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But in discussing the deployment of more troops, Mr. Giuliani has been alone in saying that such a strategy may not succeed, potentially providing him cover should the situation in Iraq deteriorate further. And he has put the strategy in a broader context that plays down the importance of Iraq.

Frank Rich: Mr. Giuliani is also a war supporter and even contributed a Brownie of his own to the fiasco, the now disgraced [former New York City Police Commissioner] Bernard Kerik, who helped botch the training of the Iraqi police. But, unlike Mr. McCain, Mr. Giuliani isn't dogged by questions about Iraq. To voters, his [Giuliani's] war history begins and ends with the war against the enemy that actually attacked America on 9/11. He wasn't a cheerleader for the subsequent detour into Iraq, wasn't in office once the war started, and actively avoids speaking about it in any detail.

But the fact is he has been a strong supporter of Bush. So has McCain. Romney has also supported Bush, and Fred Thompson's public pronouncements on the war have been supportive of the new effort, if not of the mistakes we made earlier.

I appreciate Rudy's support, but his strong likeability doesn't seem to translate into him being able to sway public opinion on the war, nor did it allow him to help elect republicans in the last election when we lost both the house and senate with Rudy's strong support for candidates and his strong support for the war.