Free Republic

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is backing the renewal of a $250 million-a-year program that will pay illegal immigrants’ hospital bills. The very idea that McCain is again supporting a program that some view as rewarding illegal immigrants is certain to attract attention from the same conservatives he’s trying to win over for the White House. The measure, which would reimburse hospitals for the cost of treating illegal immigrants, has broad support from both parties, including from some immigration hardliners and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). Even some of McCain’s toughest critics on immigration admit...

By Amanda Carpenter Thursday, May 8, 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama flatly promised to raise taxes in a television interview Thursday afternoon. “I will raise CEO taxes,” Obama told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.” “If you’re a CEO in this country you’ll probably pay more taxes,” Obama said. Obama speculated his CEO tax rates “won’t be prohibitively high, you’ll pay roughly what you did in the 90’s when they were doing fine.” Obama also said he would eliminate the Bush tax cuts and install what he called a “middle class tax cut.” Blitzer asked Obama to define...

It won't matter how high Ron Paul finishes in the Iowa caucuses this Thursday or in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 8 or anywhere else. He's already won his prize.... In April, shortly after he announced he'd run for president, Paul told the Trib that his goal -- besides winning, of course -- was to make an impact on the race and to spread his ideas about maximizing freedom, limiting the federal government and practicing nonintervention overseas.... Though his presence at the debates has shown what a bunch of unprincipled, flip-flopping, war-loving, faux conservatives Messrs. Romney, Giuliani, Huckabee and McCain...

Would Rudy Be Good for the Courts? Well, Meese was good for the courts, and Giuliani didn’t think much of him. By Robert Alt After a disappointing performance in the first Republican presidential debate, Rudy Giuliani walked away from last night’s debate as the clear winner. Not only did he play to his strengths, reclaiming the mantle of America’s mayor by shaming Ron Paul for his “blame America first” comments, but he finally appears to have settled on a more politically palatable answer to the abortion question by emphasizing a reduction in the frequency of abortions. (An answer which, by...

Here is vintage Fred Thompson giving his thoughts on the latest version of "Hillary Care" in a new video reminiscent of his Michael Moore slapdown...............

In light of what he said today, is there any doubt this man is unfit for office?

Rudy is the new straight talker. No doubt about it. From the NY Post: Giuliani made his sharpest case for moving beyond social issues this weekend in Iowa, telling The Des Moines Register, “Our party is going to grow, and we are going to win in 2008 if we are a party characterized by what we’re for, not if we’re a party that’s known for what we’re against.” Asked about abortion, he said, “Our party has to get beyond issues like that.” The GOP and the modern conservative movement have always prided themselves on being the idea people. Rudy wants...

When Rudolph Giuliani first ran for mayor of New York in 1989, he made a critical mistake. Assuming that he'd be running against the blue-collar, socially conservative Democrat Ed Koch, Giuliani cast himself as a liberal. Playing against his tough-guy image, he spent his first months on the campaign trail talking about the victims of homelessness and AIDS and drug abuse, causes that united elite liberals and poor minority voters while leaving the city's shrinking middle class cold. The prosecutor who brought down mob boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno and Wall Street renegade Ivan Boesky tried to reinvent himself as...

In a move to increase its relevance in the presidential selection process, the Golden State is set to jump up its primary from June of 2008 to February 5th, less than a year away. This may benefit New York's presidential aspirants, and especially its Republican one. Last week I noted Giuliani's electric support at the California Republican Party convention. A recent poll has resoundingly brought forth the same message. This morning, the Wall Street Journal's John Fund notes the following numbers: With California moving its presidential primary to Feb. 5 of next year, what Golden State voters think about White...

But that analysis may be too simple. In Delaware Giuliani is asked for the umpteenth time if his views on 'social issues' would be fatal to his presidential ambitions. 'I don't get to decide what the issues are. But they are not usually the ones you think they are going to be,' he says. He is right. National security will still be the overwhelming issue of 2008. Giuliani's strong credentials there could make up for weaknesses elsewhere. There are also signs that his problems with the conservatives could be overstated. First, their power is waning. In 2006's congressional elections the...

Long dismissed by Washington insiders as incapable of receiving the Republican Party's presidential nomination because of his pro-abortion rights, pro-gay rights and pro-gun control views, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was lavished with praise Friday by an icon of American conservatism. "He is much stronger than anyone could have predicted six months ago," said former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich from Georgia. "New York is four times safer than it used to be. It's one of the greatest achievements of government capability in the 20th century. And Rudy just has to go out and say, 'This is who...

