The Case for Rudy Giuliani

Townhall.com ^ | 1/22/08 | Dennis Prager

[StatenIsland]

Rudy Giuliani may have made a great mistake by not campaigning in New Hampshire, Nevada, Iowa and South Carolina. But between Rudy Giuliani (and, for that matter, Mitt Romney) on the one hand and John McCain on the other, there is little question as to who more embodies mainstream conservative and Republican principles.

But Giuliani is not merely more of a conservative than John McCain. In fact, if it is Ronald Reagan that Republicans want, Giuliani is extraordinarily close to that venerated man. Ronald Reagan stood for two great beliefs: that big government is a big problem for a free society and that America must be militarily strong and lead the war against global communism.

Substitute "global jihadism" for "global communism" and you have Rudy Giuliani's twin pillars. His one major weakness in appealing to all conservatives is that he is for abortion rights. Let me, then, briefly address all those who, like me, consider nearly all abortions immoral.

Ronald Reagan was pro-life, and it mattered little to the pro-life cause. Concerning abortion, what matters most in a president is the type of judges he appoints to the Supreme Court. As George Will wrote on behalf of Giuliani, "The way to change abortion law is to change courts by means of judicial nominations of the sort Giuliani promises to make." It is extremely unlikely that John McCain would appoint similarly conservative judges. After all, why would he appoint judges like Scalia and Alito who apparently differ with him on the constitutionality of McCain's own "campaign finance reform" laws?

Pro-life Republicans need to ask themselves: Will a Democrat or Giuliani as president render abortion less common in America? The best is the enemy of the better. And Giuliani is far better on abortion than any Democratic nominee.

Giuliani is for school vouchers, against bilingual education, for reducing taxes further, for reducing government spending. And he has well-thought-out positions on how to achieve these things. He also has the experience of cleaning up the most liberal major city in America.

I write this column aware that Giuliani may have lost his chance at getting the Republican nomination. But I could not live with my conscience if I did not articulate one week before the potentially decisive Florida primary why I believe Rudy Giuliani would make an excellent president of the United States.

[Senator Goldwater]

Rudy Giuliani wouldn’t even know what “strict constructionism” was if it bit him in the @ss.

---

Sure he would. You don’t come out of the Reagan Justice Dept without knowing that.

That’s where most of the original intent adherents were vetted.

[Nonstatist]

their limp wristed Chicken Hawk.

Your suck up McCain will lose to Hillary, cant you see that? Who wants a 72 year old hothead with health problems who will do anything to maintain Senate comity, including carrying the water for the Democrats? Hes a nightmare, and so are his supporters like yourself. Being a war prisoner and being from Arizona are not enough. He sure doesnt represent conservatism in any way.

[roses of sharon]

Speaking of the State Dept, when RG talks about shaking up State he says, “the era of cost free anti-Americanism must end”. Just imagine the “diplomats” who would resign if he is elected, lol!

The foreign policy essays of RG, MR, JM, MH, to compare and contrast.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070901faessay86501/rudolph-giuliani/toward-a-realistic-peace.html

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20071101faessay86602/john-mccain/an-enduring-peace-built-on-freedom.html

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070701faessay86402/mitt-romney/rising-to-a-new-generation-of-global-challenges.html

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20080101faessay87112/michael-d-huckabee/america-s-priorities-in-the-war-on-terror.html

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Well, let's see what the Head FReeper has to say about Giuliani:

WILL FR EMBRACE SOCIALISM TO MAKE WAY FOR A GIULIANI PRESIDENCY?

If Rudy's nominated, I'm voting 3rd party. Simple as that.

[Seaplaner]

Respectfully, I believe that Hillary will thank you with a baby-killing, property and gun confiscating police state.

Rudy is far from my first choice. If nominated, however, I would get up early to be among the first in line to vote for Rudy (over Hillary).

Those who want to make a "statement" with a 3rd party vote should consider what this statement really means.

