Giuliani reluctant to play hardball with rivals
Palm Beach Gardens, FL — Rudy Giuliani punted today when asked to backup criticism his campaign surrogates have leveled against his rivals, including John McCain.
In recent days, his national and state officials including his state chair, Bill McCollum, have equated McCain with Democrats and said he is “out of touch” with Florida voters because of his opposition to a National Catastrophic Fund. But Giuliani declined to back up McCollum today and continues to go easy on his friend McCain, noting that he doesn’t believe “Republicans should be attacking each other.”
We will be tuning in for Thursday night’s GOP debate to see whether Giuliani is finally willing to directly engage him.
But no such reticence today on the part of Mitt Romney, who attacked McCain’s economic credibility in a Palm Beach Post interview. “What’s his record by the way? What’s McCain’s record of job growth? What’s he done? Has he been involved in jobs at all in the private sector? In a state? In a city? I think you have to have a record before you criticize someone else’s,” Romney said.
UPDATE—Why won’t Rudy throw a punch? Marc Ambinder counts the reasons…
And Tony Fabrizio observes:
There’s the tactical consideration — what Fabrizio called the “pool table” problem posed by a multi-candidate race — that criticizing, say, McCain would help Giuliani, but also help Romney. That’s because some of the voters Giuliani pulls from McCain could go to him, but a big portion could also go to Romney. “They are in a very difficult situation,” he said of the Giuliani campaign. “I don’t think it’s a clear shot for him to figure out who to go after.”
Tags: Bill McCollum, bush tax cuts, Florida, john mccain, Rudy Giuliani
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Believe me, Rudy will spice up the primary eventually. They all try to stay above the fray, but just as Clinton has dragged Obama into the mud, someone on the GOP side will start tugging on Rudy. Here’s a funny tribute song to Rudy - http://politiporn.com/2008/01/22/rudy-r-u-d-y-rudy/
Enjoy!
This whole thing is settled for me. John Mcain complained about “attack” ads from Romney in New Hampshire that only pointed out the obvious in regard to the senator’s record on immigration, taxes and campaign finance, which were all legitimate policy issues, by the way - All the while respecting him and his military record. Now Mcain is attacking, but he can’t attack about Romney’s record because everything the man has touched has turned to gold!! So he attacks Romney’s economic plan!! I sense that Mcain is shaking in his boots because he knows Romney is a brilliant economic strategist. If Mcain was the straight talker he says he is, he would say these two things 1. “America needs someone right now with exceptional international business know-how! 2.”And I’m not the one!” Mr. Romney you now have my vote!
I second Roland’s point and would like to add that from an economist perspective, Mitt’s strategy for tax cuts and stimulus is just what is needed and he has been saying the same thing from the beginning regarding no taxes on capital gains and lower business taxes, etc. Unlike Johny “Come Lately” McCain who is just barely getting on board with the issue and reversing (flip-flopping) on his record in the senate with regard to tax cuts; however, he refuses to acknowledge his change of opinion and spins it as politics being about the future not the past. WHAT? At least Mitt came out and said that he was once effectively pro-choice and then woke up and explained why he had a change of heart. Also, with regards to Giuliani…BE CAREFUL! It might be good to check out this NY Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/us/politics/22giuliani.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin because it is scary even if it is only part true. I believe that Rudy being from NY can balance out the fact that the NY Times is clearly liberally biased. Sounds like Hitler in the making if you ask me, but it should be something all voters should consider before potentially casting a vote for the gustapo of the US.
all of the remaining tier 1 candidates seem decent to me…from both parties…even Ron Paul would have done the country some good. its too bad that we have a two party system that divides itself so much…the division hurts only the country.
but i do think romney’s brilliance does give him the edge to be able to serve the country better than the rest of the field.
KUDOS to Governor Romney! Someone has to point out the differences between the candidates. The media, for whatever reason, doesn’t want the candidates to do it in debates nor in advertising. Go figure. Thank you, Governor, for pointing out the differences.
Go Mitt!
Oh boy, here we go again. Rudy doesn’t “back up criticism”, but for Romney the word of choice by the MSM is “attack”. Give me a break.
Romney aptly points out a fact that McAmnesty has zero record when it comes to creating jobs or strengthening an economy. Romney is absolutely right. McAmnesty has never managed a thing in his life. He’s never been an executive of anything. He’s never governed so much as a city.
Romney’s multi-point economic stimulus plan is great evidence of how in touch he is with what actually drives our economy and what the present sources of weakness are. McAmnesty hasn’t put out anything yet because he hasn’t got a clue. When he does, I suspect it will be terribly novel like “tax rebates” or perhaps “lowering the corporate tax rate”. You know, ideas that nobody else has ever thought of.
