Posted on 04/27/2007 12:50:05 PM PDT by areafiftyone
(Raleigh, NC - AP, April 27, 2007) - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani continued his offensive against Democrats on Friday, saying his party is best qualified to deal with wars against poverty at home and terrorism abroad.
"I'll be darned if I'm going to concede that Democrats care more about poor people than we do," Giuliani said during his brief base-building trip to the home state of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.
Giuliani said Democratic calls for mandatory universal health care would only exacerbate the cost of care by putting the system in the hands of bureaucrats.
Democratic candidates renewed their calls for universal health care during a debate in South Carolina on Thursday, saying that a new system would help streamline costs and cover the nation's 45 million uninsured.
"They're moving toward socialized medicine so fast, it'll make your head spin," Giuliani said of the debate, adding that private competition and limits on malpractice lawsuits could help bring down the cost of care. "When we want to cover poor people, as we should, we give them vouchers."
He also echoed that call in discussing education, saying that Democrats are unwilling to reform the nation's education system with charter schools. The former New York City mayor said he struggled to reform the schools in that city.
"We weren't really able to fundamentally reform them," Giuliani said, saying he was young and naive to think he could. "They have to be (reformed) if they are going to be a ladder out of poverty."
The combative criticisms added a new chapter to Giuliani's offensive against Democrats. He drew the ire of several Democratic leaders earlier this week when he said the country needs a Republican leader to maintain safety from terrorism.
He stood by those remarks Friday, telling a conference of North Carolina conservatives that Democratic presidential candidates, most of whom want to begin timed troop withdrawals from Iraq, are "retreating in the face of this terrorist threat."
"When, in the history of war, has a nation that decides to retreat, printed up a schedule of that retreat and handed it to its enemies?" Giuliani said.
Giuliani, who served as New York City mayor during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, praised President Bush for his response to the event. Giuliani said the United States needs to continue to fight terrorism abroad and at home with "aggressive" use of military strength, the Patriot Act and electronic surveillance and interrogation.
"(Terrorists) do not respect weakness, they take advantage of weakness," Giuliani said. "They certainly respect strength."
Possible candidate Thompson opposes timetable for Iraq pullout
IRVING, Texas Actor Fred Thompson said today that the top U-S general in Iraq convinced him that it's wrong to set a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq. Thompson says the U-S should leave -- quote -- "our terms and not al-Qaida's."
Thompson is a former senator considering a presidential run. Polls show Thompson is well-liked in a Republican field for 2008, but he deflected questions today about a White House run.
Thompson and former Senator Bill Bradley spoke to about 100 guests today at a professional golf tournament sponsored by Electronic Data Systems.
Bradley, a former presidential candidate, tweaked his former Senate colleague a couple times about the White House flirtation.
Thompson says the United States has made -- quote -- "a lot of mistakes" in the execution of the war. But he criticized congressional Democrats' plan to set a timetable for withdrawal.
I agree, at first I was a I’ll stay home if Rudy, but he has my ear. And I am not a single issue voter, he has done and said things that I do not agree with.
But he isn’t a Socialist, so I will vot ethe anti-Socialist ticket.
Only if we could get some of those types in Congress too. The current GOP House leadership is about as laughable as it can get. Talk about boring and uninspiring.
I’m not interested in driving anyone on FR crazy. I don’t believe anyone on FR is the issue or the problem. It’s these ‘rats who want to surrender our country to terrorists for what they think is an election victory in 2008 that are the problem.
We cannot let the ‘rats establish the principle that surrender means power in Washington. If that happens we are finished. If we surrender to terrorists then we’ll surrender to anybody.
I’d vote for Josef Stalin if he would fight to defend us rather than Harry Reid if he would surrender. I’m not kidding. We are like Israel now — under constant threat of attack. If we go on the defensive some terrorist nut will eventually get a small nuke and detonate it in NY Harbor before the ship ever lands and goes through Homeland security.
Weakness invites attack!
Fred is an actor turn politican. He is amenable by nature. A gentlemen. No way can he attack the democrats the way they need to be attacked.
Rominey is the same way. A nice person turned politican.
McClain has a mean streak but he is volatile and unpredictble and can not attack in the same common sense coherrent fashion Rudy can.
John
Isn’t Thompson actually a prosecutor turned politician turned actor turned politician turned actor turned political commentator (hopefully turning President)? :)
}:-)4
There is really only one ultimate question in who one votes for ... “who will do the best job in protecting me and my family from those who would destroy us”
tied to that question ... “given that we have to be the most important economic power in the world, who will do the best job in keeping us there”
other issues only have semi-importantance
“Weakness invites attack!”
If you believe the polls, it’s sad the American Sheeple don’t aggree with that.
I’ll vote for a fighting socialist instead of a surrender monkey capitalist. If it’s a choice between high taxes or death at the hands of terrorists I’ll pay up.
This is not to say I want to vote for a socialist. I am simply saying that any Republican candidate has to be a fighter and take the fight to the terrorists and those who kowtow to them — eight days a week. Same in the House, as South Texas just said.
Unfortunately too many in the House are frightened that standing up for America might cost them votes and their seats. I have nothing but contempt for that attitude.
He certainly is and I will give him full credit for doing so!
LLS
THIS is what will turn out conservatives for Rudy. I may even be persuaded.
Eventually.
Go Rudy!
The polls are bad in part because our leaders (including, unfortunately, the President) have not spoken out as aggressively as they need to speak out. We lost the election last year and along with that loss, our courage.
We should counterattack. For example, the ‘Pubs should be screaming like Dean that the ‘rats are playing cynical politics. The ‘rats are far too cowardly to actually cut funding — they are just playing games and making the President look bad. Republicans should say that!! Republicans (and their media allies like Rush) should point out that the ‘rats will, in the end, fund without a deadline and the moonbats on the Left (their “base”) are being played for fools by Reid and company.
The ‘rats are not going to stop the war before the election and lose their issue. The Leftist moonbats are being played. Well, say so! Let’s drive a wedge between the Leftist ‘rats and the elected ‘rats, infuriate the Leftist ‘rats, demoralize them, weaken them, and then kick their sorry tails in November 2008.
Fight!
Frankly, that's delusional at best.
HERE YOU GO THEN! Hillary For President
Excellent!
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