Posted on 03/21/2007 1:43:43 AM PDT by FairOpinion
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited The Players Course at Craig Ranch in McKinney on Tuesday for a golf tournament designed to raise money for his presidential exploratory committee.
Giuliani, who has not officially announced he will be a candidate, has recently become the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2008, according to most polls.
About 80 people paid up to $2,300 to play golf with Giuliani.
The mayor who saw New York City residents through the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center said he could bring leadership to the Republican Party in Texas. He talked to reporters before he spoke at a luncheon at The Player's Course at Craig Ranch.
“I'd ask them to look back over my record as mayor of New York City, where I took over a city that was in pretty bad condition: crime capital of America. We turned it into the safest largest city in America, and we were the welfare capital of America,” Giuliani said.
“We have the best welfare to work program in the country with 660,000 people off welfare. A lot of them are into much more productive lives,” Giuliani said.
He also said New York City was able to take a deficit of $2.2 billion and turn it into a multibillion-dollar surplus, provide fiscal leadership, lower taxes and give people more of a chance of having more control over their own lives. He said those are just some things he can offer to Texas Republicans and throughout the nation.
Giuliani also said the United States has to remain on offense against terrorism, and citizens cannot be discouraged about problems with the war in Iraq.
“We can't let some of the difficulties drag us down. We have to have a vision for the future. A vision of the future is a world that is peaceful, and we don't want war. We want peace, and to achieve peace we have to be strong,” Giuliani said.
He credits the late President Ronald Reagan for teaching Americans that they have to be strong to achieve peace.
“Peace comes through strength and remaining on offense against terrorists. Not becoming discourages and doing the kinds of things the Democrats are doing right now, which is talking what I would consider defeatist language and going back on offense. They want to take us back to defense, and we should be on offense,” Giuliani said.
He also credits President Bush with doing the “right thing” by putting the country on the offensive against terrorists rather than taking a defensive approach.
“Thank God he's kept us safe. I think this election is obviously going to be about who the candidates are and our visions for the future and everybody is their own person and has a different vision for the future,” Giuliani said.
“My vision for the future is much, much stronger economy, having better education and energy independent, which is something we have to look at and we should be in a situation where we don't see money going to adversaries of the United States,” Giuliani said.
When asked if he would, as president, commit U.S. troops to Iran, Giuliani said the terrorist war against the United States is much greater than Iraq, and Iran may potentially be more dangerous than Iraq and other places on which the nation is spending more time.
“You have to be multi-focused, and Iran is an important situation for us. The idea of them becoming a nuclear power is an idea that we can just not allow to happen, and we have to use every bit of pressure that we can bring to bear, every bit of persuasion that we can bring to bear. And the Iranians need to know that although America doesn't like to use military force and it's not something we like to do unless we have to, and that's an option that would be utilized if it should ever get to the point that they're about to become a nuclear power,” Giuliani said.
“That would be an unacceptable danger for us to have in the world. I think the clearer they are and if we can be stronger than them, then the better chance we have of being able to achieve through negotiations of pressure,” Giuliani said.
Guests paid at least $500 to hear Giuliani speak at the luncheon, which was closed to the media. He played golf prior to the luncheon; guests paid $2,300 to play golf with him and have their picture taken with him.
Ted Olson is playing politics for his own gain, a possible seat on the Supreme Court. While I think he would make a good Justice, I question his association with so many known liberals and RINOs.
That's not fair. Just because Ted supports liberals and Rinos doesn't mean he is one.
But it does explain why he's supporting Rudy.
If I thought Rudy could get Ted Olson past the democrats and onto the Supreme Court, i'd feel better about having to vote for him in the general election.
But Ted barely made it to Soliciter General. The Democrats hate him. There is no way anybody could get him onto the Supreme Court unless we had 60 republicans. I only presume Specter would vote for him because Ted gave him money.
Why else would you think Ted gave Specter money? It was an investment.
Whew! I'm glad McKinney is a place name and not the name of a certain Representative.
Giuliani, in McKinney, says he's a leader....
yeah but is he the "decider?"
that's what we need, a decider!
Giuliani IS the leader we need -- the War on Terror is NOT over.
He also has a record of turning NY City around, when everyone said it couldn't be done.
Since Sen. Vitter has endorsed Giuliani and is rumored to be a potential running mate does his view of Iraq reflect the thoughts of the Giuliani campaign?
Really and Fred Thompson hasn't either but Rudy is kicking his ass in the polls along with many who have already announced.
What's up with that?[sarcasm].......
Leadership is actually detrimental if the leader is a leftist.
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