Posted on 01/31/2007 5:38:15 AM PST by areafiftyone
Nussle on Giuliani [Rich Lowry]
Here’s a pro-Giuliani bit from Jim Nussle that I pass along for what it’s worth:
Dear Rich, I wanted to share with conservatives why I'm supporting Mayor Giuliani. As a proud and consistent conservative Republican, I want our Party and our ideas to have a voice. Even more importantly, I want our Party and our ideas to achieve meaningful results.
“Perfect” has become the enemy of the “good”, and we saw that borne out during this past November’s elections. I am hopeful that our Party will avoid needless debates over a non-existent perfect candidate.
It is true that Mayor Giuliani and I don’t agree on every issue. My support for a person who doesn’t see eye to eye with me on all issues doesn’t mean that I am turning my back on those beliefs. But our country is at a crossroads and we cannot forsake progress for perfection.
I have chosen to support Mayor Giuliani because I believe we need to embrace the ideals and the values that unite us. It is the only way we can successfully move forward as both a Party and a country.
Rudy Giuliani is the results Republican our country needs. Mayor Giuliani took office facing difficult challenges. New York City was littered with crime, corruption and decay. The city’s murder rate was so high that an uncommon day was one with only a few murders.
The Mayor led a team that reduced crime and reformed welfare. He cut taxes 23 times while actually reducing the size of the City bureaucracy. The Mayor transformed a historic deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus with a balanced budget. New York City became a safe place for families and small businesses to invest in their future. In Rudy Giuliani, New Yorkers had a leader. One they could believe in.
All of this he did before the tragedy of September 11, 2001. That day the rest of the world witnessed Mayor Giuliani’s steady and principled leadership firsthand.
Today, America needs to make progress in so many difficult areas, and on so many fronts that while addressing challenges with philosophical absolutes makes for good rhetoric, it oftentimes achieves little by way of results.
After over 20 years in public service, I am still confident that free enterprise, living the American Dream and putting the protection of our nation first are the right ideals for the direction of this country.
Rudy Giuliani has consistently governed under these ideals, turning rhetoric into results, which is why I am confident President Rudy Giuliani will be best for our country come November 2008.
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LOL! Show us where he said he'd appoint a Ginsburg.
"LOL! Show us where he said he'd appoint a Ginsburg."
LOL! Show us where he says he wouldn't!
My Post #87
Yep...welcome aboard! It's gonna be a long road to the Primaries, so hang tough.
Those who fail to learn the right lesson from mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
It wasn't that the base demanded perfection. It was that the leadership completely misued their power to pork up bills with earmarks instead of exercising fiscal restraint since we are at war. It's hard to convince swing voters that you should be kept in power when you don't use such power in a responsible manner.
Rudy Giuliani: A More Charismatic Version Of Arlen Specter
Rudy Giuliani may have many fine qualities, but he is not a conservative, nor has he always been a loyal Republican.
For example, back in the mid-nineties, when he was actually running New York City, Rudy could have fairly been said to have governed as a moderate at best and to the left-of-center at worst:
"The National Journal's rating system put him at 56 percent conservative and 44 percent liberal on economic issues in 1996 and assessed him as liberal by 59 to 40 percent in looking at his social issues votes."
The New York Observer also had a very interesting selection of quotes from and about Rudy over the years that may give his conservative supporters more than a little pause. Here are a few of those quotations:
Some ask, How can the Liberal Party support a candidate who disagrees with the Liberal Party position on so many gut issues? But when the Liberal Party Policy Committee reviewed a list of key social issues of deep concern to progressive New Yorkers, we found that Rudy Giuliani agreed with the Liberal Party's stance on a majority of such issues. He agreed with the Liberal Party's views on affirmative action, gay rights, gun control, school prayer and tuition tax credits. As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani would uphold the Constitutional and legal rights to abortion. -- N.Y.S. Liberal Party Endorsement Statement of R. Giuliani for Mayor of New York City April 8, 1989
Mr. Rockefeller represented "a tradition in the Republican Party I've worked hard to re-kindle - the Rockefeller, Javits, Lefkowitz tradition." -- Rudy Giuliani, New York Times, July 9, 1992
What kind of Republican? Is [Giuliani], for instance, a Reagan Republican? [Giuliani] pauses before answering: "I'm a Republican." -- Village Voice, January 24, 1989
"Shortly before his last-minute endorsement of Bob Dole in the 1996 presidential election, [Giuliani] told the Post's Jack Newfield that "most of Clinton's policies are very similar to most of mine." The Daily News quoted [Giuliani] as saying that March: "Whether you talk about President Clinton, Senator Dole.... The country would be in very good hands in the hands of any of that group."
