Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani clashed over the economy Tuesday, overshadowing rival Fred Thompson’s first appearance in a Republican debate.
Romney was also ridiculed by fellow Republican Ron Paul for saying he would allow attorneys to sort out whether a president needs congressional authorization to attack nuclear facilities in Iran.
Although newcomer Thompson was the focus of intense pre-debate coverage, his appearance on the stage in Dearborn, Mich., was overshadowed by a sharp exchange between Romney and Giuliani.
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, accused Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, of making it harder to control federal spendingby persuading the Supreme Court to throw out former President Clinton’s line-item veto.
“Mayor Giuliani took the line-item veto that the president had all the way to the Supreme Court and took it away from the president of the United States,” Romney said at the debate, which was sponsored by CNBC. “I think that was a mistake.”
Giuliani was unapologetic.
“The line-item veto is unconstitutional,” he said. “You don’t get to believe about it; the Supreme Court has ruled on it. So you can bang your head up against the stone wall all you want.
“I am in favor of a line-item veto,” he said. “You have to do it legally. And as the mayor of New York, if I had let President Clinton take $250 million away from the people of my city illegally and unconstitutionally, I wouldn’t have been much of a mayor.”
Giuliani returned fire by saying he kept taxes and spending lower than Romney did.
“You’ve got to control taxes. But I did it; he didn’t,” Giuliani said. “I led; he lagged.”
Romney shot back: “It’s baloney. Mayor, you’ve got to check your facts. No taxes — I did not increase taxes in Massachusetts. I lowered taxes.”
Romney took a swipe at Thompson, an actor best known for the TV drama “Law & Order,” for his late entry into the crowded Republican primary contest. Romney likened that contest to “Law & Order.”
“It has a huge cast, the series seems to go on forever, and Fred Thompson shows up at the end,” Romney deadpanned.
The debate was the sixth for the Republican candidates, but Thompson said he had no regrets about waiting to enter the race.
“I’ve enjoyed watching these fellows,” he said. “I’ve got to admit it was getting a little boring without me.”
