"Face the Nation" transcript: February 5, 2012

BOB SCHIEFFER: Let me ask you just one question about something that's not directly about the campaign. This situation in Syria has really taken a turn for the worse, President Obama is saying Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes now and that he must step aside. Is there anything we can do beyond that or should we?

NEWT GINGRICH: Well, I think there are a lot of things we could do covertly in terms of supplying weapons, supplying-- having helping people in the region supply advisors. I think we-- we should make clear to the world that Assad is going to be-- is going to go. And I think you can put together a coalition to get rid of him. I don't think you need to use American troops. But you do need to communicate that those who are opposed to Assad will get the kind of support they need in order to-- to defeat him.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Mister Gingrich, thank you very much for stopping by. We hope to see you again before all this is over. Appreciate you coming by this morning.

NEWT GINGRICH: Good-- good talking to you, Bob.

BOB SCHIEFFER: I want to turn now to somebody who has been watching us from afar. Rudy Giuliani is out in Indianapolis this morning. I can't imagine why. Mister Mayor, are you prepared to endorse anyone other than the New York Giants today?

RUDY GIULIANI (Former New York City Mayor/Former Republican Presidential Candidate): Not yet. I'm-- I'm listening very carefully and I know all of these men very well and I have very high regard for them. I-- I've become concerned when they start attacking each other not-- not in general but when they start attacking each other as if they're Democrats.

You know, when Newt began with the attack on-- on-- on Romney with-- with regard to Bain Capital a couple of weeks ago, he-- he ceased from that or vice versa when Romney attacked Newt over some of the ways in which he's earned his money and, I mean, the-- the best thing-- the best thing for us would be if Newt start to everything you said after his first comment when he interviewed which are the issues of the campaign. There is a difference. They have some big differences over Romney-care. They have big differences over taxes. Newt's plan on taxes is better. Then-- then Governor Romney's plan, it is exact-- exactly as he said bolder. Newt is-- is much more willing to make dramatic changes in the way the government operates and if it-- if it were just one conservative candidate of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich could agree somehow, toss a coin or have a good discussion, I think it would be a much more interesting race.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, when you say you have-- and you've-- you've had some pretty strong things to say. I-- I just want to put up on the screen a couple of things you have said regarding Gingrich, you said, "What the hell are you doing Newt?" Attacking Romney on Bain Capital? And then on Romney you said, "I've never seen a guy change his positions (sic) on so many things so fast on a dime, on-- on everything." Go ahead.

RUDY GIULIANI: Well, I think maybe-- maybe I reflect some of the confusion that all those Republicans out there have that are having a hard time making up their minds, now to-- to credit Newt with what-- what he did was, I did make those comments. Newt called me, we talked it over. And Newt explained why-- why he had said what he said. I thought he was wrong but he had an explanation for it and then he stopped it. I mean, he-- he's moved on to-- to the issues in the-- in the campaign. Governor-- Governor Romney, I think-- I think that's the big issue with Governor Romney. I think that's the reason why he's having a hard time getting to that fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three percent. And Newt pointed it out before when he was interviewing you. He has changed his position on virtually everything. He was a traditional moderate Republican, strong on fiscal matters, conservative, strong on foreign policy, but basically socially moderate. And he changed all that.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Are you--

RUDY GIULIANI: --I am a moderate Republican, that's what I am. So I'd be inclined to support someone like-- like Mitt Romney. But all those changes in positions give me-- give me pause. But like Newt, my-- my major concern is defeating Barack Obama. So I want to be careful that we conduct an issues-oriented campaign that grows these candidates and doesn't destroy them.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Let me ask you this. As you watch all this unfold, are you sorry now that you didn't run this time?

RUDY GIULIANI: No, no, no, no. If-- if-- if Mitt Romney having changed all those positions isn't conservative enough yet, believe me, I wouldn't have had a chance. I'm realistic enough to know how Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, how-- how they would vote. And they would like me on economics, they would like me on national security, but they wouldn't like me on my social views and I'm not about to change them. They-- they are very much with me.

BOB SCHIEFFER: You know, you brought up something very interesting or at least it's been interesting to me. You said I am a moderate Republican. And are there-- are there moderate Republicans out there anymore? Is there such a thing as what be used to see as the Republican establishment?

RUDY GIULIANI: Well-- well, you know, I consider myself a conservative because that's what the New York Times always says about me when I was the mayor. But when I look at the whole-- when I look at the whole picture of Republicans, on two areas, gay rights and on-- on choice, I-- I'm-- I would be considered a moderate. I don't necessarily consider myself that way. But in order to describe myself I'm more than willing to go say that I am. And both of those positions are positions of conscience to me. I can't change them. Even if-- even if I got elected president-- even if I could be elected president, I couldn't change those positions. I wouldn't be able to function, I think, properly and honestly if I did.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, do you-- do you worry right now? You talk about some-- some-- some of the conservatives ought to drop out here. Is what you're saying that probably Rick Santorum ought to excuse himself, or?