Posted on 03/25/2007 11:44:12 AM PDT by FairOpinion
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani led off with his strongest card, his terrorism-fighting credentials, before touching on healthcare, immigration and energy policy in a speech to a welcoming crowd Saturday.
"Sept. 11, 2001, taught me and I believe it taught a lot of people, including President Bush that we have to remain on offense," Giuliani said. "That means that we have to use our military. We can't show weakness."
Giuliani seemed to hit all the right notes Saturday, getting applause when he criticized Democrats' stance on healthcare and advocated vouchers for schools.
On immigration, he told reporters he doesn't support amnesty for illegal immigrants, but he could support a guest worker program if there were adequate border security and tamper-proof ID cards. He said that even if illegal immigrants "can demonstrate that they are lawful, that they are paying taxes [and] that they'll pay penalties," they still shouldn't be put ahead of people who go through legal channels.
"And citizenship here, if it's earned, should be premised on being able to read and write English and understand American history, so we restore assimilation to the process of immigration," he said.
"Nothing will unite the Republicans more than a candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton," Curry said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypilot.com ...
You already know that a large fraction of the Republican base won't support Rudy, even against Hillary. It's their way of telling the Republican Party that they won't allow it to fool them with another socialist the way your dishonest "moderates" have done it in California.
I'll sit it out. I won't be joining anybody voting for Rudy. For any reason. The box on my ballot would stay blank. If it's a choice between hillary or rudy, my choice will be "none of the above". I don't vote for gun grabbing liberals,no matter what letter is next to their name. I also will not give money to the GOP or volunteer any campaign work that promotes Rudy. Giuliani knows that the has to campaign early and hard, because his positions and his ACTIONS are becoming increasingly well known. The more conservatives and Republicans know about Rudy, the worse he looks. n major social issues Rino Rudy is no different the Hitlary. He is a flaming liberal who I will never vote for.People are getting to know Rudy, to his detriment.
I think Hillary is beatable. She is beatable if we can find a candidate that will gain momentum from all conservatives.
That is not Rudy. I have family and friends who have already stated they will not vote for Rudy.
This is what bodes bad for the party.
Hillary is not that formidable. I am starting to doubt she will even get the nomination.
So cut this silliness out that if we do not vote Rudy, we are voting for Hillary.
When something does not work, quit using it and come up with a new line.
Were it not for Rudy being the Mayor of NYC on 9/11, his presidential aspirations would already have been dismissed and he would have been laughed off the national stage as a lightweight.
He gave a good speech at the '04 GOP convention, and he talks a lot o' tough talk on the threat of Islamofascism.
That and a $1.25 will get you a big cup o' coffee.
the conervatives can't elect anyone on their own. they couldn't even return people like Allen and Talent to the Senate in 2006.
independent voters decide these elections. the conservatives can either be part of a winning coalition, or they can be spoilers and toss it to the Dems.
Did you see this? The evangelicals are getting it; I'll say an extra prayer of thanks today that the evangelicals on FR don't represent the real world.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806462/posts
when his full position is shown, Thompson will have the exact same position on immigration that Rudy is expressing here.
Not to rip on Mayor Giuliani, but that eerily sounds like James Carville in '05 when he stated Democrats would come together behind one candidate to beat George W. Bush (in '06).
I don't believe that at all.
If conservatives get back to conservatism, they will win.
If people want libs, they will vote Demonrats.
At least they can trust them to be liberal.
We lost because we are getting tired of putting RINOS in office.
Talent and Allen were RINOs?
If anyone thinks a party can be a majority run by scaring voters into voting against the opposition, that person is a fool. One is also a fool if one doesn't believe the nomination of a RINO will do anything but convince millions to stay home, vote for a third-party candidate and/or result in a reduction donations and complete lack of enthusiasm for the party.
Perhaps there will be some acceptable 3rd party candidate and it won't be necessary to leave the Presidential box blank.
you want a good example of how many votes the base can produce, in a key state like Florida?
Bush 2004 Florida - 52%
Katherine Harris 2006 Florida - 38%
that 14% difference, those are republican minded independents and republicans not consumed with the social litmus test issues. you need them to win.
They weren't picked on because they were conservatives, they were picked on because people looked at GOP performance as a whole. They failed the test, not to mention the gaffe Allen had with the maccaca thing. Whatever that is.
A lot of it was also due to the Foley matter.
People in our own party were generally disgusted.
Here is part of what Fred had to say about the immigration issue while hosting the Paul Harvey show.
"I think its time for a little plain talk to the leaders of Mexico. Something like:
hey guys, youre our friends and neighbors and we love you but its time you had a little dose of reality. A sovereign nation loses that status if it cannot secure its own borders and we are going to do whatever is necessary to do so, although our policies wont be as harsh as yours are along your southern border. And criticizing the U.S. for alternately doing too much and too little to stop your illegal activities is not going to set too well with Americans of good will who are trying to figure a way out of the mess that your and our open borders policy has already created.
My friends, its also time for a little introspection. Since we all agree that improving Mexicos economy will help with the illegal-immigration problem, you might want to consider your own left-of -center policies. For example, nationalized industries are not known for enhancing economic growth. Just a thought. But heres something even more to the point that you might want to think about: What does it say about the leadership of a country when that countrys economy and politics are dependent upon the exportation of its own citizens?"
Well, you have a point, Hillary might actually be more conservative on a few of these issues:
Illegal immigration/Immigration
Immigration politics have similarly harmed New York. Former mayor Rudolph Giuliani sued all the way up to the Supreme Court to defend the citys sanctuary policy against a 1996 federal law decreeing that cities could not prohibit their employees from cooperating with the INS. Oh yeah? said Giuliani; just watch me. The INS, he claimed, with what turned out to be grotesque irony, only aims to terrorize people. Though he lost in court, he remained defiant to the end. On September 5, 2001, his handpicked charter-revision committee ruled that New York could still require that its employees keep immigration information confidential to preserve trust between immigrants and government. Six days later, several visa-overstayers participated in the most devastating attack on the city and the country in history.
