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Thinking Hard About Voting For Rudy Guiliani
The Bulletin ^ | Feb. 22, 2007 | Maggie Gallagher

Posted on 02/23/2007 7:05:51 PM PST by FairOpinion

I've never voted for Rudy Giuliani in my life. But I'm thinking hard about it now.

In both cases, I surprise myself.

The rest of America may know Rudy as "America's Mayor" for his ceremonial performance post-9/11, but for New Yorkers who lived through the Dinkins years, Rudy Giuliani is more than a guy who stands tall when the skyscrapers fall. By the late '90s, people were beginning to say that New York City was ungovernable: Remember the court-driven interest group spending, the disorder, the bums taking over the parks and the playgrounds and the street corners, spiraling welfare costs, the crime, the small business disaster, the high taxes, rent control, the South Bronx? New York was a disaster area, a poster child for what liberalism hath wrought.

The glittering cosmopolitan New York City we now live in, the one seemingly every college student in America dreams about moving to, is largely Rudy's gift, forged in the face of intense, daily, nasty invective from those who at the time insisted that to demand order and civility in a large city was to be a fascist.

Even Rudy's 9/11 performance tends to be misdescribed. It was not that he "stood tall" or didn't emotionally collapse. George Bush came to New York City and made graceful speeches about how we will rebuild the hole in the ground that still remains. What stood out for us in that dark time was not that the mayor of New York insisted we would triumph over this adversity, but that he didn't try to spin us about how unimaginably bad this sort of adversity was. He didn't try to soft-pedal the uncertainty, the chaos, the suffering the city was going through, and that gave us the confidence to believe that reality, terrible as it was, could in fact be faced.

I never voted for Rudy when I lived in New York City for one simple reason: abortion. I don't look for purity in politicians, just for some small pro-life reason to vote for a guy: Medicaid funding, parental notification, partial birth abortion. Throw me the slightest lifeline, otherwise I assume he just doesn't want the vote of people like me. Rudy never did. So I never gave him my vote. And of course it doesn't help now to recall the way Rudy treated his second wife, nor do I particularly want to imagine the third Mrs. Giuliani as Laura Bush's successor.

So I could have sworn, even a few months ago, that I'd never vote for Rudy Giuliani, in spite of my deep respect for his considerable achievements as mayor. So why would I even think of changing my mind? Two things: national security, and Hillary Clinton's Supreme Court appointments.

When I ask myself, who of all the candidates in both parties do I most trust to keep me and my children safe? The answer is instantaneous, deeper than the level any particular policy debate can go: Rudy Giuliani. And when I look ahead on social issues like gay marriage, the greatest threat I see is that the Supreme Court with two or more appointments from Hillary Clinton, will decide that our Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, created a national constitutional right to whatever social liberals have decided is the latest civil rights battle. It's hard to see a state that George Bush won in which Rudy Giuliani will not beat Hillary Clinton. And he will put a whole slew of new blue states into play: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, to name just three. (The latest Quinnipiac poll shows Giuliani in a dead heat with Clinton in Connecticut.) Which puts people like me, who care very deeply about marriage and life issues, in the position of thinking hard about Rudy.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortteamrudy; clinton; democratrudy; electionpresident; elections; fraudiani; giuliani; gungrabber; hillary; homosexualagenda; judges; judiciary; partysplitter; perverts; rudy; willtapdance4votes
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To: My GOP
I sometimes don't know if I should laugh or bang my head into the computer screen.

If you believe Rudy is a conservative you must have already banged your head into your computer screen a few times too many.

221 posted on 02/23/2007 9:14:08 PM PST by KDD
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To: KDD

Rudy is a fiscal, domestic, and foreign policy conservative that supports strict constructionist.


222 posted on 02/23/2007 9:14:56 PM PST by My GOP (Conservatives are pragmatic and realistic!!!)
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To: All
Please spread the word about an appeal for redress that people in the military can sign to show support for the mission:


www.appealforcourage.org

223 posted on 02/23/2007 9:15:00 PM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! If you are military please sign at: appealforcourage.org)
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To: investigateworld

"A nuke attack will or WILL not occur based on who or which party is in office."


WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excerpt from Bin Laden's Declaration of War on the US in 1996


"But your most disgraceful case was in Somalia; where- after vigorous propaganda about the power of the USA and its post cold war leadership of the new world order- you moved tens of thousands of international force, including twenty eight thousands American solders into Somalia. However, when tens of your solders were killed in minor battles and one American Pilot was dragged in the streets of Mogadishu you left the area carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you. Clinton appeared in front of the whole world threatening and promising revenge , but these threats were merely a preparation for withdrawal. You have been disgraced by Allah and you withdrew; the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear. It was a pleasure for the "heart" of every Muslim and a remedy to the "chests" of believing nations to see you defeated in the three Islamic cities of Beirut , Aden and Mogadishu. "


Then we had 9-11...

If this is what Bin Laden said after Somalia, just think what the terrorists will say, if we withdraw from Iraq before the job is done. THIS is where the Dems want to take the US: back into weakness, which emboldens terrorists.


224 posted on 02/23/2007 9:16:00 PM PST by FairOpinion (Tell Congress: Work for Victory in Iraq. Stop Hillary. Go to: http://www.TheVanguard.org)
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To: spikeytx86

If he were up against Hillary, yes he would win. Geez, you all think that Hillary is some kind of god that can't be beaten.


225 posted on 02/23/2007 9:17:15 PM PST by upsdriver ((Hunter for Pres/ Ann Coulter Sec, of State))
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To: babygene
You mean, of course, appeal to the liberals...

No, I didn't mean that.

I meant broad based across party lines.

226 posted on 02/23/2007 9:17:34 PM PST by Jorge
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To: spikeytx86
Pro-Illegal Immigration

As Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics has pointed out, Rudy is an adherent of the same approach to illegal immigration that John McCain, Ted Kennedy, George Bush, and Harry Reid have championed:

"While McCain has taken heat for his support of comprehensive immigration reform, Rudy is every bit as pro-immigration as McCain - if not more so. On the O'Reilly Factor last week Giuliani argued for a "practical approach" to immigration and cited his efforts as Mayor of New York City to "regularize" illegal immigrants by providing them with access to city services like public education to "make their lives reasonable." Giuliani did say that "a tremendous amount of money should be put into the physical security" needed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming across the border, but his overall position on immigration is essentially indistinguishable from McCain's."

That's bad enough. But, as Michelle Malkin has revealed, under Giuliani, New York was an illegal alien sanctuary and "America's Mayor" actually sued the federal government in an effort to keep New York City employees from having to cooperate with the INS:

"When Congress enacted immigration reform laws that forbade local governments from barring employees from cooperating with the INS, Mayor Rudy Giuliani filed suit against the feds in 1997. He was rebuffed by two lower courts, which ruled that the sanctuary order amounted to special treatment for illegal aliens and were nothing more than an unlawful effort to flaunt federal enforcement efforts against illegal aliens. In January 2000, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, but Giuliani vowed to ignore the law."

If you agree with the way that Nancy Pelosi and Company deal with illegal immigration, then you'll find the way that Rudy Giuliani tackles the issue to be right down your alley.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF GIULIANI'S LEFT-WING POLITICAL POSITIONS

227 posted on 02/23/2007 9:18:31 PM PST by narses ("Freedom is about authority." - Rudolph Giuliani)
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To: upsdriver

According to the polls, Rudy is the only Republican beating Hillary with McCain in a virtual tie with her. All others trail by double digits.


228 posted on 02/23/2007 9:19:15 PM PST by My GOP (Conservatives are pragmatic and realistic!!!)
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To: My GOP; KDD
Rudy is a fiscal, domestic, and foreign policy conservative that supports strict constructionist.
I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights, Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded. Source: CNN.com, “Inside Politics” Dec 2, 1999 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Rudy_Giuliani_Abortion.htm

ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES (November 14, 2006)

RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm pro- choice. I'm pro-gay rights.

KING: Giuliani supports a woman's right to an abortion, and back in 1999, he opposed a federal ban on late-term abortions.

GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.

KING: Immigration could be another presidential landmine. Back in 1996, Mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants.

JEFFREY: He took the side of illegal immigrants in New York City against the Republican Congress.

