I hope he answers the "gun control" questions soon, I'd hate to be left hanging while Rudy the RINO runs - and it's really good to see they're nervous about Rudy the Rino and his "gun control" opinions.
DES MOINES, May 1 ? Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani visited the politically important state of Iowa today for the first time since 2004, campaigning for Republican candidates and huddling with strategists from President Bush's re-election campaign as he mulls running for president in 2008.
While Mr. Giuliani's advisers have been laying the groundwork for such a presidential bid, he has been coy about his intentions, committing himself only to helping Republicans keep control of Congress in November. But his trip to Iowa came very close to real politicking, as Mr. Giuliani ruminated about the presidency and argued that if Republicans are to be a majority party, they need to accept politicians, like Mr. Giuliani, who support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control.
"I've got a lot of places to go and a lot of people to talk to and a long process of figuring out whether it makes sense to run for president in 2008," Mr. Giuliani said before speaking at a fund-raiser here for a Republican Congressional candidate. "I don't know the answer to that yet."
He added: "My effort this year will be to help Republicans get elected, and then, quite honestly, as part of it, saying to myself, does it look like I have a chance in 2008? And make that decision after the 2006 election."
At a news conference after the fund-raiser, which was closed to reporters, Mr. Giuliani said he did not think his moderate views on social issues would hurt his chances in the presidential sweepstakes in places that are less liberal than New York City.
"The party's a big party, and I fit in to the party real well over the last 10, 15 years," he said.
For the most part, Mr. Giuliani said, his views were in the mainstream with the party faithful in Iowa and nationally, noting that he favored lower taxes, free trade, smaller government programs and a strong military.
"We then have a party that has disagreements on issues that have to do with religion and what you call social issues," he said. "But it's a party that has room for Arnold Schwarzenegger and me, and a party that has room for people who have different views on that. The more we grow like that, the more of a chance we're going to have to be a majority party."
Mr. Giuliani also acknowledged that his personal popularity ? burnished by his leadership of New York on and after Sept. 11, 2001 ? did not guarantee that Iowa voters would support him in the January 2008 caucuses.
"I do understand that there is a difference between popularity, and then, you know, does that convert itself into somebody voting for you in a caucus, primary, an election," he said. Still, he noted, "it's always nicer when people cheer for you than when they boo you."
Mr. Giuliani looked hale and cheerful as he faced reporters from Iowa, New York and Washington after his first fund-raiser, and he rather politely parried questions about his plans for 2008. As Iowa news television cameras rolled, he showed a local touch, noting Iowa's problems with methamphetamines (which was a concern of Iowa caucus-goers in 2004), and joked that there was more balance between Republicans and Democrats in Iowa than in New York.
Mr. Giuliani also endorsed "appropriate levels" of federal subsidies for farmers and particularly aligned himself with government support for ethanol, an alternative fuel made from corn that is a prized issue here.
Before the fund-raiser, Mr. Giuliani met with several Iowa Republican leaders who have been players in past presidential caucuses ? among them David M. Roederer, the chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, and former Gov. Terry E. Branstad.
In an interview, Mr. Roederer said that a Giuliani presidential bid "would find a very receptive audience in Iowa." While some Republicans would oppose Mr. Giuliani over social issues, Mr. Roederer said, other, more moderate Republicans might come out of the woodwork and attend the caucuses for the first time to support him because of his brand of politics and his leadership during 9/11. More than 610,000 Iowans are registered Republicans, Mr. Roederer said, but only about 110,000 typically vote in the caucuses.
"The larger the turnout, the less impact the social issues will have," he said.
Ray Hoffmann, the chairman of the state Republican Party, who met Mr. Giuliani for the first time today, said he was adopting a "wait and see" position on whether such issues as abortion rights and gun control could jeopardize a Giuliani candidacy in Iowa.
"Initially, he's got this stardom, this superstar-type thing," Mr. Hoffmann said. "Down the road there's going to be the tough questions, the questions on abortion, on gun control, on all those kind of things. He has to answer those things. He will do that, and then people will decide how they're going to vote."
Mr. Giuliani's political schedule has been busier than usual in recent weeks: He played host at a cocktail party on Sunday night for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and he helped raise money last month for Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who faces a tough re-election battle this year. He will attend an event for Senate Republicans in Washington tomorrow, and plans to visit another Midwestern political powerhouse state, Michigan, to help candidates there this month.
