Giuliani Tracker

Giuliani: Sept. 11 is Why He Backs Insurance Fund

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Saturday that his experience as New York City's mayor during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is a big reason why he supports a national insurance backup fund.

 

"Maybe I feel more strongly about this because of what I went through as mayor. I don't even know how to describe Sept. 11. I don't know if catastrophe is even the right word," Giuliani said. "There's no possible way we could have gotten through that alone. No possible way."

A national catastrophe fund is a top federal priority for Gov. Charlie Crist and two Democratic congressmen from Florida, Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney, have a bill that passed the House which would create a the backup fund in hopes of making property insurance more affordable and accessible.

"I more than most realize how important it was to us to have federal help, federal backup," Giuliani said during a town hall meeting at a senior center. "Look, it's going to be there because of the kind of people we are. We might as well try to organize it in a sensible way."

Giuliani arrived 45 minutes late for the event, which drew about 500 people.

He spoke about familiar themes before taking questions -- fighting terrorism, limiting medical malpractice lawsuit awards and improving health care through private competition.

One young boy asked him if he was scared during the terrorist attacks which brought down the World Trade Center towers.

"I didn't have time to be," Giuliani said, before talking for several minutes about the experience. "Because it happened so fast, all that you could do was to think about the next decision to make and to remain as calm as possible."

While other Republican candidates are focusing on the Michigan primary Tuesday and next Saturday's South Carolina primary, Giuliani is sinking nearly all his time and resources into Florida's Jan. 29 primary.

Politics Preview: New Hampshire

Iowa is history... now candidates are in New Hampshire for the nation's first primary. There's no underplaying the importance of the outcome in terms of generating momentum and buzz for fundraising. Even Rudy Giuliani, who skipped Iowa, is working hard in New Hampshire.

WATCH THE REPORT

Who Is Your Political Soul Mate?

Are you confused by all the different candidates for president and what they stand for? Check out the MYFOX CANDIDATE MATCHMAKER -- answer some questions to see which White House hopeful most closely matches your beliefs.

Want to watch a video of how it works before you dive in?

(But take this with a grain of salt; nothing beats researching the candidates' views, watching the debates and reading coverage on MYFOXNY.COM.)

Giuliani Back on Trail After Illness

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani showed up for a fundraiser in suburban Rochester on Friday night, two days after undergoing hospital tests for flu-like symptoms.

"I feel great. I feel terrific," the former New York mayor said on his arrival at Rochester's airport.

Giuliani, 63, canceled a scheduled stop in New Hampshire on Friday but is preparing to resume campaigning there on Saturday and Sunday.

"We're going to have a nice stop here and then ... we're going to be in New Hampshire for two days," Giuliani said. "We'll take a little time off for Christmas like everybody does, and then we'll be back on the trail the day after Christmas."

Some 150 people were attending a fundraiser organized by attorney Gerry DiMarco Sr. in the Rochester suburb of Brighton. Giuliani was aiming to raise at least $225,000 -- the entry fee was set at $1,500, and campaign laws allow individual donors to give as much as $2,300.

Giuliani was released from the hospital Thursday after spending the night at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

He felt the symptoms while campaigning in Missouri and they soon became worse. A campaign aide did not describe the symptoms beyond those being commonly associated with the flu. In a statement, the campaign said doctors had performed a series of precautionary tests and the results were normal.

--AP

Giuliani Returns Home After Hospital Stay

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani returned to New York late Thursday after a one-night stay in a St. Louis hospital for flu-like symptoms.

"I feel great. Take care. Merry Christmas, I'm feeling fine thanks to the hospital. They did a good job," Giuliani said as he left.

The wife of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said her husband was in good health as he was given the all clear from doctors at a St. Louis hospital after a one-night stay for flu-like symptoms.

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WATCH A REPORT BY RICK FOLBAUM

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In New York, Giuliani's wife, Judith, explained the circumstances behind his surprise trip to the hospital.

