Posted on 03/18/2007 7:56:40 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
TAMPA, Fla. - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Sunday defended his law firm's role in representing Citgo Petroleum Corp., which is ultimately controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying it was helping protect American jobs.
Giuliani acknowledged though, that his opponents will try to exploit the news that a lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani of Houston has been representing Citgo before the Texas legislature.
The firm has had a contract with Citgo since before Giuliani joined it.
"Oh, they'll exploit everything," Giuliani said in an interview. "There are things that make sense and things that don't make sense and that doesn't make any sense. It was one of those political attacks where you have nothing to do with it, you're not involved in it and so it doesn't really worry you very much. What they're doing is lawful and honorable and helping to protect jobs for more than 100,000 Americans."
Although Citgo Petroleum is a U.S.-based company, it was bought in 1990 by Petroleos de Venezuela, the national oil company of Venezuela. It employs 4,000 people in Texas and other states, and Giuliani said indirectly more than 100,000 people have jobs because of the company.
Chavez has been an outspoken critic of President Bush and is close to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Because of that, Citgo has become unpopular with some Americans.
Giuliani was in Florida raising money at a New York Yankees spring training game. After the fundraiser, the former New York mayor watched the game from a front row seat directly behind Yankees manager Joe Torre. He discussed Chavez during the game, saying he is one of the reasons why the United States needs to develop alternative fuels and become energy independent.
"As the president I would make that my number one priority, the way Eisenhower and Kennedy made getting to the moon the number one priority of the American government. It has to consume a tremendous amount of our attention," Giuliani said.
If the country had done so in the 1970s, the nation would be more secure now, he said.
He called Chavez dangerous and said the United States needs to use concerns about him to build relations with Latin American countries.
"We've got to learn how to play Chavez. There's a lot of concern in America about Chavez; there's even more concern in South America. We have to sort of use that to bring them to the United States," he said.
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EXETER, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain (news, bio, voting record) on Sunday questioned whether Democrats who oppose sending more American troops to Iraq truly support those who already are there.
"To say that 'we support the troops but don't believe your mission will succeed, it's doomed to fail, we don't want you to go,' is not exactly the most supportive statement," the Arizona senator said in defending his own strong support for the war.
Instead of proposing nearly two dozen proposals to end the war, Democrats should give President Bush's new strategy a chance, he told several hundred people at the Exeter Town Hall.
"To set a date for withdrawal is in my view, to say to enemy, 'Hey, we're leaving on a certain date, just hang on and we'll go,'" he said.
Yet in response to another question, McCain decried the partisan bickering so common in Washington.
"If we want to young people to serve in office, we'd better stop impugning each other's integrity and patriotism just because we happen to disagree," he said, promising that he would reach out to Democrats if elected to save Social Security, reform Medicare and solve other looming problems.
Another audience member raised concerns that McCain's support for the troop increase could hurt his campaign.
"With your support of staying in Iraq with a new direction, how do you propose to combat the constant drumbeat from the media and the other side of the aisle about pulling out of Iraq?" McCain was asked.
McCain gestured to an audience member whose son was killed in Iraq, saying that man's sacrifice made the political ramifications irrelevant.
"How could I allow any political ambition of mine to interfere with what I think is right for the country?" he said.
___
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential hopeful, attended a fundraiser in Oklahoma City Sunday and said the Sooner State's February primary election will play a key role in determining the Democratic nominee in 2008.
"Oklahoma, you're on Feb. 5. You're one of the crucial early primaries," Richardson said during the private fundraiser at the home of Oklahoma City attorney Sid Musser. "Oklahoma may decide the Democratic nominee, and I'm delighted to be here."
Wearing cowboy boots with his blazer and tie, the 59-year-old Richardson touted his political and foreign policy experience and said he wasn't ready to cede the nomination to other candidates he said had been "anointed" by national political pundits.
"I'm not a rock star, but I'm a solid candidate with the best credentials, and I'm going to outwork everybody," said Richardson, who switched effortlessly to Spanish when answering questions from reporters from local Spanish-language media outlets.
He criticized what he said was the federal government's failure to address the issue of illegal immigration and said he would focus on increasing border security, improving relations with Mexico and punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants.
He also said he supports some path to legalization for the millions of illegals already living in the United States if they learn to speak English, pay back taxes, pass a background check and "embrace American values."
Richardson said his experience separates him from other Democratic candidates, and should help him move up in the polls.
"I'm a candidate who is moving up in the polls. I'm not way up there yet, but I'm moving," Richardson said. "The American people and the people of New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina are going to decide who wins the Democratic nomination, not necessarily the national press in Washington, D.C."
___
DENVER (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) told supporters at a Colorado fundraiser Sunday that his lack of experience in Washington is not necessarily a bad thing.
"When you say I don't have enough experience, what you really mean is that I haven't been in Washington long enough," he said in what has become a familiar refrain at campaign stops. "I've been in Washington long enough to know Washington needs to change."
He appealed for supporters to get out the vote and for help with fundraising, telling them "this campaign is a vehicle for your hopes and dreams."
Campaign officials said they did not know how much Obama raised at the fundraiser.
___
Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in New Hampshire, Sean Murphy in Oklahoma and Steven K. Paulson in Colorado contributed to this story.
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, decked out in New York Yankees gear, goes out to catch the first pitch thrown by Randy Maris, Yankees' great Roger Maris' son, before the Yankees faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training baseball game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, March 18, 2007. Giiuliani attended a fund-raising event held at the stadium. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Well, if he is ever in a position to pass a McCain-Feingold II, that pesky 1st Amendment will be junked and we won't be bothered with any more anti-Giuliani facts being brought out.
After that they'll be illegal "spam".
??? I thought you were supposed to hit the ball when it is pitched. Don't most celebrities throw the first pitch? Was Rudy too embarrassed cuz he throws like a girl? Inquiring minds want to know. ;-)
(((((RUDY PING))))
!!!!
Can one of you Rudybots remind me why you think Giuliani is best for this country? And please don't tell me he's better than Hillary...I'm not so sure of that one anymore. At least Hillary doesn't work for Chavez.
“Giuliani acknowledged though, that his opponents will try to exploit the news that a lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani of Houston has been representing Citgo before the Texas legislature.Yep, the world of politics... the enemy will use anything to undermine Rudy's chances of winning, and I don't mean just Democrats, lol - because they can see the writing on the wall.The firm has had a contract with Citgo since before Giuliani joined it.
"Oh, they'll exploit everything," Giuliani said in an interview. "There are things that make sense and things that don't make sense and that doesn't make any sense. It was one of those political attacks where you have nothing to do with it, you're not involved in it and so it doesn't really worry you very much. What they're doing is lawful and honorable and helping to protect jobs for more than 100,000 Americans."
Although Citgo Petroleum is a U.S.-based company, it was bought in 1990 by Petroleos de Venezuela, the national oil company of Venezuela. It employs 4,000 people in Texas and other states, and Giuliani said indirectly more than 100,000 people have jobs because of the company.
btt
The Citgo attacks by the DU trolls here remind me of the Halliburton attacks Democrats like Begala make on Cheney.
One of Halliburton's subsidiaries did business in Iraq during the 1990s, so Democrats play a stupid game of connect-the-dots and argue Cheney sympathized with Saddam Hussein.
This is the same silly style of reasoning the 911 truthers use. Of course, like Rudy, Cheney is no fan of dictators and is a big reason why, well, Saddam Hussein is DEAD today.
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