[goldstategop]

We need a President with the cojones to take on Islamofascism. Like Debbie Schlussel, I don't buy into Rudy Guiliani's pro-choice and pro-gay views. But he does understand what is at stake with the enemy we face. For me, that's #1. If we don't win the War On Terror, nothing else will matter. Conservatives should see Hillary isn't up to the job. Evan Bayh is the one Democrat who might fit that bill, which is why the Democrats will never nominate him. Let's hear it for the heroic Mayor Of New York!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[sittnick]

No, thank you. I would like a conservative for president.

[Paradox]

I think Rudy will pull something like this, he will say he is personally Pro-choice, for gun control, and that he is not anti-gay, but he'll "pledge" not to change the status quo that exists now, leaving things up to the states, etc...

[DTogo]

A man who will do those things vs. Bush PC on Islam is the man we need to run this country.

BINGO!!

[eureka!]

"I don't buy into Rudy Guiliani's pro-choice and pro-gay views."

Nor I. However, he is a strict constructionist and if he is a true "states rights" guy as he appears, these issues will not mean much. That McVain is being foisted on us scares the heck out of me. If he squeeks through the primary and is the nominee, the MSM will take him out...

[Alberta's Child]

Yes, I'm pro-life and against gay rights, where Giuliani shares neither of my views on these issues. But, to me, the terrorism issue is far more important, #1 on the list.

This is where Giuliani's appeal falls apart. Pushing a candidate like this for his approach to the so-called "war on terror" (whatever the hell that may be) at the expense of all other issues is a huge mistake. The GOP barely maintained control of the White House in 2004 (against a terrible candidate, BTW), and it will be that much more difficult to convince voters in 2008 that this "war on terror" is even one of the top five issues anymore.

The biggest problem a candidate like Giuliani would face in 2008 is getting support from those 90% of the voters who don't see the "war on terror" as a key issue anymore.

[mrsmith]

Hillary would have the support of the media in her fight.
That makes her the strongest candidate.

... if you don't care about social issues.

[tobyhill]

I'll give up on the GOP before I vote for a pro-abortion candidate because there is NO reason we can't find someone that is tough on terrorism, pro-life and for a bonus fiscally conservative.

[lormand]

We need another Truman, who will end the War on Terror with just a few well placed bombs.

That is all it would take.

[GarySpFc]

OBVIOUSLY, the Rudy Giuliani pep club is out today, because there have been at least 4 articles touting his name. Quite frankly IMHO a man who is not a Christian, walking with the Lord, does not deserve my vote. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

[cripplecreek]

Rudy Giuliani becomes very acceptable if we can regain our conservative majority in the house and senate. There are a huge number of things I don't like about him, but his willingness to stand in the face of terrorism makes up for a lot.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I share your thoughts on this. I am as pro-life as it gets and certainly do not support the gay agenda, but as you say..................if we don't stop radical Islam from destroying us, the rest doesn't matter.

I believe Rudy would be elected quite handily (beat Hell-ary) and I'd feel a whole lot more secure with him than any Democrat.

[shhrubbery!]

Only way Rudy Giuliani (let's get the spelling right) gets close to the White House is if we have another truly devastating terrorist attack on our soil.

Otherwise a pro-partial-birth abortion, pro-gay-"marriage" candidate gets nowhere in the Republican primaries.

[Popocatapetl]

My early predictions among the republican contenders:

1) McCain's support is neither wide nor deep. He is re-elected in Arizona not out of popularity, but out of default. This is because his wife buys his seat, and the AZ republican party is stingy. This places him in a league with John Kerry, outside the realm of national politics.

2) Guiliani has two disadvantages. He is from New York, and he is seen as physically weak, whether or not the latter is true. Unless he can re-craft his image to one of comfort outside of the East Coast, he will have difficulty.

3) The stronger candidates are governors, not senators. So what republican current or (newly) ex-governor of a major State is available?

Here is a current listing of governors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Governors

[Phantom Patriot]

Oh joy another year of no choice!

[Spiff]

The Real Rudy Giuliani:

• Pro-abortion - He even opposes banning partial birth murder.
• Anti-2nd Amendment - supports gun grabbing legislation including the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapon Ban
• Pro-big government - amassed unprecedented debt as Mayor of NYC
• Pro-radical gay agenda
  

  - Attended and marched in every gay pride parade in NYC while mayor (even one in 1992 that included a NAMBLA contingent of pedophile activists)
  - Attends and supports many functions and fund-raisers held by radical gay organizations (even did a cross dressing act at Pride Agenda fund-raiser)
  - Openly opposes Constitutional Amendment to protect tradition marriage which is supported by President Bush and the Republican Party Platform.
  - Supported "domestic partner" and "civil union" bills in City Council while mayor of NYC.
  - Submitted Gay "Domestic-Partner" Rights Bill to City Council giving gay and lesbian couples the same benefits reserved for married couples.
  - Said, "I'm proud of it" when referring to the gay "domestic partner" bill he submitted. Said, "National Republicans can lump it if they don't like this new domestic-partners bill...I think it puts New York City ahead of other places in the country."
  - Has received awards from several radical gay agenda organizations who support gay marriage for his support of their cause. Is considered a "champion" of gay "rights."
  - Lived with a gay "married" couple in Manhattan when he moved out of Gracie Mansion during his second divorce.
  - Said that homosexuality is "good and normal"
  

