Giuliani Tracker

Giuliani Puts Campaign Focus on Economy

Rudy Giuliani said Sunday he's the best pick in the GOP field for any voter concerned about lower taxes and less government spending, counting on a shift in emphasis to the economy to boost him to victory in this must-win state.

 

"The case for me is that I am the strongest fiscal conservative in the race," he said on ABC's "This Week," launching a two-day bus tour through Florida nine days before the state's primary.

The main focus of Giuliani's early campaign derived from his response to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York. That claim to leadership is still an important campaign point now, just not the main one. The 2001 attacks themselves are hardly ever mentioned, and even then only tangentially. Instead, he talks broadly -- and briefly -- about the ongoing "Islamic terrorist war against us" and what he would do to prevail.

Last month, fighting irrelevancy and with his poll numbers in decline, Giuliani sought to put this core issue back to the forefront of his campaign. He aired ads referencing the attacks and delivered a national security speech in New Hampshire.

But he continued having trouble wresting national security conservatives away from GOP rival John McCain. At the same time, fears of a national recession and individuals' personal financial worries have given pocketbook issues greater importance in voters' minds, in Florida and elsewhere.

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who has traveled frequently with Giuliani, said he's seen a remarkable shift in interest in crowds in the last two weeks away from security. "There's more interest right now in the economy," Freeh said.

So Giuliani has been making a more aggressive argument that his two terms as New York mayor give him the strongest record to deal with a troublesome economy. Even critics acknowledge he was successful in stabilizing a city once on the brink of collapse.

On Sunday, Giuliani used that to paint a contrast with his rivals, though none by name.

Giuliani repeated what has become a common refrain from him and, even more pointedly, from his surrogates on McCain: that the Arizona GOP senator had voted against Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 and "doesn't have that same fervor" about tax cuts that Giuliani does.

"I think it comes from the fact that he hasn't had the kind of experiences that I have -- running America's largest city, being involved in America's 17th largest economy, running the second or third largest government," Giuliani said at a banquet hall here. "When you have that experience, when you have that executive experience, you have to make decisions and decisions have consequences."

Another line was clearly meant to spread the criticism to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as well. Polls show the four in an essentially tied race for the GOP primary here.

"Sometimes people that are in Washington too long, in state capitols for too long, they think ... it's about the central government," Giuliani said. "They can have a plan to straighten things out for you. Beware of central governments that have plans to straighten things out for you."

But his remarks were dominated by superlative claims about his own accomplishments, abilities, and promises related to the economy: "the biggest tax cut plan of anyone running," "my record in tax cutting is so much better than anyone else," "more executive responsibility than the other candidates that are running," "turned around the economy of New York City ... the most successful government turnaround in the last 30 or 40 years," and "there will be nobdy better at controlling that (federal) spending than me."

His latest television ad quotes from conservatives such as Steve Forbes -- and even Romney -- to make his case on fiscal issues.

Giuliani also defended his decision to pull out of the early-state contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and elsewhere to pin all his hopes on Florida. Giuliani's campaign has become a win-by-losing gamble, and he upped his bet even further Sunday by saying straight out that the Sunshine State is not just pivotal -- but determinative. Candidates usually work to lower expectations, not raise them.

"This whole thing is going to get decided on the 29th of January," Giuliani told a small crowd in a Tampa restaurant. "Florida is going to pick, I believe, the next Republican nominee for president of the United States."

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Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti in Miami contributed to this story.

Giuliani: Democrats Would Ruin Economy

A Democratic president would raise taxes and ravage the economy, GOP hopeful candidate Rudy Giuliani said Saturday.

 

The former New York City mayor said he would lower taxes, make permanent President Bush's tax cuts and eliminate inheritance taxes.

"The Democrats believe in government when they have a choice. Republicans believe in people when we have a choice. ... The Republican Party is the party of the people. The Democratic Party is the party of the government," Giuliani said at a town hall meeting. He appeared with former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, who is a campaign adviser, and former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci.

In his speech, Giuliani paid little attention to his GOP rivals while taking on the Democratic candidates.

"If you've never run anything, you sometimes have unrealistic ideas," he said, noting none of the leading Democratic contenders has served as an executive. "This is not a place for on-the-job training."

Giuliani criticized Democrats who want to repeal Bush's cuts. "When it's working, let's change it. That's a brilliant philosophy. It sounds little bit like Iraq," Giuliani said to laughter.

Democrats took issue with Giuliani's approach. A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Giuliani misunderstands the situation.

"If he's attacking Sen. Clinton for wanting to change President Bush's economic policies and his Iraq policy, he's right. She will," Kathleen Strand said. "Sen. Clinton knows that the Bush-Cheney economic policies are wrong for New Hampshire families and their stay-the-course strategy in Iraq is wrong for America."

The cornerstone of Giuliani's campaign has been tax cuts, greater freedom over spending and less government. He said people would face $3 trillion in tax increase over the next decade unless Bush's tax cuts are made permanent.

Giuliani also advocated a permanent child tax credit and lower marginal tax rates. He wants to tie marginal tax rates to the current levels and perhaps cut the rates further. He favors linking the alternative minimum tax to the rate of inflation, which Giuliani said would stop tax increases on 30 million people by 2010.

This tax originally was designed to make sure that the wealthiest could not use tax breaks or deductions to eliminate their entire tax liability. It is not adjusted for inflation.

Inflation and recent tax cuts push more and more taxpayers into the grasp of the minimum tax each year, depriving about 4 million tax filers from taking full advantage of various deductions and tax credits.

Giuliani told his audience that he is the best option to help them have more control over their own money. As part of his standard stump speech, Giuliani routinely reminds voters he cut taxes 23 times.

"New York City's taxes were way too high," Giuliani said. "We were taxing people out of the city. We were making the choice for them."

While Giuliani cut taxes 23 times, his record has come into question.

Giuliani initiated only 15 cuts and opposed one of the largest, accepting it only after a five-month negotiation with the city council. Seven cuts started at the state level. One was initiated by the council.