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McCain, Romney tussle over conservative values

BY BART JONES | bart.jones@newsday.com

January 31, 2008

Fresh off a victory in Florida and with the support of primary dropout Rudy Giuliani, John McCain squared off last night with Mitt Romney in a Republican debate over who has the most legitimate claim to holding conservative values.

Clashes broke out quickly at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., with McCain and Romney arguing.

Romney accused McCain of being "out of the mainstream" of conservative Republican beliefs, noting that he twice voted against President George W. Bush's tax cuts and has sponsored legislation that would grant "amnesty" to undocumented immigrants. He also charged that McCain pushed campaign finance reforms that restricted fundraising and spending.

"If you get endorsed by The New York Times, you're probably not a conservative," Romney cracked.

But McCain shot back that he also won the endorsement of two newspapers in Romney's home base of Boston, where people "know you the best."

"I'm proud of my conservative record," McCain said. "It's one of reaching out across the aisle to get things done for Americans."

He said he opposes tax cuts not coupled with spending restraints, and that if elected he would secure America's borders before taking any other action on immigration. He also charged that Romney left Massachusetts with high taxes and a large debt.

The 90-minute debate allowed McCain and Romney to focus on each other after the vote in Florida left no doubt they were the two viable contenders for their party's nomination. Reagan's widow, Nancy, was on hand for the event, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul also took part in the debate, although at one point Huckabee complained, "This isn't a two-man race." He demanded more attention from the moderators, led by CNN's Anderson Cooper.

McCain and Romney also clashed on the Iraq war, with McCain charging that Romney had previously endorsed a "timetable" for withdrawing troops.

Romney denied he backed a specific date for withdrawal, and called the accusation a "dirty trick" by McCain. He also fired back at the Arizona senator, "How is it that you're the expert on my position?"

McCain responded that, "of course, he said he wanted a timetable."

McCain got a major boost earlier in the day when Giuliani, after withdrawing from the race following a disastrous - and distant - third-place finish in Florida, threw his support to the senator.

"John McCain is the most qualified candidate to be the next commander-in-chief of the United States," Giuliani said. "He's an American hero."