Giuliani rakes in Utah donations

GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Friday his record as mayor of New York City proves he's not too liberal for Utah voters — and that he may be the toughest candidate in the war on terrorism.

Giuliani, who arrived in Utah midday and left shortly after collecting as much as $250,000 at an early evening fund-raiser at the Federal Heights home of former Salt Lake County Council member Steve Harmsen, was careful not to criticize the other Republicans in the race.

Especially not Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is widely seen as the favorite to win Utah in 2008. Not only did Romney turn around the scandal-tainted 2002 Winter Olympics, he's also a Mormon like the majority of Utahns.

"I like Mitt very much. I think Mitt was a really good governor. I campaigned for him," Giuliani told local reporters, adding that Republicans have "got a really big challenge ahead of us next year making sure a Democrat stays out of the White House."

During the 10 minutes or so he spent fielding questions, Giuliani repeatedly touted his experience as mayor of New York City during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that made him a hero in the eyes of many, heralded as "America's mayor."

He talked tough on Iraq, criticizing Democrats in Congress for demanding a deadline for withdrawing troops. "What they did was irresponsible. To give your enemy a timetable to your retreat is unheard of, I think, in the history of war."

Giuliani said Iran's leader needs "to know that America will use its military power not because it wants to. We know it's dangerous. We know it's not a good thing to do. We know it's a worse thing if he has nuclear weapons."

The word conservative came up again and again as Giuliani described how he cleaned up crime, wiped out budget deficits and reduced taxes as mayor. On social issues, though, he acknowledged "people should know we're going to have some differences."

Giuliani, whose support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control set him apart in a nomination process dominated by Christian conservatives, said he'd appoint judges who would interpret the Constitution "based on what it means, not what they would like it to mean."

Asked about his pro-choice views on abortion, Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, said he believes "abortion is wrong. I'd advise someone not to have an abortion ... But my view of the the Constitution is, you have to leave that ultimate choice to a person, an individual, and you cannot put them in jail for it."