Tag: Rudy Giuliani (page 10)

One divorce, okay, maybe evangelicals would give a candidate a break. But three marriages? No way.

Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, told The Associated Press that evangelicals believe the former New York City mayor showed a lack of character during his divorce from his second wife, television personality Donna Hanover.

"I mean, this is divorce on steroids," Land said. "To publicly humiliate your wife in that way, and your children. That's rough. I think that's going to be an awfully hard sell, even if he weren't pro-choice and pro-gun control."

Via Ben at Politico Blog, quoting the Washington Times about Rudy Giuliani's Cpac speech:

In interviews afterward, some attendees said Mr. Giuliani lost momentum when he heaped lavish praise on Abraham Lincoln.

"While many conservatives regard the Civil War president as the spiritual founder of the Republican Party, others deeply resent him as a man who ruthlessly suspended constitutional rights and freedoms in order to militarily challenge the South's belief in its right to secede. Some saw similar disdain for individuals' rights in Mr. Giuliani's successful war on crime in New York City."

Where is Rudy on civil liberties issues? Squarely with Bush (no suprise there.)

Mr. Giuliani took the side of the Bush administration on an issue that troubles civil libertarian conservatives, saying that "you need the tools like the Patriot Act and legal intelligence surveillance."

You gotta love kids. They are so honest. Andrew Giuliani, now a senior at Duke, spoke to a New York Times reporter the other day who was curious about his and his sister's absence from the campaign trail:

In a telephone interview yesterday, Andrew, a sophomore and member of the golf team at Duke University, acknowledged having had difficulties with Ms. Nathan, and said that he and his father had recently tried to reconcile after not speaking “for a decent amount of time.”

“There’s obviously a little problem that exists between me and his wife,” the younger Mr. Giuliani said. “And we’re trying to figure that out. But as of right now it’s not working as well as we would like.”

Does the thrice-married Giuliani think he's the teflon-man and all attacks on him will dissipate in honor of him being the 9/11 mayor? Surely, his 15 minutes of mayoral fame won't stretch that far.

More from Andrew, and then onto Caroline:

Rudy is now defending Bush, including his leadership on Iraq. He also mocked the non-binding resolution Congress is considering.

In the business world, if two weeks were spent on a nonbinding resolution, it would be considered nonproductive," Giuliani told the lunch crowd, setting off a burst of laughter.

He called the concept "a comment without making a decision." America, he added, is "very fortunate to have President Bush." "Presidents can't do nonbinding resolutions. Presidents have to make decisions and move the country forward, and that's the kind of president that I would like to be, a president who makes decisions."

Can anyone think of a worse President than Rudy Giuliani? His pandering to Republican conservatives is just so transparent.

Rudy Giuliani is trying to cover his pro-choice stance of the past. Rather than doing a direct flip-flop, he's praising President Bush's right-wing extremist judges.

In his recent travels, he has directed questions on the issue toward a discussion about judges, saying he would appoint jurists who believe in interpreting, not making, the law: judges, he said, like Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr., who he has said he believed would place limits on Roe v. Wade.

“On the federal judiciary I would want judges who are strict constructionists because I am,” he said last week in South Carolina. “I have a very, very strong view that for this country to work, for our freedoms to be protected, judges have to interpret, not invent, the Constitution.

The Chicago Tribune reports on Rudy's speaking fees and the questions it raises for his potential presidential bid.

He commands $100,000 for a speech, not including expenses, which his star-struck clients are happily willing to pay. In one speech last year at Oklahoma State University, Giuliani requested and received travel on a private Gulfstream jet that cost the school $47,000 to operate. His visit essentially wiped out the student speakers annual fund.

Like other high-priced speakers in the private sector, Giuliani routinely travels in style. Besides the Gulfstream, which is a standard perk on the big-time speakers circuit, his contract calls for up to five hotel rooms for his entourage, including his own two-bedroom suite with a preferred balcony view and king-size bed, in the event of an overnight stay. The Oklahoma contract also required a sedan and an SUV, restrictions on news coverage and control over whom Giuliani would meet, how he would be photographed and what questions he might be asked.

Then there is his investment bank, which he is trying to sell, and his consulting and security businesses.

His spokesperson says:

Rudy Giuliani has taken the next step towards a presidential run.

In a sign that he's serious about running for the White House, the two-term mayor was filing a so-called "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission. In the process, he was eliminating the phrase "testing the waters" from earlier paperwork establishing his exploratory committee, said an official close to Giuliani's campaign.

Update: Kevin Drum and Atrios weigh in.

Rudy Giuliani has ended his silence over Bush's proposal for a troop increase. After the speech, he announced he supports a troop increase.

"I support the president’s increase in troops," Giuliani said in a statement. "Even more importantly – I support the change in strategy – the focus on security and the emphasis on a political and economic solution as being even more important than a military solution."

Whether the Rudy Giuliani campaign memo was misplaced or purloined, that's not the point. Nor is the point the content of the memo. Newsweek explains.

The real problem for Giuliani isn’t the missing binder itself, it’s that it went missing in the first place. Giuliani’s candidacy, after all, will be centered around his expertise in security, order and efficiency.

“It’s hard to say you’re staying up all hours thinking about every unplugged hole in the homeland-security infrastructure when you can’t even keep track of your own documents,” said one Republican strategist who asked not to be identified because he has yet to affiliate with a presidential candidate.

There's an even deeper problem developing surrounding Giuliani, one concerning his arrogance.

Typical Rudy. He thinks he can reinvent himself.

On Rudy Giuliani's new exploratory committee website you can find a bio of the former Mayor and current frontrunner for the GOP Presidential nomination. The bio describes his current marriage as follows: "In May of 2003, Rudy married Judith S. Nathan. Mrs. Giuliani is a registered nurse with an extensive medical and scientific background." Yet intriguingly, Rudy's bio makes no mention of the two children he had from his second marriage to Donna Hanover, who similarly goes unmentioned.

Congressman Charlie Rangel said today he would support a Rudy Giuliani - Bernie Kerik ticket. He was joking.

Political observers say Giuliani's relationship with Kerik could be a problem if the former mayor goes ahead with a run for president.

Gee, you think? Here's some TalkLeft background on Rudy and Bernie. More here and here.

What a pair. Under their administration, Jeanine Pirro probably would be Attorney General. (Not to be confused with Jeanette Pinero.)

There must be a role for Judith Regan in here someplace. What cabinet post would Rudy and Bernie award her?

I love it when Republicans bash Rudy. Now, he's accused of making a "rookie mistake" by scheduling a major fundraising event in the days before Christmas.

As one Republican strategist says:

"He's viewed as erratic, mercurial," said Republican strategist Nelson Warfield. "His history is not one that inspires confidence that he can make a decision and go forward with it."