Free Republic

Not since Teddy Roosevelt took on Tammany Hall a century ago has a New York politician closely linked to urban reform looked like presidential timber. But today ex–New York mayor Rudy Giuliani sits at or near the top of virtually every poll of potential 2008 presidential candidates. Already, Giuliani’s popularity has set off a “stop Rudy” movement among cultural conservatives, who object to his three marriages and his support for abortion rights, gay unions, and curbs on gun ownership. Some social conservatives even dismiss his achievement in reviving New York before 9/11. An August story on the website Right Wing...

SACRAMENTO - Director Rob Reiner and actor Warren Beatty already are well-known to California voters if either decides to run for governor next year. Their problem: they're not particularly well-liked. A Field Poll released Tuesday rates the name recognition and images of announced and possible candidates for seven statewide offices next year. Reiner and Beatty made the list as potential Democratic nominees to challenge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election bid. While neither has said he intends to run, their opposition to Schwarzenegger during the just-concluded special election generated buzz among Democratic activists. About two-thirds of the registered voters surveyed said they...