KING: Giuliani opposes same-sex marriage but as mayor, he supported civil unions and extending health and other benefits to gay couples. He also supported the assault weapons ban and other gun control measures opposed by the National Rifle Association.

GIULIANI: I'm in favor of gun control. I'm pro-choice.

Republican Big-Wigs Support Pro-Abortion Event in NY

Pro-abortion Governor George Pataki and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also supports unrestricted abortion, are co-chairs of the 2000 Choice Award Presentation to be held on May 30 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The event is sponsored by the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, a group that is campaigning for the removal of the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform.


http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200503010743.asp

While he was the “Republican Mayor” of New York City he appointed more than 60 men and women to the Civil, Criminal, and Family Court benchs. In all of those judicial appointment only two were Republican.

All of his other judical appointments were either registered Liberals or registered Democrats. As the “Republican Mayor” he had appointment power over more than 70 full commissioners in more than 50 City agencies, yet at no time during his administration did REPUBLICANS account for more than 10% of those appointments.

He even appointed Chuck Schumers wife as the City’s Department of Transportation Commissioner.


________________________________________________________________
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9054.html

“And even as we grieve for those who lost their lives, and our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones, we may be able to find some sort of meaning in this tragedy by using it as a catalyst to revive national gun control efforts.”
Rudolph Giuliani


229 posted on 02/23/2007 9:19:31 PM PST by narses ("Freedom is about authority." - Rudolph Giuliani)
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To: narses

See Post 173.


230 posted on 02/23/2007 9:20:28 PM PST by My GOP (Conservatives are pragmatic and realistic!!!)
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To: My GOP
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777111/posts?page=290#290

The words of Jim Robinson on pushing a liberal like Rino Rudy.
231 posted on 02/23/2007 9:20:54 PM PST by narses ("Freedom is about authority." - Rudolph Giuliani)
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To: ShadowDancer
Jorge, strong on letting in illegals? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.

Actually I've consistantly advocated building the wall across the border.

But don't let your flakey FR friends confuse you as to what my real positions are.

232 posted on 02/23/2007 9:21:31 PM PST by Jorge
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To: narses

See Post 173.


233 posted on 02/23/2007 9:22:19 PM PST by My GOP (Conservatives are pragmatic and realistic!!!)
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To: Jorge

"I meant broad based across party lines."

Yea, from the Dems. You just said it you dummy. "across party lines". LOL


234 posted on 02/23/2007 9:23:52 PM PST by babygene (Never look into the laser with your last good eye...)
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To: Jorge

And I love Americans. Regardless of where they or their ancestors came from.


235 posted on 02/23/2007 9:23:55 PM PST by BykrBayb (Be careful what you ask for, and even more careful what you demand. Þ)
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To: My GOP

So what! That shows me that the Democrats should try and draft Rudy as their candidate. He should feel right at home there. They have much in common.


236 posted on 02/23/2007 9:24:02 PM PST by upsdriver ((Hunter for Pres/ Ann Coulter Sec, of State))
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To: My GOP
Please don't confuse us with the facts. We're trying to be hysterical here.

JoinRudy2008 * Virginia is for Rudy * The Ward View

237 posted on 02/23/2007 9:26:12 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (If you don't support their mission, you don't support the troops.)
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To: babygene
"I meant broad based across party lines."

Yea, from the Dems. You just said it you dummy. "across party lines". LOL

You should be embarrassed posting this nonsense.

Across party lines means across party lines.

238 posted on 02/23/2007 9:27:02 PM PST by Jorge
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To: Old_Mil

Sense when is cutting taxes and government, appointing conservative judges, and continuing the GWOT and fighting for victory in Iraq "liberalism"?


239 posted on 02/23/2007 9:27:04 PM PST by spikeytx86 (Pray for Democrats for they have been brainwashed by their fruity little club.)
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To: My GOP
Tuesday, June 20, 2000 MAYOR GIULIANI AND SPEAKER VALLONE ANNOUNCE CITY LAWSUIT AGAINST GUN INDUSTRY
240 posted on 02/23/2007 9:28:18 PM PST by narses ("Freedom is about authority." - Rudolph Giuliani)
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