Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain said rival Mitt Romney doesn't have the foreign policy background a commander-in-chief needs, citing President George W. Bush's record as evidence of the risks a lack of experience brings.

``You could argue that he had to lean a little bit too much on Vice President Cheney,'' McCain said of Bush in an interview on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' to be aired this weekend. ``When George W. Bush was first elected, we were not in wars. Now we are in two wars and a larger struggle against radicalist Islamic extremism.''

McCain, campaigning in New Hampshire four days before the state's first-in-the-nation 2008 primary, sharpened his criticism of Romney, saying that ``of course'' the former Massachusetts governor has far less foreign policy experience than Ronald Reagan did when he ran for president.

Reagan ``certainly knew the challenges'' of global affairs and understood foreign-policy matters far better than Romney, having ``fought communism for 30 years,'' said McCain, an Arizona senator.

McCain, 71, also suggested that Romney was unprincipled. ``It's very clear that he has switched positions on every issue,'' McCain said.

`Self-Serving'

Romney's campaign took exception to McCain's comments.

``We would disagree with Senator McCain's self-serving criticism of President Bush, who has kept America safe for six years,'' said spokesman Kevin Madden. ``Governor Romney believes in a robust national security posture around the globe, and he has the vision and the experience to strengthen the American military.''

McCain's criticisms of Romney, 60, and Bush come as he seeks support from New Hampshire's independent voters, who make up an estimated 44 percent of the state's electorate and may vote in either party's primary on Jan. 8.

McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who has emphasized his own military and foreign policy background, said Barack Obama, 46, the winner of yesterday's Democratic caucuses in Iowa, lacks foreign policy experience as well. In the interview, McCain, who came in fourth among Republican candidates in Iowa, called himself ``the one with the record'' best suited for these ``perilous times.''

McCain, who supports the Iraq war, has criticized the Bush administration's conduct of the invasion.

Following the caucuses, McCain called to congratulate Mike Huckabee, 52, the former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister who won the Republican contest in Iowa.

Huckabee `Decent'

``He's a very decent person,'' McCain said. ``He comes across very well -- presents the image of a person who can be viewed as trustworthy,'' McCain said. Huckabee is considered an underdog in New Hampshire, while McCain and Romney are neck-and- neck in the most recent polls.

McCain said the relatively low Republican turnout in Iowa's caucuses -- about 117,000, less than half the almost 240,000 the Democrats mustered -- showed the need to ``reinvigorate'' the party. ``We've got a lot of work to do,'' he said.

McCain also said his campaign had nothing to do with a controversial poll conducted in New Hampshire last year that sought to raise questions about Romney's Mormon faith. The Romney campaign sought to link McCain's camp to the ``push poll.'' McCain, who has called on the state's attorney general to conduct an investigation, called the matter ``absolutely bizarre.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Edwin Chen in Washington at EChen32@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 4, 2008 17:22 EST