Attacks get personal between Romney, Giuliani

CONCORD, New Hampshire (CNN) -- GOP hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani exchanged numerous verbal spars over the weekend -- just days before the two will meet face-to-face at the CNN/YouTube debate.

The bulk of the battle stemmed from Romney's decision on Friday to call for the resignation of Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Kathe Tuttman -- 20 months after he appointed her.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, learned that Tuttman had released without bail a convicted killer, who has since been charged with killing a married couple in Washington state.

Romney defended his decision Saturday, saying that Tuttman had "showed an inexplicable lack of good judgment," and that, despite her "record of being a law and order prosecutor," her poor judgment requires her to step down. Watch why Romney's decision is controversial »

Giuliani, who was also in New Hampshire, told The Associated Press on Saturday, "the governor is going to have to explain his appointment and the judge is going to have to explain her decision."

Romney shot back -- making jabs at Giuliani's judgment.

Romney pointed to his rival's close friend and former New York police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, who is being indicted on multiple counts of corruption and fraud.

"It's strange to have him bringing forward my selection of individuals to serve, judges and so forth, when he's got Bernie Kerik all over him these days. When someone he knew was under investigation, he recommended to the president to be secretary of Homeland Security?... Throwing stones from a glass house is never a wise thing to do," Romney said in an interview to be aired Monday on CNN's "The Situation Room."

Romney said it's a "stretch well beyond reality to suggest that I'm responsible for all the decisions that all the judges make that I appoint," adding that he has appointed some 60 judges.

Giuliani said his GOP rival was distracting attention from his own mistakes.

"I think that this whole appointment of a judge goes to a much bigger point that Gov. Romney had a very poor record with dealing with murder and violent crime as governor, and I think that is not just an isolated situation," Giuliani said at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton.

While much of the weekend's conflict centered around Tuttman, Romney and Giuliani also went back-and-forth over Giuliani's fiscal record.

"I know he did a good job as the mayor of New York City but on spending and fiscal matters, they left a bit of a problem there because when he came in there was a budget gap, but when he left, he left a budget gap twice as big as the one he inherited: over three billion dollars," Romney said this weekend.

The Giuliani camp fired back in an e-mail from former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci.

"Mitt Romney simply has his facts wrong -- not only did Mayor Giuliani turn over a balanced budget to his successor, but the city ended that fiscal year with a surplus," Cellucci said.

Both presidential candidates will face each other Wednesday night at the CNN/YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Florida. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Sareena Dalla contributed to this report.

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