RUDY-VS.-HILL BUZZ HEATS UP (Mosbacher is "leaning against" challenging Sen. Charles Schumer)

The New York Post ^ | June 30, 2003 | FREDRIC U. DICKER

[Pubbie]

FORMER Mayor Rudy Giuliani will challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton for U.S. Senate in 2006 if, as many suspect, he wants to be president one day. That's the dramatic prediction of one of New York's most senior elected officials, who knows both Giuliani and Clinton well.

"Rudy's fundamental dilemma in terms of becoming president is that he holds positions that are unacceptable to his own Republican Party on things like abortion and gay rights and gun control," the senior official told The Post.

"Now, if he runs for the Senate and defeats Hillary Clinton, given all the negatives she represents to Republicans across the country, that could be sufficient for him to overcome Republican opposition to him on those other issues."

Giuliani told Time magazine last week that he's seriously considering running for the Senate or governor in 2006.

A Clinton-Giuliani face-off would likely be the most hotly fought, exciting, closely watched - and most expensive - political campaign in all of 2006, political experts agree.

Giuliani, of course, was set to run against Clinton in 2000, but withdrew from the race after being diagnosed with prostate cancer...

Nationally prominent Republican fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher is "leaning against" challenging Sen. Charles Schumer next year, a senior state Republican has told The Post.

Mosbacher, a megamillionaire businesswoman and a member of the Republican National Committee, has been urged to enter the race by Gov. Pataki, who has been scrambling to find a candidate strong enough to impress national Republicans when they gather next summer in Madison Square Garden to renominate President Bush.

"I have been approached. This is a serious decision and, yes, I'm weighing it," Mosbacher, who promised a decision no later than Labor Day, told The Post.

Mosbacher could be swayed by the fact that Schumer appears to be coasting to one of the easiest re-election campaigns since Attorney General Eliot Spitzer defeated what's her name last year. (OK, it was Dora Irizarry)...

[Pubbie]

1 Prediction:

If Hillary sees Guiliani is going to fight for her seat, then she'll drop out, knowing she would loose, so that she doesn't have to be crushed by Rudy, and thus severely hurt her chances of running as the Democratic nominee in 2008.

She'll say publicly that she's not seeking reelection so she can form a Presidential exploratory committee to run in 2008.

[Pubbie]

*Ping*

[VRWC_minion]

Claiming the 2006 election is a stealth way of pursuing the 2004 election without raising rat concern.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Oh my God....my bad? I thought Rudy was a Democrat. I just posted on another thread that if he ran, he would be the first democrat I've ever voted for. Holy crap :(

[proud American in Canada]

I love Rudy bump...

[b4its2late]

15 lashes with a wet noodle for you...............

[Dan from Michigan]

Anyone but Scumer.

[zencycler]

If Hillary sees Guiliani...she'll drop out...and thus severely hurt her chances of running as the Democratic nominee in 2008.

She has a back-up plan. She'll probable drop out in 2006, as you suggest, but she'll run instead for a safe house seat, announcing in advance her plan to run for POTUS in 2008, and wanting "to do the right thing" (barf) by not committing herself to 6 more years on the senate when she can only serve 2. Meanwhile, she'll make her husband run for Mayor of New York against the unpopular Bloomberg, and instruct X42 to paint Rudy and Bloomy with the same brush, and blame the city's current state of affairs on how THEY mishandled the aftermath of 9/11.

Then she'll spin her husband's inenvitable win against Bloomberg as a defeat for Rudy, and since Rudy will run virtually unopposed for the Senate seat (against some Democrat unknown at her instructions) she'll be able to claim that it's a hollow, symbolic victory.

I'm cringing as I'm writing this, because I live in New York, and I hate the fact that she's my senator. But sadly, when I look at the future of my state, I believe the worst will happen.

[jd777]

What if rudy also wants to run for president in 2008?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Forget it TSO. We all make mistakes. Go have some ice cream, and you'll be just fine. Also, I bet few folks caught it; and those who did, gave it no importance. Life continues.

[Pubbie]

"Then she'll spin her husband's inenvitable win against Bloomberg as a defeat for Rudy,"

Maybe, but Rudy will still win that seat, and I don't think Madame Bloomberg is associated with Rudy the Great anyway.

But I do think WJ Klintoon will run for Mayor just because he'll LOVE the attention!

[Pubbie]

"What if rudy also wants to run for president in 2008?"


I don't konw, it all depends on when he wants to run - maybe he's thinking about 2012, But God knows what the political world will be like by then...

[jd777]

I seriously think it would be hard for Hillary to run for president while not being in office..? look at all the candidates for the dems. All are in office (except al sharp). And Hillary is still known as first lady turned senator. Can she risk running while not holding office?

[Pubbie]

"Can she risk running while not holding office?"

She is extremely likely to loose her seat whether or not she runs so the best of two bad options would be to willingly give up the seat ie not seek reelection rather than run again and face a very likely defeat.

[lilylangtree]

"A Clinton-Giuliani face-off would likely be the most hotly fought, exciting, closely watched - and most expensive - political campaign in all of 2006, political experts agree."

That would be fun to watch.

[Dahoser]

She has a back-up plan. She'll probable drop out in 2006, as you suggest, but she'll run instead for a safe house seat...

That would mean Nita Lowey is going to take another big one for the team. It's not easy being a Clinton toadie, eh Nita?

[jd777]

If she's likely to lose in NY, do the dems think she could win on the national level? If guiliani can beat her in NY why wouldn't the pubs just move him up to the pres slot in 2008?

[tkathy]

Guiliani is the only hope for 2008. Also, the only hope to keep Hillary out of the White House.

[AuH2ORepublican]

" look at all the candidates for the dems. All are in office (except al sharp)."

---

Howard Dean is not in office. Neither is Mosely-Braun, Clark or (as you mentioned) Sharpton.

In truth, it is easier to run for the presidency if one doesn't have a day job. That's the way Nixon did it in 1968, Carter in 1976 (whose upset victory in the primaries is attributed largely to his ability to spend close to a year in Iowa when none of the other contenders could do so)and Reagan in 1980. That's why Gephardt stepped down from his leadership post to run for President, and even then he's had a hard time combining campaining nationally with being a Congressman (he has missed more House votes than any other Congressman).

I don't think Hillary would run for the House if she faced a tough Republican opponent. She'd just retire from the Senate to form a Presidential exploratory committee and go on a nation-wide "listening tour." But if she faced a lackluster Republican, she might run for reelection to add another item to her résumé, and be an absentee Senator for two years (until she gets beat by Jeb and goes back to the Senate with her tail between her legs).

[JohnnyZ]

I seriously think it would be hard for Hillary to run for president while not being in office..? look at all the candidates for the dems. All are in office (except al sharp).

It might be easier for her that way. Look at the controversy the senators and whatnot are having now with missing all sorts of key votes. And look at the success Howard Dean has had, being able to campaign full time after his term as governor expired at the end of 2002.

It's not like Hillary needs the spotlight of being in the senate.

Two other candidates who might be out of office and running come 2006: Sen. Bill Frist and Gov. Bill Owens (CO).