Revealing at one point that he was "open" to the idea of endorsing Clinton, he explained: "When I ran for mayor both times, '89 and '93, I promised people that I would be, if not bipartisan, at least open to the possibility of supporting Democrats." -- Rudy - An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, Wayne Barrett, Page 459
"From my point of view as the mayor of New York City, the question that I have to ask is, 'Who has the best chance in the next four years of successfully fighting for our interest? Who understands them, and who will make the best case for it?' Our future, our destiny is not a matter of chance. It's a matter of choice. My choice is Mario Cuomo." -- Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City, Andrew Kirtzman, Page 133
"[Quite] frankly, you have to understand the fact that Rudy Giuliani was a McGovern Democrat, he was endorsed by the Liberal Party when he ran for Mayor. In his heart, he's a Democrat. He's paraded all over this country with Bill Clinton and, in fact, he's very comfortable with Mario Cuomo. But what Rudy Giuliani wants is to be bailed out in the city, in the mess he's in, and everybody understands very clearly in politics that they struck a deal, that Mario's going to continue to be the big spender, save Rudy the options of raising taxes by pouring money statewide into the City of New York and bailing it out. Quite frankly, I predict that he will join the Democratic Party." -- Interview with Michael Long, Chairman N.Y.S., Conservative Party, CNN Crossfire, October 25, 1994
Does this really sound like the sort of candidate we want as a standard bearer for the Republican Party?
You made the claim about Ginsberg.
That's a joke. Reagan Dems were drawn to the party partiall BECAUSE of social issues, not in spite of them.
Santorum went down in flames largely because the Dems got smart enough to run a pro-lifer against him.
"My Post #87"
I read that post, and it doesn't say anything about Ginsburg. It doesn't say anything at all about who he wouldn't appoint or what he thinks makes a bad justice. Am I missing something?
Anyone who is a Scalia Republican, can be as socially liberal as they want to be.......I will vote for them.
John Hawkins of Right Wing News makes?the conservative case against Rudy Giuliani for 2008.? Hawkins’ piece largely consists of the same old anti-Rudy arguments wrapped in slightly new packaging, focusing?a lot on Rudy’s decade-old socially liberal positions on a few cultural issues, as well as his Manhattanite personal life and some nonsense about unelectability (more on that later).? As such, I think this is a great opportunity for someone to lay out the conservative case for Rudy in ‘08.? And that someone might as well be me.
Much, much more below the fold.
Giuliani: Pro-growth tax-cutter
Rudy Giuliani has proven, both during his tenure as mayor of New York and through his subsequent rhetoric, that he is a pro-growth Republican in the mold of Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and Newt Gingrich.? As mayor, Giuliani cut?city taxes by more than eight billion dollars, reducing the tax burden on New Yorkers by 22%.? Giuliani’s low-tax views remain intact.? As Race42008 correspondent Kavon noted?yesterday, Rudy’s recent visit to Minnesota included an emphasis on achieving economic growth via low taxes and less regulation on the economy.? Rockefeller he ain’t; Rudy’s a Reagan Republican.
Rudy: Gingrich-style government reformer
Conservatives who liked Newt’s welfare reform and GWB’s attempt at entitlement reform have an ally in Rudy.? As mayor, Giuliani reformed?welfare in New York with the same tenacity as the class of ‘94 in Congress.? Once again, this ain’t Christie Whitman we’re dealing with; Rudy’s a Newt Republican who also made a serious attempt to take on the teachers’ unions in NYC and fund school choice via charter schools.? A President Giuliani means a conservative reformer who will fight for market-based revisions to our age-old bureaucratic messes in Washington.
Rudy Giuliani: Fiscal conservative
As mayor, Rudy Giuliani cut?the New York City government payroll by 19%, eliminating unnecessary civil servants?from the public dole.? Can anyone remember the last time a Republican president was able to send lazy federal workers packing?? Inheriting a multi-billion dollar deficit, Rudy turned it into a surplus, delivering eight consecutive balanced budgets.? Folks, this ain’t Linc Chafee we’re talking about here.