(Think Perot, here)

[Badeye]

‘If Fred gets out of the race, I don’t think a true conservative can vote for any of the remaining guys with a clear conscience. I am now convinced that the conservative movement would be far better off with a brokered convention where we could pick an acceptable candidate than to vote for one of the table scraps left.’

I find it rather funny you think a Conservative would emerge from a ‘brokered convention’ to be honest.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Respectfully, I believe that Hillary will thank you with a baby-killing, property and gun confiscating police state.

My non-vote for Rudy does not equal a vote for Hillary.

Gun confiscation, police state, and abortion will be the norm under Rudy as well.

[Liz]

In Giuliani's book, he writes quite a bit about dropping out of the Senate race. He talks about when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was looking at all the treatment options. He consulted with a lot of people and felt he just wouldn't have the strength to run a Senate campaign.I tend to believe his explanation. I've seen other people go through radiation therapy, and it can be draining.

Anything self-serving Rudy says, does or writes has to be taken with a grain of salt.........he says and does nothing unless it serves his ambitions.

Here's the deal on his so-called "cancer" scare.

FReeper calcowgirl did the research; on Sept 2007 she posted her findings:

Rudy quit the race, announcing he had cancer, but he was up and working almost immediately after quitting the Senate race. To those playin' violins about his debilitating cancer and the chemo treatment, here are excerpts from published news reports that tell the real story:

Rudy had radioactive seed implantation on September 15 and was up on his feet in one day. There was no chemo.

He missed a day or two of work and within a week he had marched in a parade, presided over a town hall-style meeting, gone on the stump for Lazio, and conducted daily press conferences, including one pushing a $1 Billion taxpayer-subsidized stadium in Manhattan's West Side after holding meetings with both the Yankees and Jets owners that week.

In May 2000 he dropped out a mere 11 days before the State Convention where he was to be nominated leaving the GOP high and dry (with no other choice but to recruit Lazio).

His doctors said they thought campaigning was perfectly within his physical capabilities; if he started treatment right way, he would have recovered and been "full speed" by the time the campaign normally kicked in. Instead, he delayed that procedure until September.

Rudy dropped out because a) he figured he was going to get his arse whooped, and, b) he had organized several global businesses and a global law firm that were earning him a million dollars per month.

[Alberta's Child]

Sure he would. You don’t come out of the Reagan Justice Dept without knowing that. That’s where most of the original intent adherents were vetted.

Then that makes his track record in New York City -- in which he displayed a pathological hostility to anything that smacked of "original intent" on the Federal level -- all that much more disgraceful.

He's nothing more than an opportunistic fraud, and he sure as hell ain't no conservative. He's an unapologetic leftist whose entire campaign has been predicated on his ability to obscure his own past.

[Alberta's Child]

Who wants a 72 year old hothead with health problems . . .

Wait a minute . . . Wasn't Rudy Giuliani the one who was flat on his back in a hospital emergency room in St. Louis just a few weeks ago?

[Liz]

Can’t wait till Saturday when Rudy packs up his purse and leaves.

Hope he brought his wig case and a travel bag for his adorable pink spangled evening gown.

Maybe he will be the VP for Obama or Hillary.

LOL----yeah, where he'd fit in best.

[Liz]

DO FLORIDA VOTERS KNOW WHETHER GIULIANI HAS SIMILAR PLANS FOR THEIR HIGHWAYS?

Here's Giuliani's idea of "border security."
Giuliani (with the help of Tex Gov Rick Perry used eminent domain to take US properties from taxpayers and gave
them to foreign entities. (Gov Perry recently endorsed Giuliani's candidacy.)

