NEWPORT, N.H. — Mitt Romney bought a stuffed monkey and other playthings for his grandson, but their visit to a toy store Sunday was anything but routine Christmas shopping.
The presidential candidate used French's Toy Shop in Concord, N.H., as the setting for one of his most biting attacks on Rudolph W. Giuliani, a top rival for the Republican nomination. Campaigning with his toddler grandson and seven other relatives, Romney described himself as more dedicated than Giuliani to family values.
"I believe it's important for the Republican Party to have a person who can distinguish himself on family values with Hillary Clinton," Romney said.
The nominee, he said, should be "pro-life," "pro-family," "pro-traditional marriage," oppose illegal immigration and uphold high ethical standards. And by all those measures, he said, Giuliani falls short.
The verbal blast captured the combative tone of competing weekend bus tours across New Hampshire by Romney and Giuliani.
The former New York mayor slammed Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts, most pointedly on crime and healthcare. "The governor had what can only be described as a poor record on violent crime," Giuliani told the Associated Press on Saturday in Laconia.
On Sunday, Giuliani said Romney had made a mistake by mandating coverage for all Massachusetts residents in his landmark healthcare law. "When you mandate it, it ends up costing you much more money," Giuliani said.
With New Hampshire's Jan. 8 primary barely six weeks away, the sparring illustrated the key role that the state plays in the strategies of Romney and Giuliani.
Romney hopes to win the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, then sprint to a New Hampshire victory that would build momentum toward the nomination. Giuliani faces slim prospects in culturally conservative Iowa, but better odds in more moderate New Hampshire.
Both candidates have saturated New Hampshire's TV airwaves with ads promoting themselves, but confined their increasingly sharp attacks to campaign stops.
Romney's pivot to family values Sunday was part of his drive to corner conservative primary voters in New Hampshire and elsewhere.
Joining him at the Concord toy store were his wife, Ann; their grown sons Tagg, Craig and Ben; each of their wives; and 19-month-old Parker, one of Romney's 11 grandchildren.
With Parker perched on his shoulder, Romney, surrounded by news crews, bought the boy a stuffed Curious George, a toy car and a plastic horse.