Giuliani: Tough enough to take on the bad guys
Unlike the Democrats, who are too nuanced to acknowledge that the “bad guys” in life even exist, Rudy Giuliani knows how to identify a threat to safety and security and pound that threat into submission.? Giuliani’s record on crime in NYC is well-documented; if Rudy?is able to do to the terrorists what he did to the crime lords of the Big Apple, Americans will once again be able to feel secure in an uncertain world.? Sure, every Republican will talk tough on terror, but only Rudy’s proven he actually knows how to eliminate a threat terrorizing a population.
Rudy will secure our borders
An essential component of national security includes securing America’s borders.? Unfortunately, President Bush has been unwilling to take the necessary steps to accomplish that task.? While John McCain and Mitt Romney discuss “comprehensive” solutions, Rudy is ready to do what it takes to prevent individuals from illegally entering the United States.? During his recent visit to Minnesota, Rudy laid out?his immigration plan, which begins with sealing the borders and also involves ensuring that immigrants learn English so that they can be better assimilated into American culture.? As such, Rudy is to the right of President Bush on this issue.
Giuliani would appoint strict constructionists to the judiciary
Social conservatives who want to see Roe v. Wade overturned and who fear the imposition of same-sex marriage on unwilling populations by judicial fiat have a friend in Giuliani.? Rudy has now explicitly voiced support?for the appointment of strict constructionists to the federal bench.? His recent trip to Minnesota included an?admission that he would appoint judges like Roberts and Alito.? During this same trip, Rudy also confirmed that he believes legislatures, and not judges, should set policy.? A Giuliani presidency would now almost certainly fail to yield judicial rulings from the federal bench in favor of gay marriage, and would be at least as likely as any other Republican presidency to see abortion returned to the political process, where it belongs.
Rudy believes that marriage is between a man and a woman
Mayor Giuliani has made clear his belief in traditional marriage only; that marriage should be defined as being between a man and a woman, and in no other form.? Says Rudy:
“I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that it should remain that way, it should remain that way inviolate, and everything should be done to make sure that that’s the case,…”
Some social conservatives are uncomfortable that Rudy doesn’t support amending the Constitution to make sure this definition of marriage stands.? But Rudy has made clear that he’ll do whatever it takes to maintain the traditional definition of marriage; he just thinks the constitutional amendment is the wrong strategy right now.? I agree.? As long as judges like Roberts and Alito are on the bench — the type that Rudy would appoint as president — a constitutional amendment is unnecessary.
Giuliani understands the party he’s leading
Unlike McCain, who basically told southern, religious conservatives where they could go back in 2000, Rudy understands that he’s campaigning to lead the party of the sunbelt — a party that is more pro-life and pro-gun than his New York constituents.? As such, the mayor has given no indication that he will turn his presidency into some sort of pro-abortion, pro-gun control crusade, and every indication that he will defer to his base on those issues.? We’ve yet to get definitive statements from Rudy regarding abortion or the Second Amendment in the last few years.? While Rudy opponents trot out statements from the 1990s or even the 1980s on those issues, let’s wait and see where Rudy stands in 2006 before passing any judgment.? Mayor Giuliani might just surprise pro-life, pro-Second Amendment conservatives with his interpretation of how the president, and not the mayor of the most liberal city in the country, should handle these hot-button cultural issues.? At the very least, Giuliani appears prepared to do no harm to conservatives on these issues while promising to advance their causes via the appointment of conservative judges.?
Rudy Giuliani is absolutely electable
Despite what John Hawkins says, Rudy is probably the most electable Republican in the country right now.? In fact, it would be very, very difficult for me to imagine a scenario in which Rudy would lose to any Democrat, and the mayor would easily trounce the Gore/Kerry sort of Democrat that the Left insists on nominating time after time.? If Hillary or Gore is the nominee in 2008, Rudy would win the electoral college in a walk.? Here’s why.
First, the impact of an ethnic Catholic leading a presidential ticket must not be understated.? The entire industrial north is a region filled with Catholics of eastern and southern European descent.? This includes states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which went for John Kerry by only two and three percentage points in 2004, respectively.? Identity politics alone would likely garner Giuliani a couple of extra percentage points across the Rust Belt, just as President Bush likely benefited from his southern evangelical status in states filled with southern evangelicals.
