Poll: Support for Giuliani softens

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A new CBS poll indicates support for Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has softened significantly from two months ago.

Of those asked, the former New York City mayor remained the front-runner among Republican primary voters nationwide, but six in ten of his supporters said they have growing reservations about him.

Sixty percent said they had doubts, up from 45 percent in August, while 30 percent said they strongly favor Giuliani, down from 47 percent two months ago, CBS News reported Friday.

Overall, 29 percent of Republican primary voters interviewed said they favored Giuliani, while 21 percent backed former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and 18 percent said they supported Arizona Sen. John McCain, the same support McCain received in last month's CBS poll.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney received 12 percent support in the latest poll while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee received 4 percent.

The telephone poll of 1,282 respondents was conducted Oct. 12-16 and had 3 percent margin of error.