Presidential hopeful in the line of fire

Republican presidential hopeful and former actor, Fred Thompson, fluffed his lines in a televised debate, US critics have claimed.

With the US election primaries only months away, candidates are trying to seek out their rivals weak points.

All nine of the men on stage sought to stress their conservative economic credentials throughout the two-hour debate held Dearborn, Michigan.

Mr Thompson, who has starred in Die Hard 2, In The Line Fire and Law & Order, to name but a few of his films and TV series, only entered the race a month ago.

However, he was upstaged by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and ex-New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, each of whom claimed to be more committed to lowering taxes as they competed for conservative support.

Mr Giuliani said: "I cut taxes 23 times. I believe in tax cuts."

Mr Romney said they were in agreement about tax cuts, then criticised Mr Giuliani for having filed a court challenge to a law that gave ex-President Bill Clinton the right to veto spending items line by line.

Mr Romney also said that Mr Giuliani fought to keep the commuter tax on people coming into New York.

Mr Giuliani responded that spending fell in New York while he was mayor, and rose in Massachusetts while Romney was governor.

"The point is that you've got to control taxes. I did it, he didn't...I led, he lagged," Mr Giuliani said.

"It's all baloney," retorted Mr Romney. "I did not increase taxes in Massachusetts. I lowered taxes."

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