By my count, since Saturday the Romney campaign has released 11 emails that directly attack or counterattack statements Rudy Giuliani has made. During that same time, I count three emails the Giuliani campaign has released that attack or counterattack statements Mitt Romney has made. Absent from this count, of course, is the scathing attack on Romney unleashed by Giuliani himself in an interview in today's Politico. A sample:
Using some of the toughest language of his campaign, Giuliani, in an interview with Politico, slammed Romney on health care, crime and taxes. At the same time he portrayed the one-time moderate as a hypocrite on a host of social issues who lives 'in a glass house.' It was easily the most sweeping attack Giuliani has delivered against Romney in this campaign.
'He throws stones at people,' Giuliani said in an interview on his campaign bus. 'And then on that issue he usually has a worse record than whoever he's throwing stones at.'
The response from the Romney campaign was that Giuliani is "nasty."
What is going on here? Both candidates spent the weekend in New Hampshire, where Romney leads and Giuliani and John McCain are about tied at second. With a little over a month before primary day, more than half of New Hampshire Republicans remain undecided. The resources that all three campaigns are pouring into New Hampshire suggest that Giuliani's so-called "Feb. 5 strategy" of minimizing Iowa and New Hampshire and playing up Florida and other big states is no more; the compacted primary schedule really has increased - not minimized - the importance of the first two contests.
Something else may also be at work. Romney's lead in New Hampshire remains stable, but his lead in Iowa is unstable. More, the chances that someone who is not Hillary Clinton will win the Iowa Democratic caucuses are increasing. Further chances are a second-place Romney finish in Iowa, or a close Romney victory in Iowa, or even a decisive Romney victory in Iowa will be completely overshadowed by an Obama or Edwards victory in the Democratic caucuses. Which means Romney needs a strong showing in New Hampshire just as much as Giuliani or McCain.
So far the fight between Giuliani and Romney hasn't spilled over into paid tv attack ads. But it will. And probably sooner rather than later.
