Romney, Giuliani boast of tax-cut records

DEARBORN, Mich. — Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani clashed over tax and spending cuts Tuesday, each saying he was more committed than the other as they vied for conservative support in a debate in the nation’s manufacturing heartland.

The government “is spending money of future generations and those yet to be born,” added Fred Thompson, making his debate debut after a late entry into the race.

“We are spending money we don’t have,” he said, although he advocated no specific changes to shift course.

Giuliani and Romney got down to specifics, and sharply, when asked to discuss their differences over economic issues.

“I cut taxes 23 times. I believe in tax cuts,” said Giuliani, former mayor of New York.

Romney said they were in agreement about tax cuts, then criticized Giuliani for having filed a court challenge to a law that gave President Clinton the right to veto spending items line by line. “I’m in favor of the line-item veto,” he said, adding he exercised it 844 times while governor of Massachusetts.

Romney also said that while mayor, Giuliani “fought to keep the commuter tax, which is a very substantial tax … on consumers coming into New York.”

Giuliani responded that spending fell in New York while he was mayor, and rose in Massachusetts while Romney was governor.

“The point is that you’ve got to control taxes. I did it, he didn’t. … I led, he lagged.”

“It’s all baloney,” retorted Romney. “I did not increase taxes in Massachusetts. I lowered taxes.”

The clash was among the most heated of the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, reflecting a quickening pace as the primaries draw closer.

It also left Thompson and the other contenders as something of bystanders for the several moments that Romney and Giu­liani went at one another.

All nine of the men on stage sought to stress their conservative economic credentials throughout the two-hour debate.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona said President Bush was right to veto a children’s health expansion bill, and he urged him to reject a multibillion-dollar public works measure as well.

“We’ve got to get wasteful spending under control,” he said.

“We have to get spending under control,” agreed Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. No matter whether Republicans or Democrats are in control of Congress, he said, “the system is built to spend.”

Challenged to identify one government account he would cut, Brownback cited a program involving “advanced technology.”

“If you want to control federal spending you must look at Social Security and Medicare,” said Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado. He said he favors private Social Security accounts, or “forget the idea of ending deficit spending.”

Eight of the candidates support the continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq, but Rep. Ron Paul of Texas drew a loud round of applause when he loudly dissented.