As a presidential candidate, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is for real. Despite his unorthodox Republicanism — his support for legal abortion, his embrace of gun-control, and his unwillingness to act against court-imposed same-sex marriages — Giuliani now leads in several polls for the GOP nomination. The common wisdom is that most Republican voters know nothing of Rudy’s social liberalism, and so his support will dwindle as they learn more. But this may prove wrong. Knowledgeable folks on the Right, disheartened by a presidential field that lacks viable, trustworthy conservatives, are talking themselves into supporting the man who...

A Giuliani Fundraising Mailer The Rudy Giuliani Exploratory Cmte. sent out fundraising letters on 2/5. In a letter, Giuliani paints himself as Reagan 2.0, quoting the fmr. pres. as saying "The future belongs to the free." Giuliani: "Today, as Republicans, we need to restore that optimistic spirit to our party and to the national political debate that is shaping the future of this great nation." Giuliani writes that he believes the GOP is the "party of freedom" and then lays out the party platform of low taxes, small gov't, entitlement reform, and school choice, and then lists his GOP record...

February 14, 2007 Rudy Beefs Up Political Team Mike DuHaime, the former RNC political director, sure has loyal colleagues. Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's exploratory cmte. announced a bunch of new hires today to its political team, at the national and regional levels. Mark Campbell, nat'l pol. dir.; "past clients" include Bush-Quayle, American Medical Association PAC, RNC, NRCC, Bush-Cheney FL Recount Rick Wiley, dep. pol. dir.; previously served as executive director and pol. dir. of GOP of WI, exec. dir. of GOP Victory '04 Bill Stepien, nat'l field dir.; dir. of '05-'05 Nat'l 72 Hour, BC04 NH field dir Jake Menges,...

The survey taken Friday through Sunday - nearly a year before the first presidential primaries are held - shows Clinton with a 19-percentage-point edge over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama among Democrats and Giuliani with a 16-point margin over Arizona Sen. John McCain among Republicans.

February 13, 2007 Giuliani Expects Key Mass. GOP Endorsements Massachusetts Republicans may spoil Mitt Romney’s party this week. Ex-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani is set to score a coup with endorsements from 2 and perhaps a third of the 5 Bay State Republican state senators. Credit for the Giuliani coup goes to former governor Paul Cellucci, who’s been working to snag members of the tiny Republican caucus. Sources said that Senate minority leader Richard Tesei to endorse Giuliani. Tesei, a Wakefield Republican, is in his first term as leader. Insiders think the only way to increase their numbers (or avoid obliteration)...

New York, Feb 13 - In a sign of continuing momentum, the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee today announced Congressman David Dreier, Chairman of the California Republican Congressional Delegation and House Rules Committee Ranking Republican, has announced his support for Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be the next President of the United States. Dreier’s endorsement follows the rousing reception Mayor Giuliani received at the California State Republican Convention and his successful swing through the state. Dreier will help lead Mayor Giuliani’s exploratory committee efforts in California. Congressman Dreier said, “America needs the proven leadership of Rudy Giuliani to tackle the difficult...

Secret study cited "weirdness factor" among candidate weaknesses FEBRUARY 12--As he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudolph Giuliani will have to contend with political and personal baggage unknown to prospective supporters whose knowledge of the former New York mayor is limited to his post-September 11 exploits. So, in a bid to educate the electorate, we're offering excerpts from a remarkable "vulnerability study" that was commissioned by Giuliani's campaign prior to his successful 1993 City Hall run. The confidential 450-page report, authored by Giuliani's research director and another aide, was the campaign's attempt to identify possible lines of attack against...

Theodore Olson, the stalwart conservative lawyer and former solicitor general for the Bush administration, told the Spectator he will be supporting Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid. "I admire his character, his capacity for leadership, his instincts, and his principles," Olson said over the phone this afternoon. He said he will help Giuliani raise money as well as offer advice on legal issues and domestic policy matters that involve constitutional questions.

While the White House is taking a hands-off approach to the 2008 GOP presidential primaries so far, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is quietly seeing an administration cheerleading section grow. One insider said that it is built on the fact that Giuliani continues to beat Sen. John McCain in the polls and also because he is offering to stick with several Bush programs, including an aggressive stance against terrorists, and promises to name conservative judges to the court. One Bush official today noted Giuliani's pledge to nominate conservative judges and applauded the New Yorker for making that claim in...

The book on Rudy Giuliani is that he is too liberal on social issues to win the Republican presidential nomination. Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, put it succinctly: "I don't see anyone getting the Republican nomination who is not pro-life and a staunch defender of traditional marriage." But Mr. Giuliani is running strong in Iowa and New Hampshire polls and leading most national surveys of Republicans. He's charming crowds of conservatives everywhere he goes. So it's worth wondering if Mr. Perkins is missing an undercurrent coursing through conservative politics. Republicans have just experienced a bruising midterm election...

