Thread: Giuliani to examine chances for '08

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Giuliani to examine chances for '08
Former mayor tells Iowa crowd he has itch to run for office again

BY GLENN THRUSH
Newsday Washington Bureau

May 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Rudolph Giuliani emerged from political hibernation Monday, telling an Iowa audience he's got the itch for public office -- and musing aloud about his White House chances.

The former New York City mayor, a Republican whose pro-choice and gay-rights beliefs put him at odds with the GOP's conservative base, urged his party to avoid divisive issues like abortion. He also threw his support behind a guest worker program backed by his friend Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

McCain, who runs a close second to Giuliani in most presidential polls, visited the politically crucial caucus state last month.

"I am interested in public service again," Giuliani said after a Des Moines fundraiser for Jeff Lamberti, a Republican candidate for Congress.

"My effort this year will be to help Republicans get elected," he added. "And, quite honestly, a part of it also is saying to myself 'Does it look like I have a chance in 2008?' ... I've got a lot of places to go and a lot of people to talk to and a long process to go through to see if it makes sense for me to run for president in 2008."

Giuliani was also scheduled to attend a fundraiser last night in Davenport and is expected to raise about $25,000 for Rep. Jim Nussle, who is running for governor.

Wednesday, he flies to Washington to appear at a fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is low on cash. Then, on May 18, he heads to Atlanta to raise money for embattled former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, who is running for Georgia lieutenant governor.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Giuliani, in another nod to the party's moderate wing, signaled support for McCain's immigration bill. The legislation, which has stalled in the Senate, would provide a path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for at least two years.

Like his one-time Senate foe Hillary Rodham Clinton, Giuliani scorned a House measure that would make it a violation of federal criminal code for undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. Currently, it's a violation of immigration law.

"If you were to pass a law making everybody who is here ... illegally a criminal with a penalty of five years in jail, we would become a much more insecure country," he said. "You drive them farther underground, you push them more toward criminal activity."

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-G ... -Iowa.html

May 1, 2006
Giuliani Says GOP Open to Diverse Views
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 11:32 p.m. ET

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Raising money for local Republicans even as he ponders his own political future, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Monday that Republicans must increasingly be ''a big party'' that accepts divergent views.

Giuliani said that broad-brush themes, like limited government, ought to define the Republican Party -- not hot-button social issues like abortion and gay rights.

''The major thing that we organize around as Republicans is government that puts more reliance on people than government,'' Giuliani said. ''They (Democrats) tend to think of government solutions as most of the answers.''

Giuliani was in Iowa to raise money for Jeff Lamberti, a Republican candidate for Congress, and Rep. Jim Nussle, who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for governor.

Giuliani was also clear he's considering his own future ambitions.

''I am interested in public service again,'' he said. ''My effort this year will be to help Republicans get elected and, quite honestly, a part of it also is saying to myself 'Does it look like I have a chance in 2008?'''

Some strategists believe Giuliani will face significant hurdles in Republican politics because he supports abortion rights and favors tough gun control laws, views that contrast those held by many core Republican voters.

Giuliani is working hard to counter that notion by helping other Republicans get elected, while reaching out to conservatives to ease their concerns.

''I've got a lot of places to go and a lot of people to talk to and a long process to go through to see if it makes sense for me to run for president in 2008,'' Giuliani said.

Iowa Republican Chairman Ray Hoffman, of Sioux City, declined to handicap Giuliani's outlook in a state where the conservative wing of the party is dominant.

''I hope to really be able to talk to him at some point and say where do you stand on gun control, where do stand on this, where do you stand on that,'' Hoffman said. ''I haven't done that yet.''

Meeting with reporters, Giuliani took an immigration stance likely to cause heartburn with GOP conservatives -- arguing for a pragmatic approach that both toughens border security but also sets up a mechanism for illegal aliens to earn citizenship.

''If you try to deal with it through either extreme, I think you would make a terrible mistake,'' Giuliani said. ''If you were to pass a law making everybody who is here, allegedly, illegally a criminal with a penalty of five years in jail, we would become a much more insecure country. You drive them farther underground, you push them more toward criminal activity.''

Giuliani's swing through Iowa was lucrative. He raised $40,000 for Lamberti's bid to oust Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell, and later raised $25,000 for Nussle.

People, I will admit here as I am sure there are many many other republicans, this cannot happen! I will be the first to say Giuliani proved he was a stand up Mayor (unlike some other mayor's out there)heroic even, but Rudy is no more conservative then Hillary is. He is pro everything and you can bet he is pro-illegal. We have got to come up with a strong candidate for the next presidential election, Tancrado, sheesh, i hope I am spelling his name right and maybe Jim Gilchrist as his vice president.If we have another 4 yrs after Bush with someone who is pro-illegal immigrant , I am not sure what can be done for our country, we will be a country without borders, we will be doing jobs for the illegals lol not really funny could be true. I have tried to be an optimistic sort of person all my life, it is getting harder and harder. My mom watched the news and said we better get ready the rapture is coming, I use to laugh to myself about that (never to her face God bless her)I am no longer laughing

I agree nitty, I was impressed with how he handled NYC during and after 9/11, but other than that he has some liberal views I do not agree with, I do not think I would vote for him to be president.