Posted on 11/05/2006 3:44:20 AM PST by NautiNurse
Former NYC mayor is fourth high-profile Republican to campaign for candidate
If the Republican faithful do not get out and vote Tuesday, Americans will have higher taxes and more terrorist attacks.
That was the message former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani brought to town Saturday at a rally for Vern Buchanan, the Republican nominee for the 13th Congressional District seat.
"This will be a very close election," Giuliani told a crowd of about 250 people gathered in Five Points Park. "We need you to get out the vote.
"We want Democrats and independents to also vote for Vernon," said Giuliani, who became a national figure after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York while he was mayor.
He said if the Democrats win the majority in the House of Representatives, politicians such as Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California "will want to put us back on the defensive - where we were before 9/11."
"We now have to remain on the offensive," Giuliani said.
He also said if Pelosi becomes speaker of the House, there will be higher taxes.
Giuliani is the fourth high-profile Republican to come to the area to campaign for Buchanan in the past month, following President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush.
Although the 13th District race was thrown open and garnered national importance when Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, decided to run for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic nominee for the seat, Christine Jennings, has not had any national figures come to town to campaign for her.
Kathy Vermazen, spokeswoman for the Jennings campaign, said they were running a race on the issues.
"The voters seem to agree with Christine Jennings," Vermazen said from the campaign office Saturday. "This is a local race, and we'll vote with the values of the voters of the district."
She said her candidate spent Saturday meeting voters in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice.
"Our focus is the local race, not the out-of-towners," Vermazen said.
Today, Jennings will have a rally with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee for chief financial officer, at Manatee Democratic headquarters, 5910 Cortez Road W.
At the rally Saturday night, Buchanan pumped up the crowd before introducing Giuliani, who he called "America's mayor."
"If we turn out the voters, go door-to-door, get our family and neighbors to vote, we're going to win," Buchanan said as the audience loudly cheered in agreement.
Giuliani and Buchanan spoke for about 20 minutes from a small stage and then went down into the crowd.
For the people in the park, Giuliani has celebrity status, and it showed with the crowd pressing forward to shake his hand, give him a hug, get an autograph or have their picture taken with him.
During a brief press conference, Giuliani answered questions about the war in Iraq, his potential run for the presidency in 2008 and illegal immigration
He disagreed slightly with Buchanan's position on the immigration issue, saying there should be a way for people who are here illegally to have a chance to earn citizenship.
According to the Buchanan campaign Web site, the Sarasota auto dealership owner would deny amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Both Giuliani and Buchanan agreed that U.S. borders need to be made more secure.
FL District 13 ping
Just to clarify, this is the seat that Katherine Harris has vacated to run for the Senate.
Why has there not been a similar push to support our own Snow White, Katherine Harris, in her campaign to unseat the colorless Bill Nelson?
Republicans everywhere OWE her, big time, for her unwavering stance in 2000, which forced the exposure of the attempted fraud by the Gore campaign to steal the Florida vote.
Yes, this is the seat currently occupied by Katherine Harris. As for the lack of support by the GOP, I'll wait until after the election to speculate why they threw her off the train. Harris is one of the most conservative candidates out there, and she's got the voting record to prove it. She will make a great U.S. Senator.
Does anyone know if Detert and Hudson made peace with Vern and came out to publicly support him?
Even though we watch little local television, we've seen a lot of TV advertising from Buchanan. Hope he holds the seat!
Exactly!!!! I can't understand why she is so far down in the polls. Unless, the polls are taken in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach Counties. Quite a way to slant a poll, don't you think?
Now jest a gol dern minit. Aint this hyer Buchananan feller a goldern Nazi and even wores a semi aminite?
A calculated attempt to suppress the Conservative voting!
It's going to work for the libs!!
Their usually wishful thinking!!!
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