GIULIANI FOR PRESIDENT: AN ENDORSEMENT

ANDY MARTIN ENDORSES RUDY GIULIANI FOR PRESIDENT

(CHICAGO)(March 1, 2007) As someone who straddles both the media and political worlds, I am always looking at candidates from a variety of perspectives. Friday Rudy Giuliani goes before the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. I endorse Giuliani for president.

There is a lot of concern that Giuliani will not be acceptable to "conservatives" once "the truth" about Rudy is known. In Iowa, negative "push polls" have sought to impugn the electability of both Giuliani and Senator John McCain. Well, as a Republican I want to stand up and be counted. As the Executive Editor of ContrarianCommentary.com I have that privilege.

I first encountered Rudy Giuliani over twenty years ago when he was the crusading U. S. Attorney and we sat across the table from each other in a federal judge's chambers. I am probably one of the few people during that era who told Rudy to get lost, and he did. He did the right thing and resisted pressure from a crackpot federal judge to harass me.

I have not had any personal contact with Giuliani and this editorial endorsement will be as much of a surprise to him as it was to me when I decided to write it.

Let me start by saying nice about Senator McCain. McCain is an authentic hero. I like him. But I have been concerned by his "tilt" towards the right recently, and I don’t think it is helpful at all to the Republican Party. Leaders should lead, not follow. McCain knows better. In the long run, pandering is a dead end strategy.

America is a conservative country, conservative about morals, society and our role in the world. But, unfortunately conservatism has received a bad name because of the foreign adventures of George Bush & Co. George ran on an anti-nation building platform, and then launched the biggest experiment in nation building in human history.

Back to Rudy.

Why do they say Rudy can’t win conservative support, and just what is a "conservative" anyway?

First they say Rudy has been divorced. Horrors! For myself, I am delighted for Mr. Giuliani in that he seems to have found a wonderful relationship and a wife that suits him. I think it hypocrisy to suggest that because he may have made unfortunate choices in the past he should be punished in the present. No one is suggesting if Rudy is nominated there will be bimbo eruptions from current girlfriends. Rudy seems happy with Judy and I'm happy for them.

Because Rudy as Mayor of New York came to be associated with fairly liberal views on social issues we tend to forget just how conservative Rudy's character really is. In his formative years he came out of a parochial school education. His family history was Roman Catholic and southern European, two very rigid constructs at the start of life. I am not surprised at all that in breaking away from those limitations he made mistakes. Who hasn't? Let he among you…, and let's start with Ted Haggard.

Giuliani's efforts to find happiness in life and to evolve from the very normative family environment in which he was raised should not be an issue. It speaks well of him that he continued to grow and change into middle age.

How about guns? Well, New York is a liberal city. But twice they elected a conservative mayor. Rudy was for gun control because in New York only criminals have guns. Giuliani has no real experience with other parts of the country, where gun ownership is normal and where law-abiding gun owners far exceed criminal gun owners.

My guess is that Giuliani will make gun control a non-issue if he is elected. Therefore, it is not an issue at all. Moreover, there will be Republicans in congress who will ensure it is not an issue. Full disclosure: I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

Finally (trembling) "gay marriage." So Giuliani is associated liberal attitudes towards gays? Uhhh! He shared an apartment with a gay guy. Oh, my God. Who in New York isn't tolerant of gays? Who isn't friendly? Gays in New York voted for Rudy. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you don't want a safe neighborhood. Just when Democrats thought they had an issue—the Republicans nominate Rudy.

Reasonable and decent people can disagree about gay rights issues. My own church, the Episcopal Church, is battling fiercely between competing views of scripture. But as a political issue gay rights will be a non-issue if Rudy is the Republican.

Well, what are the real issues? Where does Rudy stand?

I just happened to be in New York on 9/11 and for me it is a day, or days since no one could leave for days, I will never forget. That first night was surreal. The next day was. Well, going downtown was. Forget it.

I can say without hesitation that one person rescued America. Rudy Giuliani kicked butt and told the city to get moving on Thursday after 9/11, and people did. The subways restarted and people went back to work. He brooked no malingering and weeping. If David Dinkens had still been the mayor we would be wallowing in pity today. There was no pity in Giuliani, only a demand for intense action and sensible reaction. He saved the city, and he saved the United States. (General Motors also helped save the United States when it adopted its Drive America program instead of capitulating to fear and cutting auto production.)

I am very concerned about two issues: foreign policy and especially terrorism as a persistent problem for American policy; and financial policy, and the risks being created in the international financial system that could rigger a world collapse, as they almost did earlier this week. In connection with foreign policy we especially need to rebuild and renew our relationships with the rest of the world.

On these crucial issues Giuliani is rock solid. He would be focused. He would be tough. And he would be sane and sensible. I trust him.

Right now Democrats are enjoying a bit of a fool's honeymoon. Barack Obambi is wallowing in his own self-absorption, and Hilary is being Hillary, and the rest of the pack is in hot pursuit. In Congress, silly laws are proposed almost daily. Of course there is no pain or penalty for silliness because George Bush is in the White House to veto any whacko Democratic proposals.

But as the presidential campaign grinds on, Obama will deflate, Hillary will be stabbing away, and the rest of the Dems will be "dem bums." Pandering to the left as Republicans pander to the right, the Democrats will be forced to adopt an approach to solving our messes around the world that the American public will reject. Full disclosure: I disagree with Rudy's views on the Middle East, but then he was the Mayor of New York, not Casper, Wyoming. (I'll work on him to change.)

I am surprised, actually, that I am such a strong supporter of Giuliani. He is not especially warm and fuzzy, and I don’t know that I would want him as a neighbor in Winnetka, telling me my lawn needed mowing and my walks needed shoveling. Rudy can be like that. But in the White House, I don’t see anyone else who can bring force and reason and power and sanity to the leadership of our distressed government. Pick all one. Rudy G.

Finally, electability. If I were a Republican candidate on the ballot in November 2008, and I hope to be chosen to run against Dick Durbin, there would only be one candidate's name I want at the top of the ticket. Rudolph Giuliani. RG is the only hope Republicans have to stay in power in 2008.

And so my conservative friends, do you want to keep a Republican in the White House, or do you want Democratic nincompoops in charge of our foreign policy and economic policy? Well? Do you want to wallow in self-absorption, and ignore reality? Like Democrats? I sure hope not.

Rudy, it's yours.

Best wishes, Andy.

---------------Chicago-based Internet journalist, broadcaster and critic Andy Martin is the Executive Editor and publisher of ContrarianCommentary.com. He is a chronicler of all things Midwestern and the authentic Voice of Middle America. © Copyright Andy Martin 2007. Martin covers national and international politics with forty years of personal experience. Columns also posted at politicalgateway.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Comments? E-mail: AndyMart20@aol.com. Media contact: (866) 706-2639.