Posted on 11/14/2006 4:12:37 PM PST by Sub-Driver
DNC Statement on Giuliani's Potential Presidential Bid
November 14, 2006
The Democratic National Committee issued the following statement in response to news that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani may seek the GOP nomination for President:
"It's unclear whether or not Rudy Giuliani will be able to just 'explain away' the fact that he's consistently taken positions that are completely opposite to the conservative Republican base on issues they hold near and dear," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "Throughout his career Giuliani has tried to paint himself as a moderate, but now that he's vying for his Party's nomination will he undergo an extreme makeover in an attempt to cozy up to the far-right?"
Giuliani Was A Registered Democrat For Much Of His Life. Giuliani registered as a Democrat and even served as a party committeeman on Long Island when he was 21. [U.S. News & World Report, 3/23/87; USA Today, 12/20/99]
Giuliani Is Pro-Choice. When asked to respond to social issues on CNN's Inside Politics, Giuliani replied, "I'm pro-choice." [CNN, 12/2/99]
Giuliani Doesn't Support A Ban On Partial-Birth Abortions. When asked whether he supported a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions, Giuliani replied, "No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing." Giuliani also told The Albany Times Union that he would not support a ban on late-term. Moreover, when asked "If you were in the Senate and he [President Clinton] vetoed the so-called partial-birth abortion procedure.you would support the president on that." Giuliani replied: "Yes. I said I then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it." [CNN, 12/2/99; New York Times, 11/26/99; CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, 2/6/00]
Giuliani Identified Himself As Pro-Gay Rights and Supports Civil Unions and Gay Benefits. When asked to respond to social issues on CNN's Inside Politics, Giuliani replied, "I'm pro-choice. I'm pro-gay rights." When asked whether marriage should be between a man and a woman, Giuliani agreed, but stated "I supported civil unions, however, partnerships, and I signed that legislation when I was mayor of New York City. The distinction is that you protect people's rights."[CNN, 12/2/99; Hardball, 10/13/04]
Giuliani Opposed Bush Tax Cut. "Although Mr. Giuliani is running as pro-gun control, pro-abortion-rights Republican who likes tax cuts, he did shy away yesterday from the large tax cut proposal of his political benefactor, George W. Bush, which has been criticized as too large and favorable toward the rich." [New York Times, 2/04/00]
Giuliani Announced a Publicly Funded Voucher Plan That Would Have Taken $12 Million Out of New York City Public Schools. In his State of the City address in January 1999, Giuliani proposed paying for a school voucher program with City money. In his FY2000 Preliminary Executive Budget, Giuliani proposed spending $12 million over two years to establish the administrative structure for a voucher program in a volunteer school district so as many as 3,000 public school students could attend private and parochial schools in the city. "The money would be distributed through [Giuliani's] office to avoid involving Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew, who opposes the idea," according to The New York Times. At a speech in Miami in March, 1999, The New York Times reported that, "Mr. Giuliani, who is in the midst of considering his political future, has adopted the national Republican Party's enthusiasm for school vouchers. On Sunday, while delivering a speech in Miami, for example, he called it "the most important thing that has to be done with education in America." [New York Times, 4/26/99; 3/4/99]
Giuliani Refused To Endorse Minimum Wage Increase. Giuliani declined to endorse an increase in the minimum wage to $6.50 from $5.50, pending studies that he said were necessary to make certain that a higher rate would not lead to the elimination of many low-paying jobs. [New York Times, 10/17/99]
Giuliani Said It Would Be a "Good Thing" If the Poor Left the City; Said That Was His Welfare Strategy. In April 1995, Rudy Giuliani said that many poor New Yorkers could be forced to leave New York City as a consequence of his welfare reforms, and that it "would be a good thing." WNYC radio then reported that Giuliani said in a press briefing, "That's not an unspoken part of the strategy. That is our strategy." The mayor denied these comments and offered to play them back, but his communications director had not taped the session. [Newsday, 4/29/95]
Source URL: http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/11/dnc_statement_o_9.php
...and the Christians who believe in forgiveness, somehow seem to forget to practice it.
How does it feel, being duped so badly by the DNC? ;^)
Same here...
There are things I don't agree with Guiliani on and there are plenty of things that I do agree with him on. Overall I like him and I trust him. I'm a New Yorker who lived in NYC during his time as Mayor, so I have experience with him as a leader (He was a GREAT mayor. Maybe the best ever in NYC).
The DNC already sees that he has the capability of beating their candidate in a landslide should he get the nomination so they are already trying to prevent that from happening. I say BRING IT ON! Hahaha!!
And we're OFF!!!
I DON'T want activist judges to Ban Gay marriage, I want the States to decide, and IF a constitutional amendment were to pass that would be decided BY the States. The same goes for Abortion, Activist judges passed Roe vs. Wade which was WRONG and should have been left to the States to decide that issue... Rudy is in the right spot and has a very strong hand. This same argument also applies guns and all the other issues that were raised in this article. IF Rudy believes in STATES RIGHTS and makes a pledge to nominate ORIGINALIST JUDGES he will have smooth sailing.
Thats a lot of "ifs"
I think Rudy is fine as Republican Lite in a heavily Democratic place like NYC, but I cant see Joe on Omaha or Peggy in Lubbock voting for him.
I beleive he is unelectable at the national level
It is probable, that someone NOBODY is even thinking about, nor mentioned, is out there, who will appear and be someone most conservatives can and will rally around. At this time, in 1998, NOBODY was talking about George W.! But rest assured, it will NOT be some fringey KOOKBRGER, nor a "white knight".
And should that person NOT appear? Then we all MUST make sure that McQueeg doesn't win the GOP primary.
Yes, a Bayh/Richardson ticket would be very, very difficult to beat. And for those folks who say "but he's a liberal"...that may be true but he presents himself as a reasonable person.
However, I think the Democrats are too stupid to nominate him.
I hope you're right.
Spot on!
Bayh is NOT reasonable look at post 48-50.
Rudy is NOT a johnny-one-note candidate.
Yes, I know that. And you know it.
Unfortunately, he will be able to appeal to many who are left of us, which leaves about 99% of the electorate. They won't care about who he voted for or against, but rather how we presents himself.
The Democrats should've just told the truth and said "thank god the Republicans are nominating a liberal, we'll win even if we lose!"
Ron Paul isn't running and if he ever does, he has LESS chance of winning than I would have.
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