Giuliani Continues Offensive Against Democrats In N.C Appearance

(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.

Drawing from the first Democratic presidential debate the day before, Giuliani blasted his rivals for ignoring private sector solutions to health care and education.

"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."

I agree with his statements, especially the ones about schools. Why is it that children could quit school in the 8th grade, help out their family by finding work, and move up the ladder to financial security, 75-100 yrs ago? I never knew my dad quit school after 8th grade. I thought he had a college degree! Mom told me after he passed away. He was deeply ashamed that he didn’t have a HS diploma. Go figure.

Now, we continually throw good money after bad. You think that kind of money was spent on public school education back then? Why, why, why, are our children being cheated out of a basic three R’s education? Nevermind, I think I know the answer to that :/

Until Mitt, or McCrazy or even Fred Thompson start identifying DEMOCRATS as the problem as well as the terrorists, they will not gain ground on Rudy. Someone is advising him really well.

Your comment illustrates our main problem -- our guys don't fight.

Perhaps the most disheartening moment of the entire Bush Presidency was when he declined to defend his efforts on Katrina. I was in Mexico City on business that Sunday and I distinctly remember seeing the coverage and the President urging the Governor and Mayor to get the people out.

It never should have become his fault, but when he was unfairly attacked there was no counterattack. For that I don't blame the President so much -- he has to be Presidential -- but neither the Veep nor Congressional Republicans engaged the false attacks.

I understand that the Bushes have class and don't want to be political in a disaster. That doesn't stop the 'rats, though. The 'rats fight dirty and we're supposed to abide by the rules -- that isn't working.

I'm tired of being on the defense since the levees broke. We need to go on the attack!!

I’m still skeptical that Rudy can beat Hillary. Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. She probably will beat him in New York, which could be disastrous. I still think we should be offering voters a much starker choice than the liberal Hillary vs. the liberalish (on many things) Rudy

The pro's, like Michael Barone, point out that Rudy, unlike any other potential GOP candidate, puts every state in play. That means he has the potential for extraordinary coat-tails. I would like to elect a thoroughbred conservative myself but there seems to be a dearth of electable ones running. If one were actually serious about tackling 2008 from a conservative standpoint, the strategy might best be, first, get over 2006; then recruit good conservative Congressional candidates who could well ride into office on a Rudy win. Join with Pat Toomey and others who seek to replace the rinos with conservatives.

Or, I suppose we could all spend the next year and a half pissing and moaning about how awful it all is.

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