Giuliani is trashing Romney for a weak record on crime based on an increase in homicide and robbery during Romney’s administration. Romney says crime went down when he was Governor of the Bay state. Each campaign points to published reports ir prefers and FBI crime statistics to call the other misleading.

Rudy likes this article excerpted below

done

Crime Up During Romney Tenure ; FBI stats show spike in violent crimes, robberies
Dave Wedge
Boston Herald – 26 September 2007

The newly released figures show that murders were up 7.5 percent in the Bay State and 25 percent in Boston from 2002 to 2006 while Romney was governor.
… Under Romney, robberies were up 12 percent and burglaries 6 percent while assaults were down 14 percent and rapes down slightly. Car thefts and larcenies also were down, in line with national trends, and helped contribute to an overall 8 percent decline in crime during Romney’s four years, according to the FBI stats.

As Romney was leaving the State House in 2006, the statistics showed a slight improvement with all violent crime down 2 percent, compared to a nationwide increase of 1.9 percent.
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ROMNEY LIKES THIS TAKE BETTER

Romney Camp: Rudy Wrong About Mass Crime
AMERICAN SPECTATOR BLOG
Posted By: James Antle
Monday, November 26, 2007 @ 1:22:57 PM

http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=9365

While on the ground in New Hamsphire, Phil sent me a response from Mitt Romney’s campaign to his Rudy Giuliani column on today’s main site. Specifically, the Romneyites dispute Giuliani’s assertion that “[v}iolent crime went up… while he was governor.” They cite <http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Record_Reducing_Crime> FBI statistics showing a decrease in violent crime of over 7 percent.
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The Media Research Center’s Newsbuster blog has also disputed <http://newsbusters.org/blogs/howard-nemerov/2007/11/25/who-s-tougher-crime-romney-or-giuliani> Giuliani’s numbers, pointing to a 7.8 percent reduction in Massachusetts’ overall violent crime rate between 2002 and 2006. Additionally, they contend aggravated assault decreased by 14.8 percent during Romney’s term. Newsbuster’s Howard Nemerov concludes, “No matter the comparison — total incidents or rates per 100,000 population — Giuliani was wrong to state that Massachusetts saw a violent crime increase while Romney was governor.”
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Here’s the FBI link, it appears they are both right!

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm

Concord, NH

Mitt Romney counter-attacked Rudy Giuliani on his judgment today. Much as Rudy questioned Mitt’s appointment of Massachusetts Supreme Court Judge Kathe Tuttman who released a convicted killer, without bail, who then allegedly killed a newlywed couple. Romney compared Rudy to Hillary Clintonsayin g the attack “was a very strange turn of events and suggests a level of desperation may be born out of the polls in New Hampshire.” Romney compared his appointment of Judge Tuttman to Rudy’s Bernie Kerik appointment saying, “He nominated a person who was a very close confidant, a god father to their, parent to their children. An individual he worked with for years. He’s under investigation and this record is a very different setting and one which certainly calls into question his judgment in making that selection and that is why it was such a strange thing for him to attack me.”

Giuliani not only questioned Romney’s judgment yesterday, but also his record on crime while he was the governor of Massachusetts. Romney hit back hard, “He has a real problem with facts. He’s now done this time and again making up facts that just happen to be wrong and facts are stubborn things. The truth of the matter is that during my administration. The F.B.I. crimes statistics showed violent crime was reduced in Massachusetts by 7 percent so he is wrong again on the facts. He needs to go back to school and look at the facts and add up the numbers properly.”

Romney also said Rudy would be the wrong course for the G.O.P comparing him to Clinton several times, “He is pro-choice like Hillary Clinton, he is in favor of civil unions like Hillary Clinton, he is in favor of sanctuary cities like Hillary Clinton and the record of ethical conduct, in this case Bernie Kerik reminds us very much of the administration that Hillary Clinton was part of in Washington.”

Romney added that when the Kerik indictment happened he didn’t attack Giuliani directly, “When the Bernie Kerik story came out I basically kept quiet on it. I said look I have no comment on it. It is sad and disappointing that Bernie Kerik has done this, but I didn’t make an attack on Mayor Giuliani.”
Giuliani responded by again attacking Romney on his crime record, but evading the Kerik question, “This whole appointment of a judge goes to a much bigger point-that governor Romney had a very poor record in dealing with murder and violent crime as governor and I think that’s not just an isolated situation.

