Posted on 03/19/2007 9:21:54 AM PDT by garv
TAMPA, Fla. - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Sunday defended his law firm's role in representing Citgo Petroleum Corp., which is ultimately controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying it was helping to protect American jobs.
Giuliani acknowledged though, that his opponents will try to exploit news this week that a lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani of Houston has been representing Citgo before the Texas legislature. The firm has had a contract with Citgo since before Giuliani joined it.
"Oh, they'll exploit everything. There are things that make sense and things that don't make sense and that doesn't make any sense. It was one of those political attacks where you have nothing to do with it, you're not involved in it and so it doesn't really worry you very much," Giuliani said. "What they're doing is lawful and honorable and helping to protect jobs for more than 100,000 Americans."
Although Citgo Petroleum is a U.S.-based company, it was bought in 1990 by Petroleos de Venezuela, the national oil company of Venezuela. It employs 4,000 people in Texas and other states, and Giuliani said indirectly more than 100,000 people have jobs because of the company.
Chavez has been an outspoken critic of President Bush and is close to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Because of that, Citgo has become unpopular with some Americans.
Giuliani was in Florida raising money at a New York Yankees spring training game. After the fundraiser, the former New York mayor watched the game from a front row seat directly behind Yankees manager Joe Torre. He discussed Chavez during the game, saying he is one of the reasons why the United States needs to develop alternative fuels and become energy independent.
"As the president I would make that my number one priority, the way Eisenhower and Kennedy made getting to the moon the number one priority of the American government. It has to consume a tremendous amount of our attention," Giuliani said.
If the country had done so in the 1970s, the nation would be more secure now, he said.
"We wouldn't have to be sending money to our enemy, which is really frustrating, and giving them leverage that they shouldn't have," Giuliani said. "Chavez, (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, people like that have leverage because they're making money and they're making money because the United States and the world have not really pursued alternative energy the way we should."
He also called Chavez dangerous and said the United States needs to use concerns about him to build relations with Latin American countries.
"We've got to learn how to play Chavez. There's a lot of concern in America about Chavez; there's even more concern in South America. We have to sort of use that to bring them to the United States," he said.
Giuliani sat next to Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum at the game. Also sitting with them were state Reps. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, and David Rivera, R-Miami.
Glorioso sited Giuliani's leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as one reason he's supporting him, but said his overall record running the city was impressive.
"He took a city that was in disrepair and fixed it, and that takes leadership, guts, planning, good team work - everything you need in a good leader was displayed with what he did in New York City," Glorioso said.
Giuliani is leading Republicans in polls nationally and in Florida, but has been behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain of Arizona in building a campaign team here for the Republican nomination.
He did recently sign on Karen Unger, who managed former Gov. Jeb Bush's 2002 re-election campaign. Unger is now organizing and hiring staff around the state.
"John in particular has been going at it for probably about a year, and I think Mitt started a few months before us, but I kind of like the position we're in," Giuliani said. "Some places it's very strong, probably stronger than theirs, other places we have to still play catch up. Given the period of time we're in, we're in pretty good shape."
Giuliani will return to Florida March 27 for a fundraiser and to address the Club for Growth in Palm Beach. Sunday, though, he was clearly enjoying the baseball game, which the Yankees won 8-1.
"This is my game. I love it," he said. "If I run for president, I get elected president and then retire after I'm president, I think I'll go around announcing spring training (games)."
What are Giuliani's positions on ANWR drilling and expanding nuclear power? What steps does he advocate to end our dependence on foreign oil? We know he's bought into the man-made global warming hysteria, what's he got in mind?
He'll have illegal aliens round up every gun in america and theh burn the guns for fuel!
"theh" = "then"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1803256/posts
9/11: Book Reassesses Giuliani's Role
MSNBC - Newsweek ^ | Sept 11, 2006 | Jennifer Barrett
Posted on 03/19/2007 12:10:53 PM EDT by George W. Bush
9/11: Book Reassesses Giuliani's Role
...
In what ways?
The dumbest decision he made was to put the [city’s emergency] command center in the World Trade Center even though his principal security advisers urged him to put it elsewhere. His own emergency-management director, Jerry Hauer, wanted it to go where [current New York City Mayor Michael] Bloomberg has now put it: in Brooklyn ... If he had, he could have managed the crisis much more capably ...
...
We know what is going on, Rudy is just trying to "bridge differences", but where does the bridging of differences end, and the compromise becomes surrender?
ping
So for Rino Rudy it is alright to deal with socialist maxists who hate America as longs as it makes money. Typical globalist scum.
says Chavez No. 1 priority.
#1 priority? Well it will fit in nicely with his Gore-esquean belief in An Inconvenient Truth.
next...
This is NOT gonna help his image among the more conservative of the 'pubbie base. He's certainly lost a few points with me over this.
Damn. I was going to post this first thing and found nothing when I searched, got distracted, and then when I do post it, it's already there. Story of my life.
This makes it impoossible to vote for Rudy
Why I will never vote for Mr. G. - NO CORE VALUES!
Same thing, IMO.
What are Giuliani's positions on ANWR drilling and expanding nuclear power?
Much more important than Giuliani's three marriages is whether he'll advocate a massive effort to build 20 to 30 new nuclear power plants.
Good post! I'm looking forward to it, I need the target practice! Julie-Annie is such an idiot and a traitor. He is making money directly off of Chavez oil imports. Save American's 100,000 jobs....what a crock of BS. I sure hope Americans wake up and see this less than a RINO for what he really is.
Bring it on you Liberal homo-loving, baby-killing, gun-grabbing Rudy-Rooters, bring it on. I'm going to go clean my guns while you throw your usual marshmallows at me.
Much more important than Giuliani's three marriages is whether he'll advocate a massive effort to build 20 to 30 new nuclear power plants.
Mentioning the marriages apropos of nothing? What is Giuliani's position on the development of new nuclear power plants?
Flashbunny, I hope you know that rant wasn't directed at you. Those that it was directed at will show up very soon.
Rudy isn't just "dealing" with Chavez...he's employed by Chavez. I'm not so sure the "Rudy is better than Hillary" argument is even that clear anymore.
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