His differences are with Clinton, he says

The candidate came to the Valley ‘to raise money.’

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

VIENNA — Rudy Giuliani downplayed his verbal sparring with fellow GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney as “small differences between us Republicans.”

The ex-New York City mayor was in Vienna for a fundraiser Tuesday at the home of Thomas Schubert. After landing at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and on his way to Schubert’s home, Giuliani answered a few questions asked by The Vindicator.

Schubert is a former Trumbull County Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court judge.

Over the past few days, Giuliani and Romney, the ex-Massachusetts governor, have criticized each other over past appointments and recommendations they’ve made, their health care plans and their honesty. Most polls list the two as the Republican front-runners for president.

“Look, this is a very intense primary,” Giuliani said. “We’ve got a lot of good candidates, and we all want to make our positions known. Sometimes it gets argumentative.”

Giuliani said he imagined that will continue at tonight’s GOP presidential debate in St. Petersburg, Fla.

But Republicans shouldn’t lose focus, he said.

“The reality is we’re running against Democrats,” Giuliani said.

While the differences are small among the Republicans, “there are big differences between me, for example, and Hillary Clinton.”

While bringing up Democrats, Giuliani only talked about Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York considered her party’s presidential front-runner, according to polls.

Among the differences between the two, Giuliani said he wants “to be on offense” in the war on terror and Clinton “wants to be on defense.”

Regarding taxes, Giuliani said Clinton wants to raise them 20 percent to 30 percent, and “I want to lower taxes. I want to see your income tax rate go down. I want to see the inheritance tax done away with.”

In response, Isaac Baker, a Clinton spokesman, said: “America wants a president who will bring change to the country and end the war in Iraq, not merely continue George Bush’s failed policies as Mayor Giuliani promises.”

When asked about his visit to the area, Giuliani said, “We’re here in the Valley to do what you have to do all the time nowadays when you’re running for president, which is to raise money.”

About 60 people attended the fundraiser that cost $1,000 a ticket; $1,500 for a photo with Giuliani. The event raised about $60,000 to $90,000.

“He talked a lot about homeland security and his goals to keep us safe and build the economy,” said ex-U.S. Rep. Lyle Williams of Lordstown, who coordinated and co-hosted the event. “He talked about doing a better job of fighting crime.”

Giuliani is a “real personable guy. We’re excited he came,” Williams added.

Schubert said he was honored to have the fundraiser at his home.

“It was a very positive event,” he said. “... He talked about taxes, the economy, Iraq, Iran, terrorism; the major issues in this presidential debate.”

Giuliani earlier Tuesday held fundraisers in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

At the airport, Giuliani said winning “Ohio is critical” in next year’s presidential race as it was in 2004. “I think this will be a real battleground state in the 2008 election.”

Giuliani said he spent “a great deal of time in Ohio in 2004 campaigning for President Bush.”

He correctly recalled being in Boardman two days before the election, coming to speak because the Bush campaign “specifically said, ‘This is where the election is going to be decided.’ It turned out that Ohio determined the next president of the United States.”

skolnick@vindy.com