Thanksgiving provided little rest for the campaigns. A year long marathon now goes into the kick.  It is 3 dimensional chess played 5 ways, and it’s turning nasty.

Rudy is firing in several directions: Fred has no record, Mitt has questionable judgement, Huckabee is weak on immigration and tax hikes.
Fred hits Romney for being pro choice 3 yrs ago and trying to buy the election, Rudy for weakness on illegal immigration, guns, and social issues …Huckabee gets flak for tax hikes.  Romney blasts Rudy as weak on immigration and social issues, Huckabee on immigration and tax hikes, and Fred on being an actor with a reputation for laziness.

And then there is John McCain, Just back from Thanksgiving in Iraq with the troops, he argues that all of his rivals lack the experience he has – and that is required – to be commander in chief.done

Governor Romney commented on Senator Clinton’s most recent television ad today in Amherst, Massachusetts. The ad shows a still picture of Romney and Senator McCain, but doesn’t mention him by name. He was very excited by it saying it was one of the best parts of the campaign so far, “For me I guess it was seeing Hillary Clinton run an ad with my picture in it. Now, I never imagined that would happen. She said, Mitt Romney part of the Republican attack machine. Isn’t that great? I’ve always inspired to be a machine. This is really exciting to have a campaign that is that strong. She hasn’t seen nothing yet of course. “

The former Massachusetts governor addressed government spending and the economy at his speech to a high school in Amherst, NH. He attacked his Republican rival, Mayor Rudy Giuliani saying he had a 3 billion dollar budget gap when he ran New York City but pointing out that it didn’t include 9/11 spending. He began with a compliment as if to soften the blow, ” Mayor Giuliani is a friend of mine. I think he’s a good man and I know he did a good job as the mayor of New York City. But, on spending and fiscal matters they are left with a bit of a problem there. When he came in there was a budget gap. But when he left he left a budget twice as big as the one he inherited, over 3 billion dollars. Mayor Bloomberg has said he’s not going to leave a deficit like that to the person who follows him and by the way that 3 billion dollar deficit doesn’t include the cost associated with 9/11.”

Romney still has a full day of events in New Hampshire including the Derry Holiday parade. Check back for more updates!

**** UPDATE****

Giuliani Campaign Responds to Romney:

From Former Governor of Massachusetts and Giuliani supporter, Paul Cellucci:

“Campaign Trail Mitt Romney is at it again in an effort to cover up his own lackluster record as Governor by attacking Rudy Giuliani”, Cellucci states, “Mitt Romney simply has his facts wrong – not only did Mayor Giuliani turn over a balanced budget to his successor, but the city ended that fiscal year with a surplus.”

Governor Mitt Romney continued his attacks on Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the topic of immigration today saying, “a sanctuary city policy draws more legal immigrants into the country, it’s wrong.” The swipe was in response to comments the former New York City mayor made in a Texas border town. Giuliani defended his immigration record and said that it was these policies that allowed him to dramatically reduce crime.

“The policies that I utilized with regard to illegal immigration were in the context of overall policies that probably were the most successful in the history of the country in creating an orderly, legal, lawful society.”

Giuliani welcomed immigrants of “undocumented status” to New York City when he was mayor, which allowed illegal immigrants access to city services such as schools, hospitals, and the ability to report crimes without fear of being arrested themselves.

Romney made a quick stop at a private air terminal in Seattle before addressing Microsoft employees and fundraising, both closed to the press. I asked the early state frontrunner what he thought of Giuliani defending his policies. His standard response was one heard often on the stump, “There are many cities in this country that have the rule of law, but do not have sanctuary status and I think when it comes to sanctuary cities the mayor is frankly on the wrong page.”

Later in the day the Romney campaign seized on Giuliani’s stance sending out a much stronger reaction from the former Massachusetts governor via e-mail, “Today’s statement by Mayor Giuliani that his sanctuary policies toward illegal aliens created an ‘orderly’ and ‘lawful’ society turns logic on its head. You don’t promote a lawful society by condoning illegality.” Several other e-mails from the campaign also were distributed promoting Romney’s immigration record and slamming Giuliani’s equation that his immigration policies lead to a safer New York City.

