LADSON, S.C.--White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down an aisle of rifles, shotguns and pistols at a gun show yesterday "a day in paradise," and criticized his leading Republican opponents for past positions on gun control and abortion.

Talking to reporters after the gun show visit, Thompson singled out former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Giuliani "never met a gun-control bill he didn't like until he started to run for president and now I understand he very much approves of the Supreme Court taking jurisdiction of this Washington, D.C., case which most Second Amendment advocates think will establish that the Second Amendment means what it says and grants individual rights to people to possess firearms," Thompson said. "So, ah, maybe he's changed his mind about that, but his record is clear otherwise."

A Giuliani campaign spokes-man was quick to reply by e-mail to Thompson's criticism: "Mayor Giuliani is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believes our focus should be on making sure criminals are the ones who can't get guns.

"It's the same tough-on-crime approach Rudy took in bringing historic crime reductions to New York City, and we'll match that experience against Fred Thompson's record of chasing moonshiners any day of the week."

Thompson was asked about mailers Romney has sent talking about his abortion opposition and promoting himself as the clear choice on that issue. "Until about two years ago, when he decided he was going to run for president, Gov. Romney was the most adamant pro-choice advocate that I've ever seen," he said.