Secondly, Rudy’s fiscally-conservative profile is very similar to the Republican executives elected by the voters of states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.? By reminding upper-midwestern voters of their favorite governors, like Tommy Thompson, John Engler, and Tom Ridge, Rudy would likely garner another few points out of the Rust Belt.
So let’s say that Rudy’s ethnic Catholic, working class background, combined with his Rust Belt-style positions on the issues,?is able to increase the GOP presidential ticket’s vote share by five percent from 2004 across the Rust Belt, which includes the states bordered by Minnesota and Iowa in the west and New Jersey in the east.? The result of this sort of a swing would send the following states into the “red” column: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.? That’s another 58 electoral votes for the GOP ticket.
Now, John Hawkins will argue that’s all for naught, as Rudy, who is unable to pound the podium regarding life issues with the same tenacity as President Bush, will likely lose a few points across the South.? Okay, I’ll bite.? Let’s assume that Rudy’s?presidential ticket?loses five points from Bush’s 2004 totals in every single southern state simply because he’s a) not an evangelical, b) he can’t call himself pro-life, and c) he’s not for amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage.? I think assuming a five point loss in every southern state is more than generous to John’s argument in this case, and I suspect Hawkins would agree.? Now, let’s see how many southern states Rudy loses with that five point loss across the South…
Absolutely none.
In fact, the only state that would be teetering on the edge with a five point reduction in the South from Bush’s 2004 numbers would be Florida, a state filled with ex-New-Yorkers who would almost certainly make up for any sort of Bush-Giuliani gap in the region.? The fact of the matter is simply that the GOP has succeeded in Republicanizing the South to the extent that most southern states are simply no longer in danger of turning “blue” during a presidential election.? Mark Warner might be able to win a few of them against Arlen Specter, but as has been demonstrated above, Rudy’s no Arlen Specter.? And Hillary Clinton is no Mark Warner.
Further, Hawkins’ argument that Rudy couldn’t survive without the support of the GOP base is very true.? As such, it’s a good thing that Rudy has been able to attain the support of that very base.? Rudy generally garners between 85% and 90% of Republicans in a hypothetical matchup against a standard blue-state Democrat like Hillary Clinton.? These numbers are just ever-so-slightly shy of Bush’s 90-plus percent GOP support against Kerry in 2004.? And while it’s true that Rudy’s support among independents and Democrats will fluctuate, it’s probably also true that Rudy will at least win independents in the general election, which the president couldn’t do two years ago.? Given those considerations, it’s hard to see how Rudy can be viewed as anything other than supremely electable.
Conclusion
Of the current GOP 2008 field, Rudy Giuliani is the only candidate who brings to the table the charisma and leadership of a Reagan, the transformative conservative policies of a Gingrich, and the seriousness regarding the GWOT of a Bush.? Giuliani is perfectly suited to lead today’s sunbelt center-right GOP due to his belief in low taxes, fiscal responsibility, market-based government reform, traditional marriage, conservative judges, securing the borders, and, last but certainly not least, the destruction of the terrorist threat against America.? Only Rudy can package all of this conservatism in a manner that appeals to large numbers of swing voters while still maintaining solid levels of support among the Republican base.? Rudy Giuliani would almost certainly sweep the electoral college against any Democrat by holding all of the red states, most of which are now so heavily Republican that only a very conservative Democrat has a chance of winning them, while flipping the electoral-rich Rust Belt that has at least as much of a cultural connection with Giuliani as the South did with President Bush.? Tough, conservative, and electable, conservatives could do a lot worse than Rudy Giuliani.
Well perhaps he will get into more detail when he decides to run.
The good fight on abortion is being fought by 3D ultrasound, and it's winning :-)
"I have chosen to support Mayor Giuliani because I believe we need to embrace the ideals and the values that unite us."
So we're suppose to turn back the clock to the 1970`s and back a Rockefeller Republican. No thanks. Backing Rudy Giuliani unites liberals, not conservatives. Rudy is just another in a long line of RINO`s.
"You made the claim about Ginsberg."
No, he did in the interview:
"That is not the critical factor. And what's important to me is to have a very intelligent, very honest, very good lawyer on the court. And he fits that category, in the same way Justice Ginsburg fit that category. "
Nah, let's keep the clock in POST 9/11 real time.
Thank you John Hawkins.
Hey! I have an idea for you. DON'T VOTE for him.
How can you prove a negative?
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