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Posted on 03/21/2007 1:43:43 AM PDT by FairOpinion
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited The Players Course at Craig Ranch in McKinney on Tuesday for a golf tournament designed to raise money for his presidential exploratory committee.
Giuliani, who has not officially announced he will be a candidate, has recently become the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2008, according to most polls.
About 80 people paid up to $2,300 to play golf with Giuliani.
The mayor who saw New York City residents through the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center said he could bring leadership to the Republican Party in Texas. He talked to reporters before he spoke at a luncheon at The Player's Course at Craig Ranch.
“I'd ask them to look back over my record as mayor of New York City, where I took over a city that was in pretty bad condition: crime capital of America. We turned it into the safest largest city in America, and we were the welfare capital of America,” Giuliani said.
“We have the best welfare to work program in the country with 660,000 people off welfare. A lot of them are into much more productive lives,” Giuliani said.
He also said New York City was able to take a deficit of $2.2 billion and turn it into a multibillion-dollar surplus, provide fiscal leadership, lower taxes and give people more of a chance of having more control over their own lives. He said those are just some things he can offer to Texas Republicans and throughout the nation.
Giuliani also said the United States has to remain on offense against terrorism, and citizens cannot be discouraged about problems with the war in Iraq.
“We can't let some of the difficulties drag us down. We have to have a vision for the future. A vision of the future is a world that is peaceful, and we don't want war. We want peace, and to achieve peace we have to be strong,” Giuliani said.
He credits the late President Ronald Reagan for teaching Americans that they have to be strong to achieve peace.
“Peace comes through strength and remaining on offense against terrorists. Not becoming discourages and doing the kinds of things the Democrats are doing right now, which is talking what I would consider defeatist language and going back on offense. They want to take us back to defense, and we should be on offense,” Giuliani said.
He also credits President Bush with doing the “right thing” by putting the country on the offensive against terrorists rather than taking a defensive approach.
“Thank God he's kept us safe. I think this election is obviously going to be about who the candidates are and our visions for the future and everybody is their own person and has a different vision for the future,” Giuliani said.
“My vision for the future is much, much stronger economy, having better education and energy independent, which is something we have to look at and we should be in a situation where we don't see money going to adversaries of the United States,” Giuliani said.
When asked if he would, as president, commit U.S. troops to Iran, Giuliani said the terrorist war against the United States is much greater than Iraq, and Iran may potentially be more dangerous than Iraq and other places on which the nation is spending more time.
“You have to be multi-focused, and Iran is an important situation for us. The idea of them becoming a nuclear power is an idea that we can just not allow to happen, and we have to use every bit of pressure that we can bring to bear, every bit of persuasion that we can bring to bear. And the Iranians need to know that although America doesn't like to use military force and it's not something we like to do unless we have to, and that's an option that would be utilized if it should ever get to the point that they're about to become a nuclear power,” Giuliani said.
“That would be an unacceptable danger for us to have in the world. I think the clearer they are and if we can be stronger than them, then the better chance we have of being able to achieve through negotiations of pressure,” Giuliani said.
Guests paid at least $500 to hear Giuliani speak at the luncheon, which was closed to the media. He played golf prior to the luncheon; guests paid $2,300 to play golf with him and have their picture taken with him.
He also has a record of turning NY City around, when everyone said it couldn't be done.
Discussion of Rudy's speech with lost of good quotes.
Giuliani holds fundraiser in Dallas
Former U.S. attorney and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told political supporters at a fundraising stop in Texas that he would continue the fight against terrorism and never give up until the "job is done" if elected president.
"We have to capture (Osama) bin Laden and bring him to justice and we have to get the job done," he told a crowd of about 700 who attended his outdoor speech at the American Airlines Center Plaza near downtown Dallas.
"This war is because they are planning to come here and kill us," he said. "Until then we will be on offense. No more defense against terrorists. We will be on offense."
The event was billed as the first campaign event by the Rudy W. Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee in Texas. The committee includes some wealthy Texas backers, including billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas.
Note that Pete Sessions -- another genuine conservative -- is not only supporting Rudy, but is on his Presidential Exploratory Committee.
