McCain Helps Himself - And Romney appears vulnerable on Iraq. By FRED BARNES

Durham, New Hampshire

NO PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION or election has ever been won on the basis of a performance in a debate. But candidates can help or hurt themselves. Last night in New Hampshire, John McCain helped himself and Mitt Romney hurt himself. And while Rudy Giuliani was no slouch, he became tedious by droning on about his accomplishments as mayor of New York.

The five other Republican presidential candidates didn't matter much. Fred Thompson, who announced his candidacy last night on TV, was a no-show.

McCain was ready and eager to stress his muscular position in favor of the "surge" in Iraq, and he had plenty of opportunity to do so. The key moment came after Romney said the surge was "apparently working," and McCain challenged him.

"No, not apparently, it's working," McCain responded
sharply.

Romney, the ex-governor of Massachusetts, said he wants to wait to hear from General David Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq who will testify before Congress next week, before rendering a less equivocal verdict. McCain took exception to that, too. There's no reason to wait, he indicated. The success of the surge--involving more troops and a new counterinsurgency strategy--"is more than apparent. It's working."

The alacrity with which McCain went after Romney on Iraq reflected the Arizona senator's view that Romney shades or modifies his position on the war, depending on his audience. After the debate, McCain aides accused Romney of having three different positions on Iraq in four days.

That was an exaggeration. But Romney's tone and tack on Iraq
were noticeably different last Sunday when he answered an antiwar questioner in Nashua.

Then, he agreed Iraq is a "mess" and said he has a three-stage plan for the war, leading to the complete withdrawal of American troops. The soldiers would be deployed outside Iraq and "would be available if needed," he said.

And Romney said he sees his plan, including the final withdrawal, "happening relatively soon." He didn't offer a timetable. But the second phase, with Americans out of combat and assigned to train Iraqi troops, might begin next year. In any case, his three-stage strategy seemed to distance him perceptibly from President Bush on Iraq.

At the debate last night here at the University of New Hampshire, Romney explicitly moved back toward Bush, identifying himself with the president's desire to begin withdrawing troops as soon as the surge is successful. He is "committed to success in Iraq," Romney insisted, but wants the United States to "not have a permanent presence in Iraq." Bush, however, believes some American troops will have to be stationed in Iraq for years.

The McCain-Romney clash, mild but pointed, was the most consequential dispute of the debate. A squabble over Iraq between Ron Paul, who wants an immediate evacuation of U.S. troops, and Mike Huckabee was noisier and more emotional, but it showed what we already knew: Paul rants and Huckabee can hold his own.

That Romney may be vulnerable on Iraq--at least McCain thinks so--is new. And McCain is now certain to prolong his quarrel with Romney as he embarks on what his campaign has dubbed the "No Surrender" tour.

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