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Lightning strikes and silences Rudy

Lightning KOs TV sound in N.H. just as Rudy asked about pro-choice view

BY CELESTE KATZ and DAVID SALTONSTALL
DAILY NEWS
STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, June 6th 2007, 4:00 AM

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Sparks fly: Rudy Giuliani and John McCain at the Republican presidantial
debate in Manchester, N.H.

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Perhaps it was the wrath of God, or just a stray lightning
bolt.

Whatever it was, it momentarily cut the sound at last night's Republican
presidential debate just as Rudy Giuliani was asked about a Catholic bishop who
compared him to Pontius Pilate - Christ's crucifier in the Bible - for his views
on abortion.

"Look, for someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a very
frightening thing," joked Giuliani as the sound came back on.

As the candidates all laughed - and stepped away from Giuliani in mock horror
- the former mayor proceeded to outline his pro-choice views and the debate went
on.

It provided one of many sparks in the third Republican presidential debate, a
forum that underlined the differences between the 10 GOP candidates, their deep
chasm with the Democrats, and their growing distance from President Bush.

While the Democratic hopefuls spent their debate Sunday mostly talking about
how they would withdraw from Iraq, virtually all the Republicans spoke of the
need to stay the course in Iraq, and many refused even to rule out a nuclear
strike against Iran to keep that country from developing nuclear weapons.

Asked for a show of hands, every Republican on the stage indicated they
thought English should be named the official language of the U.S., an idea
dismissed by virtually all Democrats on Sunday. And the Republicans all
similarly rejected a suggestion that gays be allowed to serve openly in the
military.

But the Republicans were also surprisingly unified in aiming criticism - or
at least not defending - Bush, exposing what has become a stark tension within
the GOP.

"This war was very badly mismanaged for a long time and Americans have made
great sacrifices, some of which were unnecessary," Sen. John McCain poignantly
told a woman whose brother was killed in Iraq, adding that he hoped the current
course in Iraq would make it so "the sacrifice of your brother would not be in
vain."

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California said the White House "has the slows" when it
comes to building a security fence along the Mexican border, while former
Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson took a crack at Bush's diplomatic skills by
saying, "I would certainly not send him to the United Nations" when asked about
Bush's post-presidency.

Immigration was a hot topic, but the expected showdown between McCain and
former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney - who have been sparring for days over the
topic - failed to materialize. "I am not going to make this a matter of personal
politics," Romney said.

McCain later gave an impassioned defense of a bipartisan bill he has helped
to author that would give the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway
to citizenship, and he ended by defending the patriotism of many of the nation's
immigrants.

"Next time you're down in Washington, D.C., go to the Vietnam War memorial
and look at the names engraved in black granite. You'll find a whole lot of
Hispanic names," said McCain.

Giuliani also weighed in on the immigration bill, which he called flawed and
"a typical Washington mess." But mostly the former mayor - who is running well
ahead of his rivals, a new USA Today Poll showed yesterday - tried to look past
the primary and aim his barbs at Democrats.

"They don't seem to have gotten beyond the Cold War," said Giuliani, adding
of the recently uncovered plot to blow up Kennedy Airport, "These are real
problems. This war is not a bumper sticker."

[email-masked]

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