"Giuliani's legacy has earned the endorsements of such screaming liberals as President Bush's former solicitor general, Ted Olson and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, both proud owners of 100 percent ratings from the National Right to Life Committee."
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"Guliani says he's a leader".
That's true. He's a liberal leader.
Fair enough Rudy. But I won't be convinced until you have the moxy to speak about your negatives as well (2nd Amendment, immigration, abortion, etc.).
If you have the guts to stick with your record, then at least you'll be honest.
Rino Rudy will only lead to the left.
I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights, Giuliani said. He was then asked whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions. “No, I have not supported that, and I don’t see my position on that changing,” he responded. Source: CNN.com, “Inside Politics” Dec 2, 1999 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Rudy_Giuliani_Abortion.htm
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES (November 14, 2006)
RUDY GIULIANI (R), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I'm pro- choice. I'm pro-gay rights.KING: Giuliani supports a woman's right to an abortion, and back in 1999, he opposed a federal ban on late-term abortions.
GIULIANI: No, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing.
KING: Immigration could be another presidential landmine. Back in 1996, Mayor Giuliani went to federal court to challenge new federal laws requiring the city to inform the federal government about illegal immigrants.
JEFFREY: He took the side of illegal immigrants in New York City against the Republican Congress.
KING: Giuliani opposes same-sex marriage but as mayor, he supported civil unions and extending health and other benefits to gay couples. He also supported the assault weapons ban and other gun control measures opposed by the National Rifle Association.
GIULIANI: I'm in favor of gun control. I'm pro-choice.
Republican Big-Wigs Support Pro-Abortion Event in NY
Pro-abortion Governor George Pataki and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also supports unrestricted abortion, are co-chairs of the 2000 Choice Award Presentation to be held on May 30 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The event is sponsored by the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, a group that is campaigning for the removal of the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform.
http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200503010743.asp
I thought this little detail was resolved quite some time ago?
Giuliani IS a leader.
He is a leader in the attack on the 2nd Amendment. He is a leader for the abortion industry. He is a leader in the gay rights movement.
We don't question Rudy's leadership ability. We question the DIRECTION of his leadership.
"Giuliani's legacy has earned the endorsements of such screaming liberals as President Bush's former solicitor general, Ted Olson....."
FO, you've done this before, using Olson's endorsement of St Rudy as some sort of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
FYI, here's what else 'uber' conservative Ted has done ....
Contributions:
Ted Olson, US Solicitor General 2001-04; attorney
$69,200 Republican, $700 Democrat, $8,000 special interestSPECTER, ARLEN (R)Senate - PA $500
SPECTER, ARLEN (R)Senate - PA $500
MARTINEZ, MEL (R)Senate - FL $2000
MARTINEZ, MEL (R)Senate - FL $500
SPECTER, ARLEN (R)Senate - PA $500
BREAUX, JOHN B (D) Senate - LA $200
DURKIN, JOHN ANTHONY (D) Senate - NH $500
There's a long list of whom Ted has given money to and some I don't know of, could be flaming RINO's. And FYI Olson has always financially backed Rudy, so this isn't new ground for Ted. But from the list I posted I sure wouldn't say it's ringing endorsement of Olsen's 'conservatism'. Like ole Arlen and Open Borders Mel.
Point being, Ted Olson DOESN'T walk on water.
Now you've done it! You have touched the third rail in Rudy's campaign track, pointing out that Ted Olson is not a perfect conservative. You can expect to be savaged by Rudybot attack dogs.
Okay, enough with the politics. How's his golf game? And does he do a Clinton on the course -- i.e., cheat?
As opposed to Rudy, right?
I hope so, that was my point. I came across that site a couple weeks back and saw all of Ted's contributions. I was like 'WTF, over'? Alren, Open Borders Mel, Rudy going back forever and even some Dems. Some uber conservative.
Not that it surprised me. A couple years back I caught Olson on some PBS Panel show regarding the Constitution. Olson wasn't exactly 'strong' on the 2nd Amendment in his comments.
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