kingfisher241049

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/...ent/index.html

-- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani took the first step toward a possible 2008 White House bid by forming a presidential exploratory committee.
A document from the New York Department of State says Giuliani made the initial filing Friday.

Giuliani, 62, joins Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee, as the only Republican to officially form an exploratory committee.

BritGuyTN

I personally think the guy is a publicity-hungry tosser. Although I wasn;t here at the time of 9/11 I really fail to see the basis for the adulation that some americans have for him.

Irn-bru

You'd have to be here around 9/11 though I wasn't in New York being a bystander watching it unfold (Giuliani) the firemen etc loved him (going to every funeral seemed to seal it for them) and I will never forget Hilary getting up for a speech in front of some of the firefighters and getting universal boos and it of course was deleted out of the news that night
I just admired his pluck and I like him.

jen_andreson

I don't know much about him, except that he is a moderate, pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and his divorce resulted from an office romance that was tabloid news for awhile. I think he's now married.

He gets a lot of praise for transforming NYC from the nation's crime capital to the safest large city in the United States. Crime fell by 50+%. And of course, 9/11, he got very high approval ratings then.

No idea of his foreign policy experience or views.

Irn-bru

which is why I don't think the Republican party will endorse/want him.
I don't know about his foreign policies etc which is why I don't know if I want him to be the next president.

jen_andreson

Exactly. He's too moderate (on some issues) for the die-hard republicans, yet he is conservative enough to lack Dem support. Will be interesting to see who else jumps into the race...

BritGuyTN

He is also a racketeer who profits out of other people mis-fortune - like attending as speaker for katrina fund-raising and his fee being as much as the total amount raised. I think hes actually just as shady as 'w' when it comes to his business dealings

i don't think he has ever done anything that looks great on paper without first making sure he is going to benefit from it or is going to put him in a favourable light.


he's not on his own, he's just like most other politicians

jen_andreson

I had no idea about that-will need to read up. I just googled Guiliani and speakers fee and read one anti-Guiliani site that said he pocketed the money, but the other sites said that he gave his 100,000 speaker's fee to local charities:

There were a few exceptions and some generous donors still paying attention to the region – when Rudy Giuliani recently gave a speech in New Orleans during the PGA Tour, he donated his entire speaking fee (usually $100,000) to a few local charities - Friends of New Orleans, St. James AME Church, Catholic Charities of New Orleans, St. Dominic’s Church, Fore! Kids Foundation and Dillard University.

Wonder if he pocketed once and then donated?

Bob

I think he's a bit slimey...and definitely making the best of all the bad disasters ain't he...

Sarah

I think I'd rather have him in office than McCain.