Jim Nussle on Giuliani

National Review ^ | 1/31/07

[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.

01/30 05:36 PM

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Rudy is not acceptable and is very bad for conservatives. Only the "politics over principles" crowd supports such a candidate.

Wow, a Republican who cut taxes, reduces government, restores the rule of law, and cuts social programs is still a liberal.

FR has become Bizarro World.

[JimFreedom]

One more thing don't bother me anymore, thanks, you WILL be ignored.

[Dark Skies]

lol...Spammy gives it a bad name.

Yeah, sorry, Spammy for not pinging you on this post but Jim and I were actually just singing the praises of Spam (I only like the low salt version however).

[JimFreedom]

You can actually buy SPAM cookbooks, now that is scary!

Anyone for some SPAM almondine! Yikes!

[Dark Skies]

I just checked it out at Amazon ($50 BTW...that's a lotta Spam) and I noticed a recipe for "Blackened Spam and Rice." Hmmm.

[Spiff]

I'm looking at your 10-item chart, and first it isn't representative of what is in the Republican Party Platform, but a list heavily weighted towards supporting Rudy and very subjective. That's fine. I'll admit my chart, while accurate in reporting each candidate and platform's position on the issues, is weighted and ordered towards the point I was trying to make. If you've ever worked on a political campaign, you know how to create charts like this to remain accurate and make your point.

But, of the 10 items you listed, I can only count 2 items where Rudy has an edge. He has executive experience and he supports the war on terror. I'll give him that. But of the 10 items you list, I give him a score of 20/80 - 2 out of 10. He's for abortion, for gay rights, against guns, demonstrated poor fiscal responsibility ($1 bil to NYSE, running up NYC debt, etc), he isn't electable in the General Election (split the party, tons of baggage), he can't be trusted on nominating good Supreme Court Justices (he's for Roe v. Wade and his nomination/appointment history is atrocious), and he's not for states rights (supports Roe v. Wade, opposed Federal Marriage Amendment).

[JimFreedom]

Spiff don't get in a tizzy, it was just a quick thought to illustrate that the to me almost anyone could get beyond 15%. I have no interest in your dissecting it, it isn't important to me in that way.

[Spiff]

Thank you for "setting the record straight". I couldn't fit the part about Giuliani considering an endorsement of Bill Clinton in 1996 into my tagline or that he's "open" to the idea of supporting Democrats over Republicans, and that he thought that the country would be in "very good hands" with Bill Clinton.

Please, keep setting the record straight.

[Spiff]

Spiff don't get in a tizzy, it was just a quick thought to illustrate that the to me almost anyone could get beyond 15%. I have no interest in your dissecting it, it isn't important to me in that way.

You posted it and won't stand behind it. Thank you for ceding the point.

[Spiff]

Giuliani/Clinton/GOP vs. Dem Platform Comparison
Issue	Giuliani	Clinton	Dem Platform	GOP Platform
Abortion on Demand	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Partial Birth Abortion	Supports Opposed NY ban	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Roe v. Wade	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Taxpayer Funded Abortions	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Embryonic Stem Cell Research	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Federal Marriage Amendment	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes Defined at state level	Supports
Gay Domestic Partnership/ Civil Unions	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Openly Gay Military	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Defense of Marriage Act	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes	Supports
Amnesty for Illegal Aliens	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Special Path to Citizenship for Illegal Aliens	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Tough Penalties for Employers of Illegal Aliens	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes	Supports
Sanctuary Cities/ Ignoring Immigration Law	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Protecting 2nd Amendment	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes Supports bans	Supports
Confiscating Guns	Supports Confiscated as mayor. Even bragged.	Supports	Supports Supports bans	Opposes
'Assault' Weapons Ban	Supports	Supports	Supports
Frivolous Lawsuits Against Gun Makers	Supports Filed One Himself	Supports		Opposes
Gun Registration/Licenses	Supports	Supports		Opposes
War in Afghanistan	Supports	Supports Voted for it	Supports	Supports
War in Iraq	Supports	Supports Voted for it	Supports Weak support	Supports
Patriot Act	Supports	Supports Voted for it 2001 & 2006	Opposes	Supports

"Most of Clinton's policies are very similar to most of mine." - Rudy Giuliani

[JimFreedom]

I didn't cede anything I just said your opinion on it has no interest to me, if all your typing makes you feel good, thats nice.

[Dark Skies]

$1 bil to NYSE

Actually, that subsidy was proposed by Pataki and Rudy...and the chief opponent to it was Ralph Nadar.

Long story short, the NYSE and member firms contribute uncounted billions to the City and if the exchange were to move to Jersey City or Greenwich, the City and State would see a massive decline in revenues. You have said previously that the Exchange only employs 5,000 people.

Let me suggest, as a retired investment banker on Wall St., that its contribution extends far beyond its employees to include all the firms that are members. The Mayor and the Governor were IMO simply doing their best to improve their hold over the exchange and $1 billion is a drop in the proverbial bucket.

[JimFreedom]

I can't seem to make some posters understand that their opinions don't matter to me any longer, it was a 20 second exercise to make a point in another post.

I am going to post to people interested in Rudy on Rudy posts the otters will be ignored.

[JimFreedom]

otters = others LOL!

[PhiKapMom]

I have done the same because when I get in the voting booth no way am I voting for a Dem for President and no way am I not voting.

[areafiftyone]

That's not nice calling people OTTERS! I TOLD YOU BEAVERS NOT OTTERS! ;-)

[PhiKapMom]

Here in Middle America he is right! Voters are tired of the elected officials putting social issues over infrastructure. It played out in statewide races, Congressional races, and in my House District. The Republican in my House District lost because of his stand on social issues and bills he introduced to ram it down people's throats. That's a fact.

[PhiKapMom]

Welcome aboard.

[dirtboy]

What does Pataki have to do with the quote about Clinton which I put in context?

Shows Rudy WILL endorse a Dem.

[Hydroshock]

In the south he will flounder, particularlly if the rats run Edwards or Richardson.