PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – It was mid-morning at Geno’s Chowder and Sandwich Shop here, and Governor Romney, his suit-jacket off, was revving up the crowd. “One of the things that really troubled me was Nancy Pelosi going over to a state that sponsors terrorism,” he said to nods and calls of agreement from the audience.

Mr. Romney has been increasing the volume and intensity of his criticism of Democratic leadership in recent days, particularly on issues of national security and foreign policy. He also took aim at Senate Majority Leader Reid, who said, in Mr. Romney’s words, “we lost the war in Iraq.”

Mr. Romney was expected last night at Yeshiva University to deliver a strong speech warning of the dangers of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Romney has called for economic sanctions on Iran and for genocide charges against Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Romney is advocating an increase of 100,000 in the size of the military and a $40 billion or $50 billion increase in its budget. Yesterday, he also expressed his opinion of a lawsuit brought last month by six Muslim passengers removed from a U.S. Airways flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix against others who reported suspicious activities to authorities.

“That’s obviously a misguided effort,” Mr. Romney said of the lawsuit in response to a question from the Sun. “We’re going to have to keep open channels of information that identify possible sources of terror.” He likened the so-called “John Does” who provide information in a terrorism case to good Samaritans who report child abuse to authorities and said such suits could “chill” the public’s ability to fight terror. “We’re not going to sue those people or allow them to be sued…The number one civil liberty the government must protect is the liberty to be kept alive.”

Mr. Romney’s comments followed his meeting with the Rockingham County chiefs of police. That meeting, according to Mr. Romney, focused both on responding to terror attacks and preventing them via the collection of intelligence information. Mr. Romney raised the issue of so-called interoperability, whether members of different emergency services can communicate with one another — an issue raised by Senator McCain yesterday and viewed as a slight against another Republican candidate, Mayor Giuliani.

The strong talk of Mr. Romney is a necessity in a Republican primary where security and foreign policy skills are at a premium. While Mr. Romney did head up the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , and preside over the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston – both events that required a high level of scrutiny around security – his credentials here lack the luster of those of his opponents. One, Senator McCain, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, a longstanding member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a vocal opponent of despotic regimes worldwide. His other rival, Mayor Giuliani, served as the chief executive of New York City at the time of the September 11th attacks, making him an international symbol of the fight against terror. Just this week, Mr. Giuliani stated, “Americans will be safer with a Republican president.”

Given the records and positions of his opponents, Mr. Romney is ratcheting up his own rhetoric. “Governor Romney has to make it clear to Republicans that he is wiling to take just as firm a position as either of his two opponents. He’s not going to be left behind in this race on the basis of his foreign policy inexperience,” said Lee Edwards, a distinguished fellow with the Heritage Foundation. “Maybe Romney is having to make up some lost ground there and to raise the rhetoric so he is not left behind by either of the two gentleman who are contesting with him for the nomination.”

At Geno’s in Portsmouth, listeners speaking after Mr. Romney’s departure said they were impressed with the Massachusetts governor. “What he was saying is what Teddy Roosevelt said, ‘speak softly but carry a big stick,’ ” said Steven Smith of Dover.

Jan Yocom of Portsmouth applauded Mr. Romney’s strong words towards Mrs. Pelosi. “She should mind her own business,” said Mrs. Yocom who has a grandson serving in the military in Iraq. “I think he’s qualified.”

Elizabeth Binnie, also of Portsmouth, added “he’s talking common sense.”