In his own words - McAmnesty highlights one of the key reasons why he’s not qualified to be the President of the largest employer in this country and head of the largest economy in the world.
“The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should,’ McCain said. ‘I’ve got Greenspan’s book.’” (Sasha Issenberg, “McCain: It’s About The Economy,” The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/, Posted 12/18/07) Sen. McCain: “I Still Need To Be Educated.”
Mr. Brain, I am absolutely amazed that any supporter of Mitt would dare use the phrase “flip-flopping” to denigrate another candidate. If you don’t like flip-flopping, you can’t like Mitt.
Go Mitt!
Truely the man our economy and Washington need to “DO THE FIXIN”
Romney 08 and Beyond!
The word “reticent” in the headline is misused.
You meant to say reluctant.
The Establishment in this country really needs to rethink its backing of Hillary Clinton (Democrat) and John McCain (Republican). Neither of them have ever had any CEO type experience managing a company, a local or regional economy. America’s Massive Economy needs someone at the healm who is not a partisan political hack but someone who has hands on management experience. The Republican party would do far better with Giuliani or Romney than McCain. I willl not even justifty Hillary Clinton’s candidacy: 35 Years of Experience Standing in the Shadows of Power doing little or nothing.
So Rudy takes the coward’s route by attacking via staffers, and Romney takes the coward’s route by only making vague attacks without any context or attempt to set himself apart from his opponents (or the status quo).
All of this just to obfuscate the fact that none of the top-tier Republican candidates are remotely conservative on fiscal issues.
Both the American’s for Tax Reform and the Club for Growth give the advantage to Rudy as the best fiscal candidate. Rudy and Romney are both good fiscal candidates, but see why Rudy is the best choice:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/rudy_giuliani_should_be_gop_no.html
Mitt Romney could never win in a general election This funny Max Romney video explains why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfjZ-pVK–E
I’d just like to personally thank Mitt Romney for making health care mandatory in the state of Massachusetts. I really didn’t want an extra $10,000 lying around this year. I’d much rather spend it on something only my children use. Did I say use? I meant I only have to pay $25 for doctors visits instead of $100. If my kids visit the docs 100 times this year, it will totally be worth it.
This guy is a donkey, and you should all be ashamed for liking him. As a Mass resident, I can say with first hand knowledge, he’s a class A liar. Flip-flop king–just panders to whatever crowd he is speaking to.
Go Obama. If not Obama, anyone but Hillary and Mitt.
Let me guess, Ben McKnight, you’re one of those all-rights-no-responsibility liberals who claims the right to not buy health insurance but would have no problem sucking the system dry as soon as you are in serious need of health care. Please. If the government is going to obligate physicians to provide emergency health care regardless of financial status then the people have an obligation to make sure they’re covered when the emergency happens. Personally, I don’t think either mandate should exist, but you can’t have one without the other without destroying the system in the long run. As a side note, are you sure it was Romney’s idea to add the mandate and not your liberal congress?
Rudy is the best choice to lead this Country back to his former prominence. He is the only candidate to have a track record of accomplishment in this very endeavor. McCain has spent his entire political career in Washington and has never run anything. NYC is larger than Massachuesetts and Arkansas, and certainly more complicated to govern than both. Rudy raised NYC up from the crushing weight of crime, welfare, and budget deficits to restablish it as the greatest city in the country. Rudy is the clear choice.
Economy is going belly up
Super model Giselle Bundchen refuses to be payed in Dollars and demands Euros. The Arabs are dumping the Dollar (incidentally Sadam was the one to start this).
Wall Street has the jitters.
Feds answer lower interest rates (PRINT MORE MONEY AND DEVALUE THE DOLLAR). Robbing peoples wealth in the process, people can’t save!
All candidates (except one) are clones to varying degrees all have the same answers.
Root Problem is monetary policy.
$50k DOLLARS is what AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD OWES FOR WAR.
$45k DOLLARS is the share of my NEWBORN NIECE slice of the National Debt.
It is CRIMINAL.
And most “Economists” talk about Stimulus, and lowering interest rates, that’s the answer?
The problem is the FED and the IRS.
But only one candidate has the answer to the question nobody talks about.
Oh, watch Paul spank Ben Bernanke during House testimony.
