Posted on 10/20/2007 10:21:39 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lion’s den, told the year’s largest gathering of social conservatives that he is “not always the best example of faith” but that their similarities are much greater than their differences.
“Isn’t it better that I tell you what I really believe instead of changing all my positions?” Giuliani told an audience of 2,000 at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit at a Washington hotel. “I believe trust is more important than 100 percent agreement.”
The audience, generally hostile to Giuliani, recognized the shot at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and laughter and a few cheers spread across the room.
The former mayor, who left the stage grinning amid applause after his 40-minute speech, went for an authenticity contrast with Romney, substituting his law and order credentials for the family values emphasis of Romney, a long-married father of five.
Giuliani paid obeisance to the group’s concerns by speaking at length about his support for school choice, home schooling, conservative judges and Israel.
All drew earnest – even enthusiastic – applause. He also gave a detailed plan for reducing abortions and increasing adoptions, the meatiest policy element of his speech.
It was the “everything but” approach – he could agree with the audience on almost everything except whether a woman should be able to choose an abortion, which he supports.
"You and I know I’m not a perfect person,” he said. “I pray for forgiveness, I pray for strength.... I feel my faith deeply, although perhaps more privately than others, because of the way I was brought up.” He said he had prayed to God at the toughest parts of his life.
“During our lives, at some time, all of us need forgiveness,” he added. “If we expect perfection from our political leaders, we’re just asking for disappointment .... We lose trust when they’re not honest with us.... I don’t always agree with myself. [Laughter] … You’ll always know where I stand.... I will continue to extend my hand to you. I hope you’ll take it.”
Giuliani showed humor, noting that he almost entered seminary: “I know that’s hard to believe.” Noting that he attended Catholic school, he said the first school he attended where a prayer wasn’t said at the beginning of the day was the New York University School of Law.
He said that on the first day, out of confusion, he made the sign of the cross. “I looked around and realized people were staring at me,” he joked.
Giuliani pointed out that as New York mayor, he reduced murder, drugs, prostitution and other vices. "I don't believe in inevitable decline," he said, adding he shares President Ronald Reagan's belief in optimism.
"You put Republican ideas into action.... We got results. Humbly, I would say, the best results anyone in that time got in government."
"We drove pornography out of Times Square and other public spaces," he said, drawing hearty applause. "The pornographers lost and they were driven out of Times Square."
Instead of pandering to the group, Giuliani held his ground.
“We’ve got to find a way to be more inclusive,” Giuliani said. “Christianity is all about inclusiveness. It’s built around the most profound act of love in human history, isn’t it? … I’m running for president of the United States because I believe I can bring us together. Strong leadership can help us find common solutions to our problems.”
Giuliani drew laughter by saying he spends as little time in Washington as possible: “I’m afraid there’s something in the air here.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I can be all things to all people,” he declared. “I’m just not like that.”
But he added, in another dig at Romney, “I’ll always be honest with you.... You will always know where I stand.”
“You have absolutely nothing to fear from me,” Giuliani went on, adding that he was puzzled by those who make him out to be some kind of liberal activist: “Just read any New York Times editorial when I was mayor of New York City.” That got a big laugh.
Giuliani was speaking to one of the most conservative audiences in American politics. During a Christian worship service from the podium an hour before Giuliani spoke, leader Ron Freeman interspersed the praise hymn “Blessed be the Name” with the hopeful wish:
“We’ve got the right Senate and the Congress!” The prayer included: “We’ve tried hard to make your agenda, our agenda.”
Politico’s Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
“And conservatives that support him as well.”
Never met one.
You don't get it. If Giuliani is the nominee, I'd prefer Hillary Clinton win so we can begin the process of rebuilding the GOP into the conservative party it was under Ronald Reagan.
Since when did discussing and highlighting a liberal's leanings, policies, values and principles--and his VERY OWN WORDS--become 'trashing'???
What day did that become 'trashing'?
And who determined that discussing FACTS--is 'trashing'?....lol
That's easy when all you need to do is relabel Rudy supporters as non-conservatives.
And what makes you think that this will necessarily happen? Assumptions get you no where if they're wrong.
Okay, fine. The problem is all of our candidates have, including Rudy, an electability problem. This is the way most Americans probably see it.
Rudy: The Right doesnt like him and He is a bossy NY'er.
Romney: A Kerry-esk flip-flopper, Mormon
Fred: Looks tired and his wife looks like his daughter.
Hunter: Great guy but hardly ever smiles. Very serious.
Huckabee: Good communicator but from Hope Arkansas.
Tancredo: One trick Pony.
McCain: Unpredictable amnesty promoter. Solid Military.
I think only the top three have a chance against the Klinton Machine.