• Pro-illegal immigration - said no one in New York City is going to assist the federal government with the enforcement of immigration law, sued Feds in 1997 to be able to ignore immigration law, lost in court, vowed to ignore law anyway
• Endorses liberal Democrat candidates over Republicans - endorsed liberal Dem Mario Cuomo over Republican George Pataki in NY Governor's race
• Ran for NYC Mayor in 1994 on Liberal Party ticket. Appointed Liberal Party State Chair to a Deputy Mayor position. Endorsed 3 times by the Liberal Party for his liberal views.
• Holds many other liberal views
• Republican In Name Only - opposes many major planks of the GOP Platform

Read more about Giuliani's liberal positions here and here.

Some people want Republicans to ignore his liberalism on almost every issue and, as a distraction, they try to pretend that Rudy is fiscally conservative. Again, his record shows that he isn't fiscally conservative either:

According to an article in The Nation from 2002:

It's now apparent that Giuliani purchased the city's good times partially with borrowed money and left his successor, Mike Bloomberg, holding a bag of debt. New York City went from a $3 billion budget surplus in 1998 to a $4.5 billion deficit after Giuliani left office. This mismanagement of prosperity is a big part of his legacy. Giuliani left the city's finances in a mess...

Here are some things Giuliani did as Mayor that were NOT anywhere near being fiscally conservative:

• New York City went from a $3 billion budget surplus in 1998 to a $4.5 billion deficit after Giuliani left office.
  
• Added 25,000 government employees patronage hires to the city's payroll after promising to cut the work force.
  
• Giuliani's borrowing practices increased the city's debt burden by 50 percent.
  
• Partly because of Giuliani, New York City is now the biggest debtor in the nation outside of the federal government with $42 billion in loans outstanding.
  

According to the article from The Nation:

During the 1960s Giuliani was a self-described "Robert Kennedy Democrat." He identified with RFK as a liberal Catholic prosecutor. He volunteered for RFK's 1968 presidential campaign while he was a student at NYU Law School. Giuliani also voted for George McGovern in 1972. During the liberal 1960s, he was a liberal.

But in 1975 Giuliani switched his party registration from Democrat to Independent when he got a job in Gerald Ford's Justice Department, according to his mentor Harold "Ace" Tyler.

On December 8, 1980, Giuliani changed his registration from Independent to Republican. This was one month after Ronald Reagan's election, and just as he was applying for a top job in the Justice Department.

So, to sum that up:

• Liberal Democrat until 1975
• Worked as volunteer for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign.
• Voted for liberal George McGovern.
• Liberal Independent from 1975-1980.
• Did not register as a Republican until 1980 and only AFTER Ronald Reagan was elected and because he was applying for a top job in the administration.

He's a liberal. He's not even in the same building as conservative. He's only a Republican because...and this comes from his own mother, Helen Giuliani:

"He only became a Republican after he began to get all these jobs from them. He's definitely not a conservative Republican. He thinks he is, but he isn't..."

And as John Hawkins put it in an excellent article in Human Events:

Despite all of his charisma and the wonderful leadership he showed after 9/11, Rudy Giuliani is not a Reagan Republican. To the contrary, Giuliani is another Christie Todd Whitman, another Arlen Specter, another Olympia Snowe. He's a throwback to the "bad old days" before Reagan, when the GOP was run by moderate Country Club Republicans who considered conservatives to be extremists. Trying to revive that failed strategy again is likely to lead to a Democratic President in 2008 and numerous setbacks for the Republican Party.

[Brian Allen]

<< Count Me In The Guiliani Camp (Debbie Schlussel: He Has The Cojones TO Fight Islamofascism Alert) >>

To bad he doesn't have them to take on the queers, the gender feminists, the gun-grabbers, the criminal alien invasion, the activist bench and the abortoir and unborn-baby-parts industry.

West of the Hudson, Mr Guiliani will NEVER be elected dogcatcher.

Nor, by the way, seeing we're visiting New York, will that state's junior senator, the recidivist, treasonous, lying, looting, thieving, mass-murdering, dangerously-dullard co-serial-rapist gangster, Missus Bruno Cli'ton.

[RichardW]

Wise choice. Debbie Schlussel sees terrorism as I do. It trumps everything. I could care less if Giuliani cross dresses or whatever else he is accused of. I want someone with the intestinal fortitude to do what is required.

[beaversmom]

I wrote much the same the other day. Right now, Rudy looks like the best choice and unless that changes, he's my early favorite out of the supposedlies. It's not the lesser of two evils--it's the best candidate out of two choices. If he gets the nomination, I'll support him all the way.

[RichardW]

I don't get these Giuliani bashers. I can find no other conclusion but that they are secretly working for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Do we really know what their actual political views are? The DU might be here planting all of these anti-Giuliani posts because he is the one candidate that they are terrified of running against.

Either that or they believe Hillary is a closet conservative.

[TankerKC]

We don't deserve a president who will defend our country.