Monday, June 12, 2006

McCain-Giuliani take on Clinton-Obama

Would former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani run for President?
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Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani: …Running for a major office is a difficult thing. The only reason you can do it well is if you have a real strong sense of purpose. So I think I have to--

McSweeney funder attendee: Do you have that?

Rudy Giuliani: Well, we’ll figure it out. We’ll decide in about six, eight, nine months from now [about running for President]. We’ll see how things are. I also learned that polls now don’t mean anything. They won’t even mean something a year from now. They’ll mean something two years from now and as you start getting close to an actual election. So, we’ll see how popular I am six, eight months from now.
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Rudy Giuliani, David McSweeney for Congress [8th CD] Fundraiser on June 7, 2006 at Mike Ditka’s Restaurant in Chicago.
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A number of Republicans dismiss Giuliani’s candidacy out of hand because of the trouble the conservative base would have digesting his pro-choice and pro gay rights views. Roosevelt University Professor and political pundit Paul Green says those views are “deal-busters.” See CBS 2 News’ video report, Giuliani, June 7, 2006 of Giuliani’s appearance at a fundraiser for 8th CD Republican nominee David McSweeney earlier this week at Mike Ditka’s restaurant, with comments from Green.

However, Green’s buddy and my good friend from the City Club of Chicago, Chairman Tom Roeser, writes glowingly [See here] of Giuliani’s charisma, after seeing and asking a question of him on immigration at the fundraiser. Roeser, one of the two or three Mr. Conservatives in Illinois, and perhaps Mr. Social Conservative in Illinois, essentially said last night, on the radio, that he was okay with Giuliani for President, notwithstanding his socially moderate views, if he thought that Giuliani would appoint good judges [ I suppose Tom meant judges who would not legislate, but who would construe the Constitution narrowly or strictly].

Moreover, it is not just style with Giuliani. The guy exudes leadership, as demonstrated on and after September 11, 2001. And, he did it again at the 2004 Republican Convention, along with Senator McCain [R-Az]. [See more about Giuliani, here]

Indeed, I asked Giuliani about McCain.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Mayor, how hard would it be for you to beat Senator McCain?

Rudy Giuliani: John McCain’s a good friend.


Jeff Berkowitz: Would you run against him?

Rudy Giuliani: I am going to have to think about that
and see what happens. Whether I run, whether he runs. But, John’s a very--

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think only one of you should run?

Rudy Giuliani: He’s a very good friend.
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Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, David McSweeney for Congress [8th CD] Fundraiser on June 7, 2006 at Mike Ditka’s Restaurant in Chicago.
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I think I get the idea. Rudy thinks of McCain as a very good friend and he doesn’t much like the idea of them running against each other for President.

McCain is clearly the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential election. Yes, he is a Senator and a maverick. For example, he does not support the Bush tax cuts, which is a little like an Evangelical who does not support the bible. But, he has been patching things up with conservatives, and keeping up with movement conservatives, in general.

Further, after McCain and Giuliani, the Republican Presidential field kind of thins out.

Former Governor and now Senator, George Allen [Va]? Yes, a Governor from a border state. But that is not enough. There are questions of whether he has the intellectual heft and it is unlikely he has a Cheney to lend him gravitas.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist [TN]? A relatively undistinguished record as Majority Leader. The image of a doctor who heals carried him for a while, but won't carry him to the Presidency.

Senator Chuck Hegel [NE] ? Nobody quite knows why this guy calls himself a Republican. He is quick to criticize everything and everyone Republican especially if the Republican happens to be the President-- which is why the national broadcast and cablecast media, except for Fox, love him so much and invite him so frequently to the Sunday morning talk shows. The Republican Party would probably nominate Maine’s liberal Bobsey Twins-- Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins-- before turning to Chuck. In other words, it will be a cold day in August in Chicago before the Republicans nominate Hegel for President.

Governor Mitt Romney [MA]? This guy is here, in part, because of the name Romney. Mitt’s dad, George, was going to run for President until he decided to explain away things by saying he had “been brainwashed,” on Vietnam. Strike 1. Mitt’s claim to fame is that he was elected Governor in liberal Massachusetts, the state that yes, brought us JFK, but of late, it has been Dukakis and Senator Ted Kennedy. Strike 2. I’m as tolerant as the next guy, but the nomination is not up to me. The guy is a Mormon running for President of the U. S. Strike 3.

Governor Jeb Bush [FL]. A Bush or a Clinton has been President since ’88. Hillary might be the one this year, having waited 8 years to follow Mr. Bill. Jeb doesn’t wait at all? That wouldn’t be a smart move, no matter how the war turns out.

Governor Huckabee [AK]. The guy is known for losing a great deal of weight and being Governor of the same state as Mr. Bill. I don’t think that quite cuts it for President.
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It doesn’t get prettier if we go further down the list. You can see what Rudy was trying to tell me. McCain- Giuliani. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

For the Democrats, it’s Clinton- Obama, with Hillary apologizing to her liberal Democratic base this fall for her support and vote for the War in September, 2002.

So, November, 2008, a referendum on the War, National Security and Defense. I don’t think I have to tell you who wins.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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