Giuliani Compares Clinton to '72 Nominee McGovern

By Karyn Chenoweth Oct 4, 2007, 14:01 GMT

US Senator Hillary Clinton reponds to a question during a debate held at Dartmouth College in Hanover New Hampshire USA 26 September 2007. EPA/CJ GUNTHER

Politics are heating up.  Republican Rudy Giuliani compared Hillary Rodham Clinton to 1972 Democratic  nominee George McGovern on Wednesday and poked fun at his rival for adding a Southern lilt to her voice as he intensified his criticism.

Clinton picked up the endorsement of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, increasing her union nods to six.

Other lagging candidates courted voters in early voting states.

Three months before voting begins, polls show Clinton solidifying her advantage for the  Democratic nomination while the Republican race remains fluid.  

Giuliani, the former New York mayor, leads in national surveys, but GOP rivals Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are in strong contention in various key states.
Giuliani criticized Clinton's recent comments about giving a $5,000 savings bond to every U.S.-born baby.

"It's interesting that Hillary is taking something from the George McGovern playbook," Giuliani said in Manchester, N.H., likening her idea to the former South Dakota senator's proposal to send $1,000 to every U.S. resident.

In the 1972 election, Giuliani liked McGovern and his ideas enough to vote for him for president.  The liberal lawmaker lost in a landslide to President Nixon.  The only state he carried was Massachusetts.

Without naming Clinton, Giuliani alluded to Hillary’s changing dialects as she appears before different audiences, like a Southern accent before a largely black audience.
Asked by reporters whether he can win religious conservative votes, Giuliani said: "I don't have a different program for one group or another. I don't have a different accent for different parts of the country."

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer responded: "It's unfortunate that the mayor's entire campaign is premised on attacking others instead of talking about what he would do if elected."

Giuliani made the comments in New Hampshire, where he sought to capitalize on poll numbers showing him gaining ground. He also started running a radio ad there emphasizing his executive experience and fiscal record.