Moves Closer To Full-Fledged Presidential Run (CBS/AP) WASHINGTON -- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Monday defended the Iraq war and criticized Al Gore's global-warming movie. As for his presidential ambitions, Giuliani coyly inched closer to a formal announcement. "I am 100 percent committed," he said. "That official part, I still have to do a formal announcement. But we'll figure out how to do that. My idea is that I'm going to try to announce this in 100 different places." Giuliani, a Republican, said he supports efforts to move California's 2008 presidential primary from June to February, a...

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, insisting he is "100 percent committed" to running for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, wooed Silicon Valley's tech leaders Monday. Giuliani spoke to about 500 members of the Churchill Club, a Silicon Valley business leaders organization, at the Hyatt in Santa Clara Monday, meeting privately beforehand with a handful of top tech executives and then with about 100 potential supporters at a VIP reception before an hourlong talk to the crowd, where he was warmly received as a leading presidential hopeful. "I am 100 percent committed'' to running for the Republican party nomination for...

Rudy Giuliani: Supply-Sider-in-Chief Republican primary voters should rally around the GOP field's most accomplished supply-sider, the all-but-announced Rudolph W. Giuliani. Having sliced taxes and slashed Gotham's government, New York's former mayor is the leading fiscal conservative among 2008's GOP presidential contenders. Before Giuliani's January 1, 1994 inauguration, New York's economy was on a stretcher. Amid soaring unemployment, 235 jobs vanished daily. Financier Felix Rohatyn complained: "Virtually all human activities are taxed to the hilt." Punitive taxes helped fuel a $2.3 billion deficit. Mayor-elect Giuliani sounded Reaganesque when he announced he would "reduce the size and cost of city government" to...

Breaking on Fox News. Giuliani Files Statement of Candidacy for President No article yet.

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani's star has hardly dimmed in the five years since terrorists attacked his city on Sept. 11, 2001, and he became a national hero - the face of U.S. resolve at a time of tragedy. The Republican dubbed "America's Mayor" hopes to ride that celebrity and his record at City Hall to the White House by emphasizing his leadership skills and embracing the strong-on-security, limited-government tenets of the GOP. "If he can handle the scrutiny, and if events break his way, sure, he can win," said Fred Siegel, who wrote a Giuliani biography, The Prince of the...

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- His national poll numbers are a dream, he's a major box office draw on the Republican Party circuit, and he goes by the shorthand title "America's Mayor." All of which has former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani convinced he just might become America's president in 2008. He is showing the early signs of a serious candidacy: Giuliani's presidential exploratory committee throws its first major fundraiser in a hotel near Times Square on Tuesday evening, and he recently hired the political director of the Republican National Committee during 2006. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released...

I'VE voted against Rudy Giuliani, and I've voted for him. Voting for him is better; it's what I hope conservatives, Republicans and Americans will do in 2008. Giuliani formed a presidential exploratory committee after the midterm elections, formally entering campaign land. My favorite of the early reax to Rudy was flagged by columnist Deroy Murdock: An anti-Giuliani Web site, SayNoToRudy.org, posted by social conservatives in Ohio, pulled the plug on itself after deciding that "Giuliani is truly a committed Republican and an accomplished conservative on many issues." But in estimating Giuliani's worth it is less useful to say what people...

A leading organizer of a political action committee created to derail Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential prospects is also a major contributor to Rudolph W. Giuliani, according to campaign finance reports. The organizer, Richard Collins, a principal figure behind the group Stop Her Now, has given $10,000 to Mr. Giuliani’s political action committee Solutions America over the last two years, according to campaign finance disclosure documents.On a Web site posted Monday, the Stop Her Now group says that its goals include attempting “to shed light on the real Hillary Clinton and the danger she and her ideas pose for America.”Mrs....

The antics of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are a reminder of how wonderful Rudy Giuliani was as mayor of New York.When PLO chief Yassar Arafat attended a United Nations session, Giuliani ordered police to keep him confined to diplomatic functions. After all, who wants a terrorist roaming the streets of New York?Chavez and Amadinejab were allowed to roam around, with the latter giving interviews to news organizations. It’s a shame interviewers didn’t ask him why his nation executes gays, and why it executes women who have been raped by older men. A followup question...

"It's not even going to be close," said Michael Lewis-Beck of the University of Iowa, who foresees Gore winning 56.2 percent of the two-party vote. Lewis-Beck's forecasting model is based on growth of the gross domestic product from the fourth quarter of the preelection year through the first quarter of election year, and on poll findings on presidential approval and voter opinions on which party's candidate will best promote peace and prosperity. Should anyone listen to Lewis-Beck? Well, in 1996 he did miscall the final results. His July forecast that year foresaw President Clinton winning 54.8 percent of the two-party...