TEXAS-CANADA-MEXICO TRADE CORRIDOR BROKERED BY Bracewell & Giuliani

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MAP----TERRORIST ENTRY POINTS

NEWS STORY Bracewell & Giuliani Firm Advises Cintra in First Privatization of Toll Road in Texas
DALLAS (March 1, 2007) Bracewell & Giuliani LLP (Rudy's Texas-based law firm with global connections) advised Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., a Spanish transportation company, in its successful bid to develop State Highway 121 into a toll road through Collin and Denton counties ("trade road" is four football fields wide). The award to Cintra, approved by the Texas Transportation Commission, is the first privatization of a Texas toll road. Bracewell is acting as project counsel to Cintra with respect to the 50-year concession from the Texas Department of Transportation. Cintra will pay a $2.1 billion upfront and annual lease payments totaling $700 million. "Cintra was awarded this project because of its proven expertise and competitive proposal," said Thomas O. Moore, partner with Bracewell & Giuliani. "This is the largest transportation deal of 2007. This is one of only five deals in the country."

MEXICAN CORRIDOR INTO TEXAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

DO FLORIDA VOTERS KNOW WHETHER GIULIANI HAS SIMILAR PLANS FOR THEIR HIGHWAYS?

[rineaux]

"Hope he brought his wig case and a travel bag for his adorable pink spangled evening gown."

Classic!!. LOL

[1Old Pro]

I would take Rudy over McCain or Huckabee.

I would take Romney over all three.

[Liz]

Watching Giuliani navigate the political process is like watching a horror film festival.........he's got more sequels than Bela Lugosi.

He's been castigated by liberal women for publicly humiliating his wife---calling a press conference to dump her without informing her ahead of time.

He's been outed for porking his mistress on the taxpayers' dime then hiding the theft of city services in obscure city agencies. At the time he was married and his mistress had no visible means of support---unless you count the bulge behind Rooty's zipper. Better go over Rooty's NYC books again----this bimbo was living in a posh NYC apt and a Hamptons condo, was shopping at pricey Vera Wang without having a job.

Bernie Kerik, Rooty's driver, bodyguard, Police Commissioner, former business partner, failed Homeland nominee and admitted felon and tax evader (in that order) is under federal charges for lying to the WH on his Homeland app.

Giuliani's secrecy about his multiple global businesses and his clients has also been the subject of scrutiny.

No matter how many stakes are driven into Rooty's presidential aspirations, the Rudester comes back from the dead, climbs out of his coffin with the same evil smirk, to wreak havoc on our political process again and again.

Rooty's got the resilience of Count Dracula and the resume of a calculating conman......not exactly star material for the White House.

[roses of sharon]

It is funny that the vaunted GOP base are close to nominating the two biggest Dim and MSM arse kissers ever!

I just don’t trust the base anymore, as evidenced by the growth of government for the last 30 years, and I worry about MR ability to resit that same path, not so much with RG tho, going on his record of battling bureaucracies, good tax plan too, but its probably moot now.

Club for Growth PAC Praises Giuliani’s Bold Tax Cut Plan
Washington – Club for Growth President Pat Toomey praised Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s new comprehensive tax reform and reduction plan, unveiled today in Florida, calling it “a bold and innovative proposal that will reward hard work, encourage investment, and promote economic growth for Americans across the economic spectrum.”

The Giuliani tax cut plan would extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts immediately; eliminate the Death Tax completely; lower the capital gains and dividends tax rate to 10% and index capital gains to inflation; lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%; and permanently index the Alternative Minimum Tax to inflation with a plan for eventual elimination.

The Giuliani tax cut plan also contains a particularly bold pro-growth tax simplification strategy that would give taxpayers the option of opting into a simple tax plan in which their taxes could be done on one page. Instead of the current tax behemoth, the voluntary tax plan would constitute across the board cuts in marginal tax rates by proposing three simple rates of 10%, 15%, and 30%.

“Giuliani’s tax cut plan will encourage capital formation, and capital is the key driver of productivity, higher wages, and a better standard of living for all Americans,” Mr. Toomey continued. “He does that by not only lowering the capital gains and dividends rates, but also by indexing capital gains to inflation. Also, the Mayor’s plan dramatically lowers marginal tax rates at the personal and corporate level, which will encourage a significant burst of economic activity and growth.”

