PITTSBURGH — Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Democrats of being on the defensive in the war on terrorism and said he would rather hear Gen. David Petraeus' assessment of the situation in Iraq than listen to lawmakers' calls for change in Iraq.

Giuliani, making his first visit to Western Pennsylvania since announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, said Wednesday that Democrats wanted "to go back to the 1990s," referring to his comments a day earlier that the Clinton administration made a mistake by treating the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center as a criminal act.

Giuliani said he wants to hear what Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has to say in September, when he reports to Washington on whether Bush's troop buildup is working.

After sampling fontinella, aged smoked provolone cheese and pizza topped with sausage and shredded pepperoni at an Italian grocery store, Giuliani walked a few blocks through the city's Strip District, a warehouse area best known for its markets, trendy restaurants and nightclubs.

He shook hands with well-wishers, waved to motorists, signed autographs and posed for photos, including some with a 10-month-old girl who sat quietly in his arms as he kissed her cheek.

"You did a fantastic job on 9-11," Kathy Kowger of Ross Township told Giuliani earlier. He later signed the back of her shirt.

As Giuliani strolled the street, Guido Lesser, 63, of Concord Township, Butler County, approached and asked, "Are we going to have an imperial presidency from you?"

"I hope not," Giuliani replied.