Opponents' 'terrific' hits give Romney an opening

NASHUA, N.H. — Mitt Romney turned his opponents' attacks during Saturday's debate to his advantage Sunday on the television talk shows and during a town hall meeting.

Romney worked the seeming all-against-one attitude headed by rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is leading in polls heading into Tuesday's primary, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucus, into his overall message that he plans to change things once he gets into the White House.

"The people who have been in Washington a long time, that have all the Washington years of experience, they got overrun by the upstarts," Romney said at an "Ask Mitt Anything" event at a school in Nashua. "Americans are not looking for Washington insiders, they're looking for change and change is what we are going to give them."

McCain used the term change against Romney during a debate Saturday saying he agreed that Romney was the candidate of change referring to the flip-flop reputation his critics point out about him.

At the town hall event, one audience member asked why it is so wrong for a person to change their mind.

"There's nothing wrong with changing one's mind," Romney said. "Some politicians, as I've said, are more interested in insults than issues and I'm interested in issues."

A Fox News forum among the candidates on Sunday had a much different tone. McCain and Romney explained their views on immigration — which was at the center of their sparring Saturday night.

While the candidates sat next to each other at a small table, Huckabee and McCain explained their problems with Romney's ads that he has been running in Iowa and New Hampshire, but it did not get to the level of the remarks made to Romney on Saturday.

Back in Nashua Sunday morning, Romney used McCain's appearance on "Meet the Press" where he said he would vote against President Bush's tax cuts again. Romney said "Ronald Reagan 101" shows that the cuts would help the economy and that Bush cuts did just that.

"If you want somebody who has never changed their mind, then you are going to find somebody who oftentimes sticks with the wrong view," Romney said. "He's consistent, but he's wrong. I'll take being right over being consistent every day of the week."

Judy Tarr of Nashua said she was torn between McCain and Romney for her vote on Tuesday. Saturday's debate prompted her to come to the event Sunday to help her make up her mind.

"I felt this passion," she said of Romney. "Up until this point I wasn't sure that he really wanted it and right now I am feeling that he really wants it."