"A decision was made last night when he had a severe headache and flu-like symptoms on his way home from Missouri to land the plane. EMS then performed a small evaluation and decided that for precautionary measures they would take him to Barnes Jewish Hospital."

Judith Giuliani said he would have a follow-up visit with his physician.

 

                                                                 

Rudy Giuliani spoke about his flu scare.

The former New York mayor felt the symptoms while campaigning for the nomination in Missouri, and they soon became worse, campaign spokeswoman Katie Levinson said late Wednesday. She did not describe the symptoms beyond those being commonly associated with the flu.

"Mayor Giuliani is being released from Barnes Jewish Hospital with a clean bill of health. Doctors performed a series of precautionary tests and the results of all the tests were normal. The Mayor is heading back to New York this afternoon and he continues to be in high spirits," said Levinson.

 

                                                                 

Judith Giuliani spoke about her husband's health.

His Thursday schedule was already clear of public appearances before the unexpected stop in St. Louis.

Campaigning Wednesday in Missouri, Giuliani had used a baseball analogy to explain his reasons for targeting the "Show Me" state when other candidates are focused on the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where Giuliani trails his rivals in polls.

Challenging tradition, Giuliani is devoting more of his attention to the delegate-rich Feb. 5 states -- some two dozen including New York, California and New Jersey hold primaries and caucuses that day -- while spending limited time in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Missouri, a Feb. 5 state, has gotten little campaign attention but offers 58 delegates, as many as Iowa and New Hampshire combined.

"A baseball game, you've got to play nine innings and whoever gets the most runs at the end of the nine innings wins," he told reporters. "So here, you've got to play in 29 primaries. Nobody's going to win all of them, that's for sure. I think on the Republican or Democratic side, that has never happened in contested primaries with great candidates. They've never won every single primary."

"You recognize the reality that you aren't going to win all of them. You've got to win most of them, and most of them are coming on February 5," he said.

The traditional political strategy is to go for wins in the early voting states and create momentum to propel a candidate to the nomination. In an unorthodox approach, Giuliani is counting on a fluid GOP race and the possibility that no one candidate will emerge from the early voting.

The former mayor has been the leader in national polls for much of the year, but recently former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has challenged Giuliani's standing.

--AP

Giuliani Explains Unconventional Travels

Republican Rudy Giuliani offered a baseball analogy Wednesday to explain his political geography.

Challenging tradition, the presidential hopeful is devoting more of his attention to the delegate-rich Feb. 5 states -- some two dozen including New York, California and New Jersey hold primaries and caucuses that day -- while spending limited time in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire where he trails his rivals in polls.

On Wednesday, Giuliani traveled to points in Missouri, a Feb. 5 state that has gotten little campaign attention but offers 58 delegates, as many as Iowa and New Hampshire combined.

After meeting with supporters, he spoke to reporters about his strategy.

"A baseball game, you've got to play nine innings and whoever gets the most runs at the end of the nine innings wins," he said. "So here, you've got to play in 29 primaries. Nobody's going to win all of them, that's for sure. I think on the Republican or Democratic side, that has never happened in contested primaries with great candidates. They've never won every single primary."

"You recognize the reality that you aren't going to win all of them. You've got to win most of them, and most of them are coming on Feb. 5," he said.

The traditional political strategy is to go for wins in the early voting states and create momentum to propel a candidate to the nomination. In an unorthodox approach, Giuliani is counting on a fluid GOP race and the possibility that no one candidate will emerge from the early voting.

Giuliani's strategy calls for securing victories in states that vote later and promise huge numbers of delegates to next summer's nominating convention, beginning with Florida on Jan. 29.

The former New York mayor has been the leader in national polls for much of the year, but recently former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has challenged Giuliani's standing.

Huckabee's gains have come as Giuliani has faced a spate of bad news. His longtime friend and former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, was indicted on federal charges. Then, it was disclosed that as mayor Giuliani billed security expenses to obscure city offices while visiting his current wife as their extramarital affair began. He's also been facing questions anew about his consulting business, Giuliani Partners, whose clients include the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar.

