Attacks Sharpen Among Party's Principal Rivals

Prodded by Fox News's Chris Wallace, the Republican candidates unloaded on Clinton, describing her as unfit to be commander in chief, determined to create a government-run health system and a big-spending tax hiker.

Romney derided her qualifications to be president, saying that "she hasn't run a corner store. She hasn't run a state. She hasn't run a city. She has never run anything."

When Wallace turned to Giuliani and compared him to Clinton, Giuliani said simply: "You've got to be kidding. You have got to be kidding." He quoted Clinton as saying: "I have a million ideas; America cannot afford them all," and then, with a sneer, said: "No kidding, Hillary -- America can't afford you."

McCain promised a "respectful" debate with Clinton if they end up as the nominees, but he ridiculed her for a $1 million congressional earmark for a Woodstock museum. Huckabee warned his colleagues against treating the prospect of a Clinton presidency too lightly: "There's nothing funny about Hillary being president."

The Fox panel, which also included political correspondent Carl Cameron, grilled the candidates on the future of Medicare and Social Security, with Thompson standing out as the only one offering bold and unpopular ideas.

Thompson, who has proposed changing the way benefits will grow in the future, said his proposals "will avoid future generational warfare, where we have to fight over a lot higher taxes or big benefit cuts. If we do some responsible things now, we don't have to do that."

The other candidates all pledged to rescue the programs from future bankruptcy, but most placed their hopes in the creation of personal savings accounts -- an idea that President Bush has failed to achieve despite years of effort.

Pressed on how he would achieve what Bush could not, Huckabee said the president had made his case poorly: "When he used the word 'privatization,' it scared the daylights out of a lot of people."

Most of the debate's most striking moments came when the leading candidates managed to define themselves and challenge the stereotypes that now dominate popular perceptions of their candidacies.

McCain brought down the house by mocking Clinton's support for giving $1 million in taxpayer dollars to support a proposed Woodstock Concert Museum. "Now, my friends, I wasn't there. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event," he said, prompting a round of laughter. "I was tied up at the time," added the former Vietnam prisoner of war, a quip that drew a standing ovation.

While the candidates echoed Bush's positions on several issues, they distinguished themselves from him as more hawkish on foreign policy, declaring that they would take a harder line against Russia and Iran. McCain echoed his line that when he looked into Russian President Vladimir Putin's eyes he "saw three letters, a K, a G and a B," adding, "This is a dangerous person."

Giuliani suggested that expanding NATO would help keep Putin's ambitions in check. "Now is the time to make clear to Mr. Putin that America can speak softly but carry a big stick," he said.