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Giuliani Says Romney Understands MA Health Plan Was a Mistake

November 25, 2007 12:47 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds reports: During a diner stop in Hudson, New Hampshire, Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y., took some pointed shots at the early primary state frontrunner Mitt Romney, R-MA, while also being pressed about the Iraq War.

Asked about Mitt Romney's health care plan he approved as governor of Massachusetts, Giuliani said, "I think he understands that that was a mistake. He made a mistake when he made it a mandate."

"He said he would not do that for the rest of the country," he added. "He sort of did Hillary Clinton’s plan in Massachusetts."

The questioner, Wally Lesiczk – age 57, followed up by telling Giuliani about how Romney’s efforts to balance the budget, in his opinion, hurt Massachusetts’ schools.

In turn, the former New York Mayor took the opportunity to talk about Romney’s economic record.

"He has one of the weaker records of any governor on economics. The CATO Institute gave him a C for governors, putting him in the bottom tier of governors on economic records," said Giuliani. "I think he is gonna have a hard time defending his economic record as governor."

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom, released the following statement in response.

"Governor Romney balanced the budget every year he was in office and tripled the size of the rainy day fund to $2.2 billion. The last budget Governor Romney left ended with a surplus when the fiscal year ended on June 30. The last budget that Rudy Giuliani left his successor had a deficit."

Another diner also pressed Giuliani about his plan for getting United States troops out of Iraq.

"I went through the Vietnam War and we stopped fighting over there and our troops, our 50,000 troops that died, because we decided then, this is gonna be a political war," said Roger Latulippe, a 67-year old military veteran who was not in combat during Vietnam.

"I think it would be a very big mistake to pull them out while the general there thinks they can be successful," said Giuliani in response. "I believe that we have lost lives there, but they kept us safe at home. And they have done a very, very brave thing. And their families should get great credit."

Latulippe, a democrat, did not agree with Giuliani’s response but appreciated his honesty on the topic.

The Romney campaign reponded Sunday afternoon with a statement by spokesman Eric Fehrnstom. "Other candidates talk about getting health care to more citizens, but only one person has actually done it and that's Mitt Romney. We are on track to covering all our citizens in Massachusetts without raising taxes and without a government takeover. Rudy Giuliani has nothing positive to offer on the issue of health care."

ABC News' Matt Stuart contributed to this report.

November 25, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (1)

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Posted by: hleonhardt | Nov 25, 2007 3:32:46 PM

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