COLEBROOK, N.H. — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain on Saturday said he won't follow his rivals' lead in taking personal shots at Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, and that voters seeking a candidate who will do that should look elsewhere.
"I think people want a respectful debate and a respectful discussion. And if they don't, then obviously, I'm not the person to be their candidate," McCain told reporters in response to questions about criticism of Clinton by Republican rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.
"Legitimate policy differences, those should be debated and discussed," McCain said. "But I don't think you should take shots at people, like imitating her voice. I'm serious, I'm not sure what you gain by doing that."
The Arizona senator's comments come days after he faced criticism for not repudiating a voter in South Carolina who called Clinton a "bitch." McCain chuckled in response to the voter's question, but didn't embrace the epithet. A few minutes later he said he respects Clinton, a New York senator and colleague.
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His campaign, though, used news coverage of the incident to launch a fundraising e-mail. A spokesman for McCain said it brought the GOP candidate his single-highest day for online donations. A figure was not immediately available.
Romney and Giuliani have made criticism of Clinton a major focus on their campaigns. Romney, in a television ad running in New Hampshire, compared Clinton to an intern, invoking the specter of the Monica Lewinsky scandal that clouded President Bill Clinton's second term. He also says her views are parallel to those of Karl Marx and that her dream would be to turn the United States economy into one based on a weak European model.
Giuliani frequently tells voters Clinton simply cannot be trusted. Earlier this month, he said her views change so frequently, he can't keep track of them. "I remember John Kerry used to be accused of being a flip-flopper. She makes him look like an amateur," Giuliani said while campaigning here.
McCain said Romney and Giuliani can run their own campaigns, but he won't follow their example. "If people think indulging in personal attacks and disparaging people's character is a way to get the nomination and win an election, I'm not their guy," McCain said. "I'm sure they can find somebody else."
Earlier Saturday, McCain called for the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada as a way to bring health-care costs under control. Speaking to reporters about a mile from the Canadian border in Vermont, McCain said high drug prices account for too much of the cost of health care, and drugs from Canada could result in a 16 to 60 percent discount.