“The current U.S. tax code is a monstrosity of inefficiency and deterrence, with some of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world and a tax code that totals more than 66,000 pages. Mayor Giuliani’s tax cut proposal today would dramatically move the American tax code and economy in the right direction. This is exactly the kind of plan economic conservatives should embrace.”

PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.

Americans For Tax Reform: Rudy Giuliani Tax Cut Plan: The Biggest In History And Most Pro-Growth In GOP Presidential Field

Plan would cut the capital gains tax, slash the corporate income tax, and create a simplified alternate tax system for families and small businesses

January 9, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC – Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani today released a pro-growth tax cut package. This multi-trillion dollar tax cut would easily exceed the level of the Reagan or Bush tax cuts. This package is the most pro-growth tax cut of any GOP presidential candidate.

Giuliani’s tax plan makes all the Bush tax cuts permanent, including full repeal of the death tax. It indexes the alternative minimum tax (AMT) to inflation, and eventually repeals it. It reduces the corporate income tax from today’s 35 percent, the second-highest in the developed world, to 25 percent, more in line with our European competitors. It slashes the capital gains and qualified dividends tax rate from 15 percent to 10 percent (and indexes capital assets to inflation), which will boost the value of every American’s 401(k) and IRA. It replaces the current hodgepodge of dozens of tax-advantaged savings accounts with a simplified system of Retirement Savings Accounts and Lifetime Savings Accounts. It gives all Americans the ability to purchase health insurance pre-tax through a health care standard deduction.

“This tax cut—the largest in history—would represent a monumental leap forward for the American taxpayer and the U.S. economy,” said ATR President Grover Norquist. “In particular, cutting the corporate income tax and the capital gains tax is just what is needed to keep us from falling into recession.”

In addition, the Giuliani tax cut plan creates an alternate “Fair And Simple Tax (FAST)” system that American families and small businesses could choose to go into each year, with a three-bracket structure, a 30 percent top rate, and only the most popular deductions in place.

“Most Americans, when given the choice to go into this simplified system, will flock toward it and never switch back,” continued Norquist. “Hong Kong has had an alternate tax system for years and the vast majority of residents use it happily.”

In addition to his tax cut proposal, Giuliani has committed in writing to the American people to oppose and veto all tax increases.

RG also has proposals cutting spending by 10%.

[Timeout]

...his record of battling bureaucracies, good tax plan too

I'm REAL big on the "battling bureaucracies" part.

I can't for the life of me figure out why none of our candidates has emphasized the "leaky" bureaucrats and how they endanger our national security. I relish the thought of Rudy dealing with them.

I've heard Mitt a couple of times lately say something about "cutting the bureaucracy". Maybe he'll pick up that baton and run with it.

[Liz]

Giuliani's nothing more than an opportunistic fraud, and he sure as hell ain't no conservative. He's an unapologetic leftist whose entire campaign has been predicated on his ability to obscure his own past.

Giuliani worships at the Church of Whatever Works For Me.

He has no moral center, he has no spiritual fidelity, and is completely without political loyalty.

Says he's "conservative" but sucked up to liberals, sought Liberal backing, and employed numerous Liberals as Mayor/candidate.

He worships abortion, gay rights, and gun grabbing----all completly against Republican principles.

His most fervent wish is to religiously cleanse the party and dump so/cals off the party lifeboat.

He can get on his knees and hail Beelzebub dawn til disk-----that ain't gonna happen.

[roses of sharon]

Yes, I agree, hiring men to do a job is what we are down to now, since the ideologues are shut out.

I just prefer a ruthless, cunning sob right now, for this time, a personality that fits with the era we are in, imo.

But, I did vote for Romney in Michigan, to stop McCain and Huck.

I am not adverse to him at all, I just would like to see something completely and utterly different in the WH, for once in my lifetime.

Imagine four years of never hearing “I feel your pain”, music to my ears. Americans are so addicted to government, literally and emotionally, so addicted to PC and being offended at every turn, they need to be shocked into reality, imo.

Silly dream I know.

[Timeout]

You are singing my song!

I want to watch Rudy with the WH press corps!