During a calm first debate, Republican White House hopefuls expressed strong backing for the military mission in Iraq but raised concerns about the Bush administration's handling of the conflict. The debate, held at the California presidential library of conservative Republican icon Ronald Reagan, did not feature many direct clashes but did reveal some disagreements among the 10 candidates on issues such as abortion. The majority of the 2008 contenders emphasized the importance of achieving victory in Iraq, contrasting with the Democratic candidates who recently called for a swift conclusion to the war. Senator John McCain of Arizona, a prominent supporter of the war and proponent of President George W. Bush's plan to boost troop numbers in Iraq, asserted that withdrawing from the conflict would result in chaos, genocide, and potential threats to the United States. Rudolph Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York and the Republican front-runner in national polls, emphasized the importance of not backing down in the fight against terrorism. However, some other candidates expressed concerns about the handling of the war by the Bush administration. McCain criticized the management of the war, stating that it had been poorly handled for four years. Former Arkansas Gov. also commented on the matter, saying that there had been a significant error in judgment, mainly due to the administration not listening enough to the advice of military generals. The debate in California took place during a challenging time for Republicans, as they had recently lost power in Congress and faced public dissatisfaction with President Bush, the Iraq war, and the party in general. Candidates were careful about whether to support Bush and his policies, with former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney emphasizing the importance of focusing on bringing troops home from the war despite low poll numbers. Romney acknowledged the need to bring certain issues to light cautiously so as not to create a situation that would necessitate revisiting them. Conservatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the Republican presidential candidates, particularly Giuliani for his support of gay and abortion rights, and Romney for his shift in stance on these issues. Romney justified his change in opinion on abortion rights as a genuine shift in beliefs, stating, "I changed my mind." The majority of candidates stated their support for repealing the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Giuliani expressed his acceptance of abortion but believes it should be decided by individual states. Virginia Gov James Gilmore supported abortion rights in the early stages of pregnancy but implemented restrictions on abortion while serving as governor. The debate, held at the Reagan library, sparked admiration for the former president and conservative figure, with candidates commending Reagan's leadership and principles. Nancy Reagan and Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger were in attendance, but not all candidates shared Reagan's stance on federal funding for stem cell research. The event also included the involvement of Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, Representatives Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Ron Paul of Texas, and Duncan Hunter of California, as well as former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin.