hell-bent on continuing the argument without direct engagement.

Maybe because it’s after Thanksgiving, voters really are tuning in with greater intensity now, but to those of us who have been watching this campaign from the start, it’s a lot of old stuff – post-Thanksgiving leftovers. Are there any GOP primary voters who really have no idea Giuliani was a social liberal as New York mayor? Are there any out there who haven’t seen differing comments between Romney’s campaigns in 1994 and 2002 and his comments on the trail today? Looking at each guy’s level of support – are there many supporters who will really be dislodged by the 10,000th version of the argument, “Rudy’s not a real conservative” or “Mitt’s a flip-flopper?”

The back and forth, after the jump…

From Team Mitt:

From MSNBC’s First Read today…
Even though he’s taking the day off from the campaign trail, Romney had another chance to repeat his criticisms of Giuliani — during a radio interview today.“I think it’s going to be very, very difficult for people to think of Mayor Giuliani representing the Republican Party,” Romney told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. “He’s the same as Hillary Clinton on most of those social issues.”
Romney also defended his decision-making process in choosing judges — something Giuliani brought into question this weekend, citing the ruling of a Massachusetts judge Kathe Tuttman, who was appointed by Romney and later released a convicted murderer who went on to kill again. “He came after me this weekend on that, which, I frankly thought he’d was the last person who would raise that kind of issue because of course with Bernie Kerik,” said Romney. “Now we know this person’s been indicted 16 times, has plead guilty to crimes in state court –- that shows such a remarkable lapse in judgment.”

(So much for my prediction that Romney wouldn’t cite Kerik in this fight.)

From Team Rudy:
Perhaps Campaign Trail Mitt Romney should take a step back and review what Governor Mitt Romney did on health care before talking about which Republican candidate is most like Hillary. Of course, we’re more than happy to let Hillary Clinton’s legislative director refresh Campaign Trail Mitt Romney’s memory:
Hillary Clinton Senate Legislative Director Laurie Rubiner: “It’s sort of funny to me that [Romney] would cast it as a big government solution, when it’s essentially what he enacted in Massachusetts …” (Ben Smith, “Firing Back,” Politico’s “Ben Smith Blog,” www.politico.com, 9/17/07, Accessed 9/18/07)

Earlier in the Day, from Team Mitt:

Rudy’s Rolaids:
Mayor Giuliani is now promising to vigorously compete in the early primary states, telling The Washington Post that he plans to win the early primary states, presumably directing more resources into those states.
Here is the Key Rudy Reply:
"'It is not inconceivable that you could, if you won Florida [after losing in the early states], turn the whole thing around,'" Giuliani told The Washington Post. "'I'd rather not do it that way. That would create ulcers for my entire staff and for me. . . . We want to win as many of the early ones as possible. That's why we're here [New Hampshire] and not in Florida right now.'"

Also from Team Mitt:

"HE'S VERY MUCH LIKE HILLARY CLINTON"
Mayor Giuliani & Sen. Clinton Share Liberal Values"I think he's found himself having to stand up and explain why it is that we ought to make him the nominee when he's very much like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-choice like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-gay civil union like Hillary Clinton. He's pro-sanctuary cities like she is…" – Gov. Mitt Romney (Fox News Radio's "Brian And The Judge," 11/26/07)

11/26 03:50 PM Share