Republican candidates clash in South Carolina

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) - Three top Republican presidential contenders took fire from their second-tier rivals and traded digs on Tuesday, with Rudolph Giuliani defending his abortion rights support and John McCain and Mitt Romney trying to burnish their conservative credentials.

In the second debate in two weeks between the 10 men vying for the 2008 Republican nomination, Giuliani, McCain and Romney -- "Rudy McRomney" to their detractors -- tried to ease doubts among conservatives about their records.

The 90-minute session in conservative South Carolina featured a sharp exchange between front-runner Giuliani and longshot Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who said America's Middle East policies led to the September 11 attacks.

"Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years," Paul said.

"That's really an extraordinary statement," interrupted Giuliani, who was mayor of New York and widely heralded for his leadership at the time of the 2001 attacks.

"As someone who lived through the attack of September 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've ever heard that before and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11," he said, demanding Paul withdraw the statement.

It was a welcome return to the security issue for Giuliani, who has spent two weeks explaining his support of abortion rights after drawing attention to the issue in the last debate by appearing to play both sides.

Giuliani leads in national polls but trails McCain in South Carolina, which has a high population of conservative Christians and holds an early primary that has been crucial in determining the Republican presidential nominee in past elections.

That was particularly true in 2000, when Bush won a bitter campaign duel here with McCain, senator from Arizona, that was pivotal in giving him the nomination.

"I ultimately do believe in a woman's right of choice, but I think that there are ways in which we can reduce abortions," Giuliani said during the debate.

"In the kind of democracy we have ... and the kind of society we have where we want to keep government out of people's personal lives," he said.

That drew a quick retort from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"If it's wrong, then we ought to be opposed to it," Huckabee said.

McCain has drawn criticism from conservatives for his support of campaign finance reform and opposition to President George W. Bush's tax cuts, while Romney has been hit for his late conversions on issues like abortion rights and gay rights.

"I trust those conversions when they happen on the road to Damascus, not on the road to Des Moines," Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo said.