If you want a more authoritarian, bullying, more intrusive, more controlling, all-powerful, ‘big government knows what is best’, 'Big Brother' type of government,,,,,
headed by a pro-abortion, pro-amnesty, pro-litigation, gun-grabbing, gay-rights crusading, condescending, arrogant, and narcissistic, LIBERAL ‘pit bull’, New York lawyer who strongly believes in sanctuary cities, encouraging illegal aliens by telling them they are NOT really illegal, global warming and using our tax money for Federally-funded abortions,,,,
who worked in the Bobby Kennedy campaign, voted for George McGovern, who as mayor publicly distanced himself from Ronald Reagan, and who vocally supported and proudly endorsed a liberal, big-government, socialist democrat like Mario Cuomo over the Republican candidate for governor (largely because the Republican wanted ‘to cut taxes too much’), and has been a defender of Bill Clinton on more than one occasion,,,,
who ran for mayor the first time on the LIBERAL PARTY ticket,,,
and who was SO LIBERAL that he wasn’t even invited to the Republican Convention in ’96--after refusing to endorse (until the last minute) the Republican candidate opposing Clinton,,,,
and a cousin-marrying, Clinton-apologist--whose personal life is an absolute TRAIN WRECK (almost making Bill Clinton look like a decent family man and loving husband--if that is even possible) is JUST THE MAN FOR THE JOB.
If you want to totally abandon and sacrifice traditional conservative principles and values--a LIBERAL RINO like Rudy JulieAnnie is JUST THE MAN FOR THE JOB!!!!
Anyone that would support someone with THOSE 'conservative credentials' (sarcasm) listed above,,,is a non-conservative.
That's one of the dumbest ideas that I see regularly around here. Yeah, let's allow Hillary to nominate 2-4 supreme court judges so in 2035 we can change things back.
“That’s easy when all you need to do is relabel Rudy supporters as non-conservatives.”
I believe it is you that is doing the relabeling. Of Republicans as conservatives. The are not one and the same.
What makes you think Rudy’s political strategy will differ from Arnold’s?
If he loses, he’ll blame right wing extremists who sat out the election. If he wins, he’ll assume he drew in more ‘centrists’ than he lost on the right - and will govern without giving a rat’s rear end for the social conservatives.
I was fooled by Dole. I wasn’t fooled by Arnold, but many were. I won’t be fooled by Rudy.
With the exception of Ron Paul, I’d vote for any of our candidates - except Rudy. And no, I’m not a far right extremist.
If Hillary is elected, we’ll pick up a lot of seats in the House & Senate, and have a strong candidate in 2012. If Rudy is elected, the GOP will continue drifting - while Rudy pulls us as far left as he dares.
What facts do you have to support this assumption? You can't know exactly what the political climate will be 2 or 4 years from now. 2010 could be like 1994, or it could be like 2002 or it could be like neither.
“Name one of those reasons.”
1. Cleaned up New York. As evidence, look at Times Square before and after Rudy. As a New Yorker, I saw first hand what he has done.
2. Yasser Arafat. He did not kowtow at all saying he was unwelcome. This in contrast to Hillary praising Arafat’s wife.
3. He took a downtrodden, crime-filled, racially charged, broke city and turned it around. By the way his biggest critics were the Al Sharpton types and the extreme liberals.
By the way I do not get your “other than the war on terror” - that should be sufficient enough. On the WOT he is terrific.
In a city like NY, it is virtually impossible to govern as a strict conservative. A lot of what is being discussed reflects the fact of the very heavy democratic environment that he had to endure. He did and succeeded well, governing in a reasonably conservative manner, particularly when it came to crime.
One other thing about watching Rudy for a long time. He is not a phony and lets you know where he stands. While there are a number of things you would not like the comparison with Hillary is dramatic.
I've seen very few of those around here. I've seen out-of-context quotes that could be used against anyone. I'll take any enemy of the NYTimes any day against Hillary.
Ok, please look at post #367, and list all of the out of context quotes that can be used against anyone.
No. It's a person who has loyalty to the party of Reagan and his 11th commandment, and who wants to see a Republican in the White House instead of Hillary Clinton, whatever it takes.
Odd. I think ANY of our folks will take Hillary apart in a debate. I think ANY of them, including Rudy, have a more charming personality. Hillary has flip-flopped more than Kerry, comes across as everyone’s ex-wife (even for those of us once married), and will struggle to hit 50-51%.
Rudy has the least chance of beating her, because he has the greatest chance of a third party candidate - which is Hillary’s strongest hope.
Never said they were. But it's a fact that if conservatives have any hope of getting any issue they want, such as judges, then they'll support the Republican party and no other.
As the Gipper so eloquently stated,
"So, it was our Republican Party that gave me a political home. When I signed up for duty, I didn't have to check my principles at the door. And I soon found out that the desire for victory did not overcome our devotion to ideals".
--Ronald Reagan remarks at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans, August 15, 1988.
A lot of you Rudy apologists will be 'checking yours at the door'.
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