--AP

11 Arrested at Giuliani Office

Eleven people were arrested outside Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign office in Manchester (New Hampshire) today, all charged with trespassing.

Police said the group was blocking the door at 1850 Elm Street, which houses the Giuliani office and several businesses.

Officers told group members they would be arrested if they did not move out of the way. They say the protesters said they would not leave, so they were arrested on trespassing charges.

--AP

Documents Reveal Giuliani's Strange Billing Practice as Mayor

Government records obtained through the Freedom of Information Law show that as New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses accrued during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to a Politico.com report.

Credit card bills and travel documents obtained by Politico detail three summers of visits to Southampton, the Long Island town where Nathan had an apartment.

In late 2001, a city auditor came across $34,000 worth of travel expenses buried in the accounts of the New York City Loft Board, the report said. When the city comptroller's office asked for an explanation, Giuliani's aides refused, citing "security."

The documents reveal that these mayoral expenses had nothing to do with the functions of the city offices that defrayed the tabs, the report said.

The report on Politico said it is impossible to know for sure if the purpose of Giuliani's Hamptons trips was to see Nathan. A Giuliani spokeswoman declined to comment on the story.

--MyFoxNY.com

LINK - POLITICO.COM: GIULIANI BILLED OBSCURE AGENCIES FOR TRIPS

LINK - TRACK NEWS ABOUT GIULIANI'S CAMPAIGN

LINK - MYFOXNY.COM POLITICAL COVERAGE

LINK - NEWSWEEK: GROWING UP GIULIANI

LINK - VILLAGE VOICE: GIULIANI'S FIVE BIG LIES ABOUT 9/11

LINK - TIME: PERSON OF THE YEAR 2001

Giuliani: Promote Benefits of Democracy

AP -- Republican Rudy Giuliani said Monday the reputation of the United States has suffered globally not so much because of arrogant actions but for lack of salesmanship about benefits of democracy.

 

If he is elected president, he said, he would seek ambassadors who would work hard to sell U.S. strengths to foreigners, not just explain those distant nations to Washington.

Giuliani, who is making a late push in the first primary state, also rekindled a dispute with rival Mitt Romney, accusing the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts of presiding over a crime surge while in office.

"I think Mitt kind of runs away from his record as governor," Giuliani said, a day after the two candidates clashed over Romney's appointment of a judge who later freed a convicted killer who now is charged with murdering a pair of newlyweds since his release.

Romney has called for the judge's resignation, and cited statistics showing a decrease in crime in Massachusetts.

He criticized Giuliani later in the day, labeling his opponent too liberal to carry the banner of conservatives.

"I think it's going to be very, very difficult for people to think of Mayor Giuliani representing the Republican Party," Romney told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. "He's the same as Hillary Clinton on most of those social issues."

Giuliani, who spoke with reporters about the crime issue after a morning speech, had avoided campaigning in New Hampshire, where Romney leads in the polls, but he has mounted a late challenge with advertising, a weekend bus tour and promises of more visits.

One sign of his heightened interest was his appearance at the breakfast: His staff offered his attendance only in the past week, sending organizers scrambling to assemble the crowd and set up the food and meeting room.

On the subject of promoting America abroad, Giuliani spoke of the benefits at a "Politics and Eggs" breakfast sponsored by the New England Council and the New Hampshire Political Library.

"These are beautiful things, almost like gifts given to us by God, the wonderful resources of our country, the great system that our framers created that was ingenious," Giuliani said

He added: `We've got to have a State Department that gets that, that understands that, that we've got a reputation that needs to be defended and protected. We are a country of good motives, of good people, of great accomplishments. We don't want to force 'em on anybody in the world; we'd like to share it with them. That's what diplomacy is about. It's about sharing who we are with others and getting them to understand us better and understand our motives, because we don't have bad motives."

Nonetheless, he conceded problems in the Middle East and the war in Iraq may be partially to blame on the United States, saying, "We didn't know enough about that culture in advance. We assumed things that might come out of our knowledge of Western culture or even other Asian cultures or Asian cultures that we'd become familiar with, like Japan and China."

