Giuliani stresses record, woos US conservatives

WASHINGTON, Mar 3 (Reuters) Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani acknowledged his differences with the party's conservative base but said bigger principles should be at stake in the race for the White House.

The former New York mayor led a parade of six Republican White House contenders who wooed frustrated conservatives at an annual convention. He asked the activists to look past his support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control.

Giuliani, dubbed ''America's Mayor'' for his leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks, touted his New York record of reducing crime, cutting city taxes and moving people from welfare to jobs.

''We all don't see eye to eye on everything. You and I have a lot of common beliefs that are the same, and we have some that are different,'' Giuliani told attendees at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

''The point of a presidential election is to figure out who do you believe the most, and what do you think are the most important things for this country at a particular time,'' he said.

Giuliani leads the Republican presidential field in national polls, but he and the other top-tier candidates -- Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- have been criticized for straying from conservative principles.

McCain championed campaign finance reform, opposed some of President George W. Bush's tax cuts and attacked conservative religious leaders during his 2000 presidential campaign. His decision not to appear at the three-day conservative gathering further angered some activists.

Romney has shifted his positions on social issues like abortion and gay rights to become more conservative.

Even many lesser-known candidates have sparked grumbling from conservatives, who have made their displeasure with the 2008 Republican field evident.

'DUDE, WHERE'S MY CANDIDATE?' Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, criticized for raising taxes as governor, promised to sign a pledge he would not raise taxes as president and joked about the state of distress at the conference.

''It might be renamed the conservative presidential anxiety conference,'' he said. ''The theme might be, 'Dude, where's my candidate?''' MORE REUTERS DH VP0440