Giuliani Estranged From His Children

CBS News ^ | 3/5/2007 | staff

[George W. Bush]

Updated:2007-03-05 14:55:26

Giuliani Estranged From His Children

Some Say Personal Problems May Hurt Prospects

CBS News

NEW YORK (March 5) -- It doesn't look like Rudy Giuliani's two children will have a role in his presidential campaign. According to press reports, the GOP frontrunner's third marriage has alienated his son, Andrew, 21, and daughter, Caroline, 18, from their father.

Giuliani's 21-year-old son, Andrew, told the New York Times that he would be too busy working on his golf game to participate in his father's presidential campaign.

"There's obviously a little problem that exists between me and his wife," the younger Giuliani told the newspaper. "And we're trying to figure that out. But as of right now it's not working as well as we would like."

Giuliani's marriage to his third wife, Judith Nathan, followed his divorce from Donna Hanover, the mother of Andrew and Caroline.

In 2000, Giuliani announced during a live TV interview that he planned to divorce Hanover. She responded by publicly accusing Giuliani of adultery.

Caroline Giuliani has not spoken publicly, but the Times and New York's tabloid newspapers reported that she was also alienated from her father as a result of his marriage to Nathan.

The New York Daily News reported that Giuliani rarely spends time with his children and that he had failed to attend many important events in their lives, including Andrew's golf tournaments and Caroline's school plays.

Andrew Giuliani is a sophomore at Duke and a member of the school's golf team. Caroline attends a private Catholic school in Manhattan. She will attend Harvard University in the fall. Giuliani has had no comment on his relationship with his children.

Giuliani holds a huge lead in the polls over GOP presidential rival John McCain, but some political analysts believe the former New York Mayor's estrangement from his children and other personal problems is bound to inflict political damage.

Political analyst Charles Cook told Newsday that the latest twist would hurt Giuliani with the GOP's conservative voters.

"This is just going to be one of a thousand cuts," Cook told the newspaper. "This will just sort of fit into a whole constellation of issues that work against someone winning a conservative party's nomination, a party that thinks of itself as a pro-family party. This just makes it really hard."

Copyright 2006, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[hinckley buzzard]

Folks, think about it. Hillary can beat just about anyone we put against her but Rudy.

A really sad commentary on the Republican Party.

We had a majority Congress for twelve years, and a president for the last six to go with it, and we haven't generated one obvious viable frontrunning conservative candidate. That isnt Rudy's fault, and we better figure it out. In the meantime learn to be grateful for what you got, because it may have to do.

[GretchenM]

[hinckley buzzard]

You better get busy sewing up a WHOLE LOT of Scarlet "A"s, for when you and Duncan take over the world.

The paucity of alternatives is the unspoken elephant in the middle of these Rudy threads. Hunter is a dead letter--28 years in the House and no one has ever heard of him. Some leader. Romney had to bus in quantities of shills to (barely) win a straw vote. Big deal. McCain has the old bulls behind him but they don't get the distrust engendered by McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy, to name only two reasons--incredibly out of touch as they are.

Anti-Rudy flunkies can attack his personal life, and his wife and kid, but have nothing to offer in Rudy's place--nada, nichts, zilch, zip. Just losers.

[hinckley buzzard]

I've heard him numerous times, including at his father's funeral. He may not be the next Cicero in his oratorical skills but he is a loving son. I find nothing embarrassing about that.

[Central Scrutiniser]

He is a loving son, I appreciate that, really, I do, its touching and welcome.

But, his level of intellect on world affairs is quite lacking, and I wince when I hear his shows and the truly basic things he gets wrong.

[hinckley buzzard]

And we have better choices than Guilanni

I'm all atwitter waiting for you to cough them up, whoever they are, because right now, they're unknown. Remember, to qualify as "better" means even more electable as well as more conservative.

[La Enchiladita]

"Divide and conquer" is the name of the MSM game.

[mylife]

Newt, Haley Barbour, Until macaca, George Allen,(By the way, Allen, a pristine canidate died from macaca) Huckabee,Tim Pawlaenty,Fred Thompson, Tommy Thompson...they all are more conservative than Rudy

And if Macaca could drop Allen what will Rudys "Closet" do to Rudy?

[mimaw]

probably has more to do with old Donna being a bitter vindictive rhymes with witch. she was no prize either.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Oh you just had to mention that did'nt you.Bleck!

[packrat35]

No it is the Republican Party that will have to "make do" without lots of conservative voters, if Rudy is the pick.

[packrat35]

Well, if Republicans "can't" find a decent candidate, then we "deserve" a democrat for President. You don't know how bad that makes me feel now, but I pray someone decent can step up to the plate. I fear another Bob Dole slaughter.

[CheyennePress]

How is Obama not electable? He's charismatic and a smooth operator to say the least. He hasn't taken Hillary's bait, the press adores him, and he's playing this "optimism" thing up quite well. On top of that, he's black, which makes him bulletproof in a lot of ways with the media.

I'm just saying the GOP is going to have to have one heck of a charismatic character to take him down. I think Giulani could stand well with him, though I think Romney would be even better.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. Hillary bullied the media into keeping her daughter out of the limelight.

However, Rudy will have no such luck.

Why people are upset over this is beyond me. The most common reaction to a divorce is the children choose sides .. if they're old enough to know a little about what's going on. Evidently, the son is not happy with his dad's choice .. but that's not the end of the world. He's 21 .. not 51 .. so I wish people would just back off and let the family work out their problems.

[mckenzie7]

http://www.teamtancredo.com

Check this guy out. He's looking better every day to me!

[Luke21]

You know, I despise Rudy as much as the next guy, but this is a bit much.

[George W. Bush]

Why do you think the MSM is attacking Rudy now?

Because he's so vulnerable. Just like we said all along.

This will just get worse because he's a mean person with a trailer trash personal life (and resentful kids to match) that makes the Xlintons look like Ozzie & Harriet.

[George W. Bush]

Nathan coordinated the efforts of the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94. She became a Founding Member of the Board of Trustees of the Twin Towers Fund which raised and distributed $216 million to over 600 families and individuals.

Wasn't that the money that Giuliani tried to hold onto when he left office so he could "administer" it? They had to go to court to get him to give it back to the victims. Just like they had to go to court to get him to leave office because he wouldn't leave when his term was up.

[George W. Bush]

The only way I can relate is that me and my siblings were also abandoned by out father. I'll vote for Rudy the day hell freezes over.

Interesting reaction. We've never had a candidate for prez before whose personal life pushed those kinds of buttons with the voters, I mean, in such a personal way.

[George W. Bush]

Maybe his children are confused about which one is mommy.

LOL...