New York conveniently forgot the 1996 federal ban on sanctuary laws until a gang of five Mexicansfour of them illegalabducted and brutally raped a 42-year-old mother of two near some railroad tracks in Queens. The NYPD had already arrested three of the illegal aliens numerous times for such crimes as assault, attempted robbery, criminal trespass, illegal gun possession, and drug offenses. The department had never notified the INS.
CNN clip:
Announcer: "Back in 1996, mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants."
Rudy Giuliani: "There isn't a mayor or a public official in this country that's more strongly pro immigrant than I am. Including disagreeing with President Clinton when he signed an anti-immigration legislation about two or three years ago."
The New York Immigrant Coalition Press Release, August, 1989:
Rudy would continue to make city services available to all immigrants, regardless of immigration status.
Prohibit city workers from reporting undocumented immigrants to the INS, unless criminal activity is involved .
Make sure that city workers understand what benefits immigrants are entitled to .
Encourage outreach to immigrant communities to encourage their utilization of city services .
Support the use of interpreters and translators in city government
Support bilingual and bicultural education with goals of learning fluent English and maintaining native language skills .
Oppose making English the official language of the U.S.
Support adding alienage to protected class under Citys Human rights Law.
Additionally, he has supported Bush's guest worker program.
Guns
CNN clip
Rudy Giuliani: "I'm in favor of gun control"
Meet The Press:
Tim Russert: "How about registration of all handguns?"
Rudy Giuliani: "You know I'm in favor of that. I've been on your show many times."
As mayor of New York City, Rudolph W. Giuliani became the favorite Republican of gun control advocates. He spoke in favor of a licensing system for gun owners that would require trigger locks and firearms training, and he lobbied Congress to outlaw most military-style assault weapons. He was the only Republican mayor to join a lawsuit by dozens of cities against the gun industry, and he complained that Southern states had lax gun laws that fed the illegal weapons trade in the Northeast.
Abortion
s mayor, Rudy Giuliani will uphold a woman's right of choice to have an abortion. Giuliani will fund all city programs which provide abortions to insure that no woman is deprived of her right due to an inability to pay. He will oppose reductions in state funding. He will oppose making abortion illegal. New York Times, August 4, 1989
On Partial Birth Abortion: Mr. Giuliani has said that New York State law should not be changed to outlaw the procedure. New York Times, January 7, 1998
Leaflets distributed by the Giuliani campaign .... said that he opposes restrictions to Federal Medicaid financing for abortions and opposes the Hyde Amendment, which is intended to deny support for that financing. New York Times, June 18, 1993.
"I never called for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade." Rudy Giuliani, New York Newsday, September 1, 1989
From the FEC database: 04/24/1999 Donations
NEW YORK STATE NARAL INC WOMEN'S HEALTH PAC
NARAL donated exclusively to Democrat candidates with one exception----Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani accepted $1,000 from NARAL in 1999.
NARAL gave $250 to Hillary Rodham Clinton.
NARAL gave $1000---4 times as much-----to pro-abortion Giuliani.
The homosexual agenda
Giuliani said homosexuality is "good and normal." quoting Ray Kerrison New York Post, July 7, 1989
According to the New York Times, Giuliani has attended every gay pride parade in New York during his eight years as mayor. In 1992, during his first run for mayor, Giuliani took part in a homosexual pride parade that included a contingent of pedophile activists marching behind a banner for NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love.
On Gay Domestic Partnership: "I have no objection to the concept of domestic partnership," said Rudy Giuliani on Informed Sources New York T.V. Show (PBS), May, 1992
n Gay-Rights/Gay Rights Bill: Giuliani favors extended civil-rights protection for gays and lesbians. Giuliani urged, by letter, to the New York Senate Majority Leader to pass the state's first ever gay rights bill, but did it privately. "I am writing to convey my support for the current legislation to prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians, and to urge you to allow the bill onto the floor of the Senate for prompt action." ".......It is my belief that we can penalize discrimination [against gays] without creating any potentially objectionable special privileges or preferential treatment." New York Post, June 5, 1993
Global Warming
"I do believe there's global warming, yes. The big question has always been how much of it is happening because of natural climate changes and how much of it is happening because of human intervention. The overwhelming number of scientists now believe that there is significant human cause." -- Rudolph Giuliani, Feb. 12, 2007.
Taxes
[Giuliani] says ruling out a tax increase is "political pandering." Newsday, August 31, 1989
School Choice
"He doesn't support tuition tax credits and vouchers." Sandra Feldman, President of N.Y.C. Teacher's Union, 1993
yeah sure, Thompson is going to solve the immigration problem by persuading Mexico to do something about it. Are you seriously telling me that Thompson is going to smash the Mexican oligarchy so their economy can produce internal jobs for their own people? tell us, how is he going to do that?
Did you see this? The evangelicals are getting it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1805268/posts
Reagan conservatism is the ONLY thing that gave the Republicans a majority in the past 50 years.
It was RINO, pro-abortion Republicans that primarily lost in the House in 2006 while socially-conservative Democrats were winning. Rick Santorum was beaten by a politician that claimed to be pro-life.
It's a lie, offensive and completely false that Republicans can't win elections on conservative platform that includes social conservatism, opposition to illegal immigration and gun rights.
If the GOP wants to sell out their base on these issues, it will cripple the Republican party. That's the surest way to guarantee a permanent minority status.
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