Attacks on Hillary underline tag as favourite

Washington: Republican presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have lashed out at Hillary Clinton in attacks that underscored her status as leader of the pack in the Democratic Party's race for 2008.

Former New York Mayor Giuliani, campaigning in New Hampshire, compared Clinton to George McGovern, the liberal 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, for offering an idea last week to give a $5,000 (Dh18,227) savings account for college to every baby born in the US.

"Remember when McGovern did this in '70 - he was going to send everybody a $1,000 check. And she's going to send everybody born in America a $5,000 Hillary baby bond and if you think about that, that's $22 billion of our money she's going to spend," Giuliani told conservative commentator Dennis Prager's radio show.

The Clinton campaign, enjoying a widening lead over her closest rival, has said the baby bond idea was not a firm proposal. A spokesman brushed off the Giuliani attack.

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

McCain, campaigning in South Carolina, criticised Clinton's stance on the Iraq war, saying she "wants to have it both ways when it comes to foreign policy".

"Senator Clinton voted to cut off the funding. I don't see how you support the troops if you're not willing to fund the mission that they are on," the Arizona senator said.