Jan. 24 Republican debate transcript

Williams: We are back on Boca Raton, Florida tonight. Our final segment will be going the rest of the way in our 90-minute debate tonight among the Republican candidates for the nomination.

To resume the questioning, we'll go to you, Mayor Giuliani. Say what you will about polls and their accuracy these days.

Our latest "NBC News Wall Street Journal" poll shows you having gone, in the space of 10 months, from a positive rating of 58 percent to your current low of 29 percent today. And if you cast aside the polls, your last three finishes have been sixth, fourth and sixth.

What has happened to your campaign?

Giuliani: This has become a very competitive race and I always expected it would be a very competitive race, and I believe that I'm going to have the same fate that the New York Giants had last week, and we're going to come from behind and surprise everyone.

We have them all lulled into a very false sense of security now. When Mitt Romney asked me a question, notice he asked me a very nice question. So I think I've lulled him into a false sense of security. And we are going to come from behind. We're going to win here in Florida and if you look at the races that are coming up after that, I think we're in good shape.

These are terrific candidates. They're all running very, very good races. I always expected it would be very close and I think it has -- when it all got down to it, everyone is going to have a chance and I think we're going to do very well here in Florida and I think we're going to do very well on February 5th, and I believe that I'll get the nomination.

Williams: Senator McCain, next question to you. In an interview with our friend, Steve Scully over at C-SPAN, your mother, who has come up in the campaign once or twice, at the age of 95, your mother, Roberta, said that the Republican Party is going to have to, quote, "hold its nose and pick you," her son, "as the nominee." In all seriousness -- and moms get a special exemption -- it's a notable...

McCain: Thank you very much.

Williams: ... it's a notable quote, because she expresses a view you hear around the GOP, because you haven't voted with your part on some core stances, like taxes and judges and immigration and campaign reform.

How do you expect to unite a party behind you?

McCain: In all due respect, I love the way you throw all those together. I'm so proud of my record on judges, that those of us who got together and got Justice Alito and Roberts and so many judges together, and I won't go list by list there, but -- point by point.

But, look, I won the majority of Republican vote in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. Most conservative Republicans' major concern is the threat of radical Islamic extremism.

I'm making my case that I can make America safe and safer, I can restore trust and confidence and that I can make the needed changes to have the fundamentals of our economy which are still strong bring us through these difficult times.

Conservative Republicans are also concerned about climate change that we just mentioned, because of their belief in their stewardship of this planet and our stewardship.

There's many people who are concerned and have a priority, the independence of the state of Israel. They know that I know how to keep Israel independent, as well.

So I'm proud of the broad base of support. I will continue to work in every way to show people that I have a very, very conservative record. I'm proud to be a conservative.

But there are times, like when Rumsfeld's strategy was going wrong, I was criticized by Republicans. When I opposed the "bridge to nowhere," that was a Republican policy. When I went after Jack Abramoff, there were people who -- Republicans who suffered from that.

When I saved the taxpayers $6 billion in a bogus tanker deal, that was a Republican policy deal there. So there are times and the reason why I've had such strong support amongst independents is because they know that I'll put my country above my party every single time, and I'm proud to be a conservative.

Williams: Senator, thank you.

Tim?

Russert: Governor Romney, as has become apparent over the last few weeks, if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she'll be running as a team with her husband.

Specifically, how would you run against Hillary and Bill Clinton in November?

Romney: I frankly can't wait, because the idea of Bill Clinton back in the White House with nothing to do is something I just can't imagine. I can't imagine the American people can't imagine, and I...