GOP Rivals Spar On Taxes

Squeezed from the right in Iowa by his more socially conservative opponents, George W. Bush moved to fend them off Thursday with his hardest line so far on abortion and the Supreme Court decision legalizing it, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker.

"Roe v. Wade was a reach, overstepped constitutional bounds as far as I am concerned," said Bush.

That might help him with Iowa Republicans in the caucus Monday, yet hurt him with women voters down the road.

CBS News Correspondent Bob Fuss reports Bush also said he would reverse the FDA if it approves RU-486, the so-called "abortion" pill. But asked what advice about abortion he would give a woman who was raped, he said "that's her choice."

The Texas governor is finding it hard to be the man out front, claiming the middle ground. He's also in a hot battle with Arizona Senator John McCain over taxes. Thursday, Bush said he likes Senator McCain, just hates his tax plan.

"He laid out a plan that I thought was wrong," said Bush.

And he's turned up the heat in tax-averse New Hampshire with a quickie commercial in which he says: "My opponent trusts the people of Washington to spend money. I trust the people of New Hampshire to make the right decisions for their families."

New Bush New Hampshire ad on taxes.

Then he lit into Bush on taxes: "He has an inaccurate ad and in the spirit of the handshake, he should probably take it down, but they say he's not going to do it."

He was talking about a handshake in Michigan last week when the two vowed not to go negative. But perhaps this negative turn was inevitable. Both men are defining themselves by taxes in New Hampshire; it's their make-or-break issue here. Bush hopes it will help him break McCain before the next important primary in South Carolina.

The McCain camp says Bush has miscalculated the public mood. Perhaps both have. While the candidates are talking abortion and taxes, voters are telling pollsters they'd rather hear about education and health care.