Rudy, Mitt Trade Kerry Insults

Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney couldn't seem to get out of the ring yesterday, even though their tussle at Tuesday's debate was over. The campaigns  kept it going with press-release jabs, each rehashing his opponent's debate language on Iran and each comparing the other to John Kerry, notes Election Central’s Greg Sargent. Team Rudy hit first, blasting Romney for saying he’d check with lawyers about approval for air
strikes:  “Another Massachusetts politician also wanted a national security test.”

Mitt’s people rebutted, saying Rudy couldn’t take a stand on Iran, preferring “a vague explanation about ‘exigent circumstances.’” Romney also backtracked from deference to Congress, saying he’d decide about air strikes on his own. This led Sargent to wonder if Republicans must now refute “the charge that as president you'd take care to make sure that you were following the Constitution?” (More Mitt Romney stories.)