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IowaPolitics.com: GOP field tussles over ads, abortion, Iraq at Drake debate
8/5/2007

By IowaPolitics.com staff
 
DES MOINES -- GOP presidential candidates tussled Sunday in a live TV debate over ads, abortion and the war in Iraq -- heightening the tension between campaigns less than a week before the Ames straw poll.
 
Mitt Romney, the Iowa frontrunner, had mixed results in the first half of the debate.
 
The former Massachusetts and Sam Brownback clashed over a Brownback robo-call knocking Romney on his abortion views.
 
The Kansas senator called the ad truthful, but Romney called it desperate.

"That is a truthful ad," Brownback said. "I am pro-life. I think this is a core issue for our party."

"Virtually nothing in that ad is true," Romney said. "I am pro-life. That's the truth."

But he admitted that in 1994, "my position was effectively pro-choice. I changed my position.'' Then he took a shot at critics of the switch, saying, "I get tired of people that are holier than thou because they've been pro-life longer than I have."
 
Then Romney stammered when asked to elaborate on his previous criticism of rival Rudy Giuliani as pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Romney said that was early in the campaign, before the former New York city mayor entered the race and that candidates should speak for their own issues.
 
Giuliani clarified that he supports domestic partnerships, which he described as a contract, and increasing adoptions. But he added that the decision about an abortion is a decision that "ultimately a woman should make.''
 
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said a pro-choice view would conflict with the Republican Party platform. "Anybody who's not pro-life is going to have difficulties,'' Thompson said, but then he urged debate on the major issues, instead of getting "tied up in one issue.''
 
Scores of people lined up outside Sheslow Auditorium hoping to secure tickets for the first presidential debate in Iowa. The political enthusiasts woke up before dawn and braved a heavy rain to see the nine candidates debate before a nationally televised audience. Before a lively studio audience on the campus of Drake University, the crowded field fought for attention and an edge in a field that has been dominated by a select group of frontrunners.

Congressman Tom Tancredo complained when he didn't get to answer a question until about 20 minutes into the Sunday morning debate. ABC's "This Week'' staged the debate, and George Stephanopolous was the lead moderator.
 
The war in Iraq likewise brought conflict between the candidates, with Congressman Ron Paul of Texas getting big cheers when he said the solution to Iraq was ``just come home.''
 
"We went in there illegally," he said. "We did not declare war. It's lasting way too long. ... We're losing this one. We shouldn't be there. We ought to just come home."

Before the debate, dozens of Paul supporters lined University Avenue across from the auditorium, showing their allegience to the outspoken congressman. Paul made his third visit of 2007 to Iowa this morning for the Republican debate.

Nearly all the rest of the field talked about the necessity for staying in Iraq until stability was achieved.
 
John McCain was most emphatic, saying though the war was ``badly mismanaged'' in the first four years, "We are winning on the ground.''
 
Added the Arizona senator: "If we lose there will be catastrophic consequences, genocide. We will be back. ... We will not set a date for surrender, as Democrats want to do.''
 
Giuliani said it America is at war with ``Islamic extremist terrorists'' and the war in Iraq was part of that.'' He urged ``no retreat.''
 
Romney said the war ``counts for America,'' and worked in an applause line aimed at Barack Obama. Romney said he went from wanting to have tea with U.S. enemies to bombing allies, ``from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove.''

California Congressman Duncan Hunter criticized Democrats for participating in a "race to see who could stampede for the exit the quickest." He said the right time to end the war would be after the Iraqi military is capable of replacing American combat forces.

There is no political or economic solution being developed by Iraqis, Tancredo said, adding he is concerned about the rules of engagement for the American troops.

"America cannot be the police force in Iraq," Tancredo said. "It cannot remove itself entirely from Iraq, but Iraq has got to take control of Iraq."

Tancredo also defended comments he made earlier this week, recorded by IowaPolitics.com, where he said he would use the threat of attacks on Muslim holy sites to deter terrorist attacks in the United States.

"Anybody that would suggest that we should take anything like this off the table in order to deter that kind of event in the United States isn't fit to be president of the United States," Tancredo said.

Thompson was skeptical: "I sincerely believe that bombing religious artifacts and religious holy sites would do nothing but unify 1 billion Muslims against us. It makes no sense."

The candidates also tackled other aspects of foreign policy, including an assertion once made by President Bush that it was the United States' responsibility to "seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said he disagreed.

"I don't think it's the job of the United States to export our form of government. It's the job of the United States to protect our citizens, to secure our own borders, which we have failed to do for over 20 years," Huckabee said. "It's the job of our government to make us free and us safe, and to create an enviable kind of government and system that everybody else will want."
Candidates debate how to handle Pakistan
Poll: Strong Iowa presence lifts Romney, but Republican enthusiasm is low
ABC News: Video highlights
IowaPolitics.com: Post-debate statements


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