Immigration is a critical issue, especially with Republican voters, in the first caucus state of Iowa. Romney campaigns throughout the state tomorrow and Wednesday focusing on health care before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Governor Romney responded to a negative healthcare mail that the Thompson campaign put out by saying, “at least I have a plan.” An e-mail was sent to Thompson supporters today, which is the day that Massachusetts’ residents must show proof of health care coverage. The e-mail trashed Romney’s plan and said, “There’s nothing conservative about Mitt Romney’s health care plan. It’s a government subsidized health care plan that requires citizens to register with the state, slaps working people with tax penalties, and provides $50 abortions on demand.”

The former Massachusetts governor responded by saying, “at least I have a plan number one. Number two my plan was developed by myself, other advisors. . .I think it is the ultimate form of conservatism to say to people who can afford to buy insurance either buy the insurance or pay your own way, but no more free ride on the government and so my own view it is a very fundamentally conservative program. “

I also asked the Iowa and New Hampshire frontrunner about the abortion claims in the mail. He simply stated that the “requirement for abortion in Massachusetts are court directed and court mandated. They are not something that the Governor or the legislature are able to adjust because they were mandated by the courts.” The Thompson e-mail said that women in Massachusetts could receive medically necessary and non-medically necessary abortions for fifty dollars.

It was at an economic town hall today in Burbank, CA and afterwards at a press availability where the gloves came off. Romney also slammed Mayor Giuliani on his immigration record. This is something Romney does on the stump frequently, but it comes on the heels of Giuliani’s attacks yesterday when he blasted Romney saying he had, “the worst record on illegal immigration.” Today he responded by saying, “Mayor Giuliani was the mayor of a city, New York City, in which he said if you happen to be an undocumented status. In other words an illegal alien we welcome you here. We will protect you here. He was responsible for a sanctuary city. He did not oppose a sanctuary city. He welcomed illegal aliens to the city. That sanctuary state of mind is one of the reasons we have so many illegal immigrants in our country today.”

Romney traveled to Las Vegas this evening not to hang out with the Dems, but to campaign in Nevada for the next two days. He will be talking about stronger economies, one part of his three-pillar platform.

–Per Shushannah Walshe—

Hilton Head, SC

Pat Robertson’s surprising endorsement today of Rudy Giuliani is a disappointment for the Romney campaign. Other Christian conservative leaders including Bob Jones III of Bob Jones University and Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority, have recently endorsed Romney but neither is as big of a name as Robertson.

Romney continued campaigning in South Carolina today with a stop at a children’s museum in Columbia. He was focusing on education, but reporters were interested in the Robertson endorsement and Senator Brownback’s endorsement of John McCain. Romney played down Rudy’s big get saying, “I’m really pleased with the support I’ve gotten. I can’t get the support of everybody, but I was delighted to have Dr. Bob Jones support my campaign. Paul Weyrich earlier in the week has supported my campaign. So, you know, I can’t get them all.”

I asked Romney what he thought of someone as staunchly pro-life as Robertson endorsing a pro-choice candidate and he responded that, “Everybody has their own choice. . .I can’t get all social conservatives to endorse my candidacy. People choose a lot of different paths, but I expect I will continue to get good support and so will the other guys.”

Romney said he wasn’t surprised that Brownback chose to endorse McCain as they have worked together in the Senate. At a second stop in Hilton Head, SC Romney stressed that he did not believe Robertson’s endorsement would sway Christian conservatives to support a more socially liberal candidate like Giuliani. He said, “I don’t think the Republican Party will choose a pro-choice, pro-gay civil union candidate to lead our party.” Romney emphasized that the voters are the ones that will ultimately make the decision.

Jake Gibson, Fox News Campaign Producer

takes a look behind the scenes at the Fox News GOP debate in Orlando, Fla… what were the candidates talking about backstage just before the debate? It wasn’t politics! Take a listen.

It is the weekend of the Republican Party of Florida’s PIV, well over 3,000 party loyalists are attending.

John McCain, Mit Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson go before the eager and energized Republicans the day before the Fox News GOP debate.

Also, Check out what is going on behind the scenes as Fox News prepares the stage for the GOP debate Sunday night at 8pm.