Here's a few pages...
Posted on 02/16/2007 1:58:44 PM PST by Spiff
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, has become the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination despite a personal life that his own staff once conceded opened him up to accusations of "weirdness".
A USA Today/Gallup poll gave Mr Giuliani a 16-point lead over his rival Senator John McCain and showed him trailing Hillary Clinton, the leading Democrat, by just a single percentage point.
But the extent of his task to persuade Americans he can lead them was underlined this week when a remarkable 450-page "vulnerability study", compiled by aides in 1993, emerged. His current advisers fear that his colourful past and his liberal social positions could scupper his candidacy.
The study listed all the former prosecutor's perceived weaknesses as part of a "tough and hard-hitting" assessment.
Mr Giuliani, who subsequently became a national hero as mayor of New York after the September 11 attacks, ordered all copies of the document to be destroyed. But it was obtained by a reporter working on a book about him and posted on the Smoking Gun website.
According to the document, chief among his problems as he sought re-election as mayor was that his "personal life raises questions about a "weirdness factor". This stemmed from a 14-year first marriage to his second cousin that was annulled by the Roman Catholic Church.
"When asked about his personal life, Giuliani gives a wide array of conflicting answers. All of this brings the soundness of his judgement into question - and the veracity of his answers."
Mr Giuliani, who has twice married subsequently, was also vulnerable to claims he avoided service in Vietnam by receiving "special treatment from a friendly federal judge" and later "hypocritically prosecuted draft dodgers".
In an interview with CNN's Larry King Live on Wednesday, Mr Giuliani conceded that there was lots of material with which the press and opponents could attack him. "The way I deal with that is, hey, I'm a human being," he said.
"You know, I made mistakes. I'm not perfect. I keep trying to learn from them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I keep working on that. I keep trying to learn from them. I'm a human being, much like, I think, everybody else." Mr Giuliani confirmed that he was in favour of abortion rights and against gun control - litmus-test issues for many conservatives - but emphasised that he personally hated abortion.
He would also "select judges who try to interpret the Constitution rather than invent it" - a notable reassurance to conservatives who fear presidents who use judicial appointments to engage in what many see as liberal social engineering via the courts. Whereas Democrats often reject a front runner during the party primaries, Republicans tend to coalesce around a leading candidate who they feel is electable by the broader populace. Mr Giuliani, 62, is vying to be that candidate in place of Mr McCain, 70, the early choice of the Republican establishment.
The document was the second to hand Mr Giuliani's White House rivals an arsenal of ammunition against him. Last month, a 140-page campaign battle plan setting out budgets, fundraising plans and details of possibly "insurmountable" problems with his candidacy was leaked to a New York tabloid.
Colourful past threatens Giuliani's lead
The Daily Telegraph
By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 2:04am GMT 16/02/2007
(((STOP RUDY PING)))
It's a sad day for the Republican party when these two are the front runners.
Ouch!
Don't worry, Mitt Romney's close behind, and unlike McCain and Rudy, he hasn't been a liberal for almost six months now.
LOL!!!
LOL... that picture of him in drag is gonna' be on every billboard in the nation.
sad but true. don't know whether to laugh or cry at the
Gelded Old Party.
Where's the pics of Rudy in drag?
That said, I'd have had more respect for Rudy if he'd completed ROTC, taken an Air Force commission and served his time.
Good thread post. The more time that passes the more the details of Rudy Giulaini's life history will be exposed to the public. Rudy must never become the GOP nominee.
Duncan Hunter, I'm tellin' ya! So far no dirt, and solidly conservative on all issues.
Rudy received special treatment from the Judge that he worked for. Look at what's in his own campaign document. His defense was that he joined ROTC and then he developed an ear ache. The term draft dodger came from his own campaign document.
If you're gonna continue to SPAM, please have the courtesy to post in a format that doesn't take ten screens to page through.
His boss could not issue a deferment, only his draft board could do that. I personally would not call a law clerk so essential an occupation as to justify a deferment, but apparently his draft board felt differently.
From your post I can assume that if Rudy is running versus Hillary you will either stay home or vote for Her!
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