Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani drew a lot of attention with a pointed exchange during a debate last week in Michigan.
At one point Romney accused Giuliani of exaggerating his role as a tax cutter during his tenure as mayor of New York City.
On Sunday in Exeter, Giuliani refuted Romney’s attacks.
NHPR Correspondent Dan Trudeau has more.
From the moment Rudy Giuliani picked up the microphone at Exeter town hall… he was eager to talk taxes.
He never mentioned Mitt Romney by name, … but the former New York City mayor Giuliani spent his entire 15-minute speech touting his record as a small government mayor.
And he promised more of the same if elected president.
AX: I cut the income tax by 24 percent… 24 percent. Would you like to have the Federal income tax cut by 24 percent? (applause) All these other people that are talking about doing that — they never did anything like that. I actually got it accomplished.
Track: Giuliani was more explicit in his attacks on the top Democratic candidates.
He criticized Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and John Edwards for what he called unrealistic spending plans.
Giuliani said he would not only reduce taxes as president… he would cut spending by eliminating about 20 percent of the Federal government’s civilian workforce within eight years.
AX: About 42 percent of the Federal employees are coming up for retirement in the next eight years. Well, I’d only replace half of them. I’d cut out half the positions. (applause) How can you do that? Just with the idea that we now have computers and technology. And businesses have all made these cuts. Businesses now operate with fewer people and they’re more productive.
Track: After the speech, voters from both parties lingered on the steps outside the town hall. Kingston resident Joe Santonello listened to Giuliani speak… and afterwards said he had been persuaded to vote for him.
AX: He’s run a city that, like he said, is the seventeenth largest economy in the world… in the world. So he has a record. Fred Thompson, God bless him, he’s a good guy, but he’s an attorney. Mitt Romney, he’s done some of those things too, but I don’t think he has the conviction that Rudy has.
Track: But Exeter Independent Barry Lensen was far more skeptical.
Lensen lived in the New York area during Giuliani’s tenure…
He said the former mayor’s record showed a lack of support for the middle class.
And Lensen added Giuliani was missing the point with all the talk about tax cuts.
AX “My overall feeling about tax cuts is I’d be happy to pay higher taxes if we got some sort of social programs in return. The conservatives are the only group in the history of the world to convince people that paying a tremendous amount of money and getting nothing in return is a good thing, except for a military.”
Giuliani leads the Republican race according to most national polls.
In New Hampshire he’s trailed Romney for several months…
But the former Massachusetts Governor’s lead has been dwindling.
For NHPR news, I’m Dan Trudeau.