At another point, he said: "Maybe sometimes we're too short; maybe sometimes we are too arrogant. Everybody has good points and bad points. One of the great things about Americans are we are very productive, we are very logical, we're terrific problem solvers, and sometimes we're too impatient."

He said those problems could be overcome with diplomacy that better understands foreign cultures.

Elsewhere during his hourlong remarks, Giuliani pounded away on the theme of experience, saying his background as a Justice Department office, U.S. attorney and city leader not only gave him the record to support his campaign promises, but also the traits to enact them.

In particular, he cited his tax-cutting record, which he said stands either at 23 cuts or 15, the latter if you consider only ones that he proposed to the City Council.

"I'm ahead of any Republican candidate for president either 23-0 or 15-0. That's almost a Patriots score," the mayor said, alluding to New England's undefeated football team.

Giuliani also picked up the endorsement of Jim Rappaport, a former chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party. He and Romney have been at odds since 2002, when Romney supported his hand-picked running mate -- Kerry Healey -- over Rappaport in a campaign for lieutenant governor.

Rappaport ended up paying a $60,000 fine, the largest in state history, for failing to report a portion of the $3 million in personal funds he spent on the race. He said the payment was less expensive than ongoing lawyers' fees.

Giuliani Assures Group on Conservatism

AP -- Rudy Giuliani assured a conservative legal group Friday that if elected president he would appoint federal judges who adhere to their principles. He also praised a judge who declared the capital city's gun ban unconstitutional and ridiculed efforts to eliminate the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

In a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the Federalist Society, Giuliani spelled out a conservative legal agenda in which he cited Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts as models for the judges he would appoint to the federal bench.

He contended that Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards, as president, would select judges who were "activists and try to legislate social policy."

"We're seeking to find judges who understand the very, very important concept that judges exist to interpret the law, not to invent the law," he said.

Giuliani has been held suspect by some conservatives because as mayor of New York he backed some gun control laws and has supported a woman's right to abortion. He has sought to alleviate those concerns, aligning himself with legal conservatives such as former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who introduced him at Friday's gathering.

Giuliani was the only presidential candidate to speak to the group, a testament to his close ties to Olson and other prominent members of the organization. Several of them are advising his campaign and have served as a bulwark for Giuliani against criticism from social conservatives.

He also said that as president he would demand that the Senate change its rules for confirming federal judges, decrying the filibusters that blocked some of President Bush's appointees and the atmosphere at nominating hearings dating back to the failed nomination of Robert Bork.

He argued that nominees should be judged on their qualifications, honesty and integrity, not their judicial philosophy. He said such a standard should apply whether the president is a Republican, nominating conservative judges, or a Democrat nominating liberal judges.

Giuliani did not mention his Republican rivals, but did make a joke at Clinton's expense. He suggested she be inducted into the Federalist Society because in addressing a question about driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, Clinton at one point indicated that it was a decision best left to the states.

"This is the only time in her career that she has decided anything should be decided on a state-by-state basis," he said to an audience that strongly advocates states' rights. "And you know something, she picked out absolutely the wrong one."

Giuliani portrayed the United States in Reaganesque terms -- an optimistic vision of a country with a preordained mission.

"There are some people I think nowadays that doubt that America has a special, even a divinely inspired role in the world," he said. "Now I don't understand how you can look at history and not see the wisdom of that and the reality of it."

He said that from its beginnings, the United States fought tyranny and oppression and would do so again.

"It was this nation that saved the world from the two great tyrannies of the 20th century, Nazism and Communism," he said. "It's this country that's going to save civilization from Islamic terrorism."

While Giuliani was the only candidate to speak at the Federalist meeting, Fred Thompson's supporters distributed fliers advertising an afternoon reception sponsored by "Lawyers for Fred" at a Washington law office. Two of the founders of the Federalist Society, Spencer Abraham and David McIntosh, are Thompson supporters.