DES MOINES, May 1 ? Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani visited the politically important state of Iowa today for the first time since 2004, campaigning for Republican candidates and huddling with strategists from President Bush's re-election campaign as he mulls running for president in 2008.
While Mr. Giuliani's advisers have been laying the groundwork for such a presidential bid, he has been coy about his intentions, committing himself only to helping Republicans keep control of Congress in November. But his trip to Iowa came very close to real politicking, as Mr. Giuliani ruminated about the presidency and argued that if Republicans are to be a majority party, they need to accept politicians, like Mr. Giuliani, who support for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control.
"I've got a lot of places to go and a lot of people to talk to and a long process of figuring out whether it makes sense to run for president in 2008," Mr. Giuliani said before speaking at a fund-raiser here for a Republican Congressional candidate. "I don't know the answer to that yet."
He added: "My effort this year will be to help Republicans get elected, and then, quite honestly, as part of it, saying to myself, does it look like I have a chance in 2008? And make that decision after the 2006 election."
At a news conference after the fund-raiser, which was closed to reporters, Mr. Giuliani said he did not think his moderate views on social issues would hurt his chances in the presidential sweepstakes in places that are less liberal than New York City.
"The party's a big party, and I fit in to the party real well over the last 10, 15 years," he said.
For the most part, Mr. Giuliani said, his views were in the mainstream with the party faithful in Iowa and nationally, noting that he favored lower taxes, free trade, smaller government programs and a strong military.
"We then have a party that has disagreements on issues that have to do with religion and what you call social issues," he said. "But it's a party that has room for Arnold Schwarzenegger and me, and a party that has room for people who have different views on that. The more we grow like that, the more of a chance we're going to have to be a majority party."
Mr. Giuliani also acknowledged that his personal popularity ? burnished by his leadership of New York on and after Sept. 11, 2001 ? did not guarantee that Iowa voters would support him in the January 2008 caucuses.
"I do understand that there is a difference between popularity, and then, you know, does that convert itself into somebody voting for you in a caucus, primary, an election," he said. Still, he noted, "it's always nicer when people cheer for you than when they boo you."
Mr. Giuliani looked hale and cheerful as he faced reporters from Iowa, New York and Washington after his first fund-raiser, and he rather politely parried questions about his plans for 2008. As Iowa news television cameras rolled, he showed a local touch, noting Iowa's problems with methamphetamines (which was a concern of Iowa caucus-goers in 2004), and joked that there was more balance between Republicans and Democrats in Iowa than in New York.
Mr. Giuliani also endorsed "appropriate levels" of federal subsidies for farmers and particularly aligned himself with government support for ethanol, an alternative fuel made from corn that is a prized issue here.
Before the fund-raiser, Mr. Giuliani met with several Iowa Republican leaders who have been players in past presidential caucuses ? among them David M. Roederer, the chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, and former Gov. Terry E. Branstad.
In an interview, Mr. Roederer said that a Giuliani presidential bid "would find a very receptive audience in Iowa." While some Republicans would oppose Mr. Giuliani over social issues, Mr. Roederer said, other, more moderate Republicans might come out of the woodwork and attend the caucuses for the first time to support him because of his brand of politics and his leadership during 9/11. More than 610,000 Iowans are registered Republicans, Mr. Roederer said, but only about 110,000 typically vote in the caucuses.
"The larger the turnout, the less impact the social issues will have," he said.
Ray Hoffmann, the chairman of the state Republican Party, who met Mr. Giuliani for the first time today, said he was adopting a "wait and see" position on whether such issues as abortion rights and gun control could jeopardize a Giuliani candidacy in Iowa.
"Initially, he's got this stardom, this superstar-type thing," Mr. Hoffmann said. "Down the road there's going to be the tough questions, the questions on abortion, on gun control, on all those kind of things. He has to answer those things. He will do that, and then people will decide how they're going to vote."
Mr. Giuliani's political schedule has been busier than usual in recent weeks: He played host at a cocktail party on Sunday night for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and he helped raise money last month for Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who faces a tough re-election battle this year. He will attend an event for Senate Republicans in Washington tomorrow, and plans to visit another Midwestern political powerhouse state, Michigan, to help candidates there this month.
