Attacks Sharpen Among Party's Principal Rivals

Asked about the nuclear threat posed by Iran, Giuliani said that "a nuclear-armed Iran is more dangerous" than going to war to prevent that from happening.

Tancredo, Hunter and Paul played smaller roles on Sunday. Tancredo accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of interfering in foreign policy and provoking Turkey at a sensitive moment by pushing a resolution on Armenian genocide. "Nancy Pelosi is not a very good speaker of the House, and she is an even lousier secretary of state," he said.

Hunter answered a question about Social Security with a lecture on trade policy, prompting an incredulous Hume to ask: "Do you really think we can solve the Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs with trade policy?"

Hunter said the nation's trade deficit is "closely linked with the ability to take care of our seniors, to take care of Medicare and to pay Social Security, absolutely."

As he has before, Paul spoke passionately against the war in Iraq. But he also accused his Republican rivals of being for big government. "Our big-government conservatives, they're part of the neo-conservative movement. They've lost their traditions about traditional conservatism and the Constitution."

Staff writer Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.