Can you say, ow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBrJNipytg
CIAO EVERYONE. MSN & CNN JUST READ THE SLANDEROUS QUOTE FROM FOX EMBEDS re. 1. Obama is a Mulim 2, when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran. 3, Obama refuses to salute the flag , et. al
Great God Almighty, ALL LIES. ALL LIES. ALL LIES. AS THE ANCHORMAN SAID, “IT DOES PROVE ONE THING, HOW LOW PEOPLE CAN STOOP. WHOMEVER WROTE THE TRASH IS WORSE THAN ANY CHARGE THEY WROTE.
HERE’S HOPING BRILLIANT HACKERS CAN TRACK DOWN THE DESPICABLE TWEEBS & THEY CAN BE TRIED FOR SLANDER. IT FOR SURE WAS NOT “SATIRE” OR “PARADY.”
HELLO. THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS. PERHAPS YOU BELONG WITH THE LIKES OF LENIN, STALIN, JIM JONES . IT REALLY IS–THE WAY YOU PLAY THE GAME THAT TELLS THE WARRIOR HEROES IN THIS WORLD.
YAHOO. IT IS NOT NOT NOT TRUE; ALL WRITTEN BY SOME PITIFUL, TWISTED.
EVER ONWARD AND UPWARD ! EMPOWER AMERICA!
OH MY GOSH. HILLARY CLINTON AND HER LECHEROUS HUSBAND HAD COMPLETE SECURITY INFO ON ANY PERSON WORKING NEAR HIM OR IN WHITE HOUSE OR IN ANYPLACE THEY/HE TRAVELED OR STAYED. HE PICKED SILLY WOMEN “WHO HAD ‘HISTORIES’ AND/OR NO CREDIBILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST HIM. THE CLINTONS WERE WILLING TO DESTROY A SILLY 21 YEAR OLD RAWTHER THAN TELL THE TRUTH UNDER OATH. CALLED THE TACKY PAULA–”TRAILOR TRASH”; WHO STOLE THE SOAPS AND TOWELS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND AIRFORCE ONE. WE ALL KNOW POLITICIANS ARE CROOKS, BUT THE CLINTONS ARE SMALL-TIME CROOKS==THEY ARE THE BULLY, WHITE TRASH. MEN COMMIT CHEAT, ANY POWERFUL MAN (DOCTORS, LAWYERS, HENRY KISSINGER FOR GOSH SAKES) ALL ATTRACT FOOLISH , SL_TTY WOMEN, BUT ONE WOULD HOPE THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. COULD KEEP HIS ZIPPER UP FOR ONE TERM OR AT THE VERY LEAST. . . TO NOT BE SO CRUEL AS HE SHOWED HIMSELF TO BE. HILLARY IS WORSE THAN HE IS.
PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR THEM IN WASHINGTON D.C. THOUGHT THEY WERE WITHOUT “CLASS.” CRUEL, OPPORTUNISTS, BULLYS, ARROGANT, DISHONEST, AND THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY COMMON “SPIN DOCTORS.” FOR SHAME.
OBAMA, DON’T YOU DARE KOW-TOW TO THESE TERRIBLE, THESE AWFUL PEOPLE. YOU ARE MORE BRILLIANT THAN BOTH TOGETHER. YOU HAVE THE ELOQUENCE OF J.F.K. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LIVE WITH THE DIGNITY, THE INTEGRITY, THE BRILLIANCE YOU HAVE REVEALED SO FAR. THIS IS A BIG, COMPLEX WORLD WITH BIG COMPLEX PROBLEMS. IF IT MATTERS, I AM WHITE , WITH FRECKLES, BLUE EYES, BLONDE HAIR. . . EPISCOPALIAN ALA C.S. LEWIS & REGISTERED REPUBLICAN, BUT THINK IT IS STUNNING IF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY CANNOT SPOT THE MAN, LIKE COLIN POWELL, WHOSE TIME HAS COME. IT IS TIME TO HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT. IT IS FINE TO HAVE A WOMAN, BUT NOT AN EXPLOITER OF WOMEN LIKE HILLARY. VERBOUSITY IS FLAW. NO ONE WILL READ THIS. CALL PEGGY NOONAN. OBAMA FOR PRES. VICE PRES. FRED THOMPSON–BLOW THEIR MINDS. GOD BLESS OBAMA.
people who reside in florida would be foolish to cast a vote for Giuliani, he is a proven liar a bully and he will find that his past will destroy his future
You all are so funny. And LATE TO THE DANCE!!!!! We been here in Florida for weeks. So welcome to Rudy country. Oh, by the way, absentee voting started over a week ago!!!!!!!!! Can you say, “D-Fence, D-Fence”. HA, HA!!!! You think New England has an awesome offense, what till you see ours!!!!!!