Sept. 10, 2007, 12:38AM
Giuliani stops in Houston for coffee and support
GOP presidential hopeful talks immigration and Sept. 11

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 20441.html
By CAROLYN FEIBEL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle


Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani swept through a Houston brunch spot Sunday morning, greeting diners and sipping black coffee before heading off to the Texans game and private fundraising events.

The half-hour visit to the Buffalo Grille on Bissonnet by the front-running GOP candidate caught many diners by surprise.

After signing autographs and posing for photos, Giuliani spoke briefly to reporters about immigration, al-Qaida and Tuesday's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

"On the sixth anniversary, I'll think about it more," the former New York City mayor said, "but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it three or four times a day."

"I've always described it as the worse day of my life and the most inspirational day," he added.

The terror attacks — and his handling of the aftermath — are key to Giuliani's national stature. Indeed, customers at the Buffalo Grille cited 9/11 as their foremost reason for supporting him.

"He can handle important issues and tragedy," said Marilyn Ellington, a government teacher in Missouri City. "He has a cool head in strained times. He's proved himself."

Ellington said she was still undecided about who would get her vote, but found herself impressed by Giuliani's energy.

"He has intestinal fortitude — what we used to call guts," said Robert Toth, a securities broker who has donated to Giuliani's campaign. The former New York City mayor has raised more than $3.5 million in Texas this year.

"His stance on terror is what really attracts me to him," said Ken Warren of Sugar Land. "That's what we need, somebody who's strong."

But, Warren added, Giuliani was not strong enough on illegal immigration.


Immigration comments
Giuliani said Friday in a CNN interview that illegal immigration is not a crime, and that deportations are civil, rather than criminal, proceedings.

The statement started a political dust-up with his Republican rival Mitt Romney.

"It's not for me to decide," Giuliani said Sunday. "It's Congress that has made illegal immigration not a crime."

Giuliani added that he supported more legal immigration, and the construction of a "technological fence" and the use of a tamper-proof ID card for border crossings.

"It makes no sense at all to allow people to come in unidentified," he said.

Janiece Ferguson, a board member with Texans for Immigration Reform, was unhappy with the answers. "He waffles. I don't know if it's really clear," she said.

"Houston is not doing well because of (illegal immigration)," Ferguson added. She wants a wall built right away along the Texas border.

Giuliani also said he would consider "every option" to capture Osama Bin Laden, but didn't offer specifics.

carolyn.feibel@chron.com