Giuliani Reacts to "Real Republican" Debate

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Giuliani Reacts to "Real Republican" Debate

October 14, 2007 2:24 PM

ABC News' Jan Simmonds reports: Rudy Giuliani did his best to stay above the fray this morning in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when he was asked to react to the debate among the top republican contenders about who the "real republican" is.

"This is what we are having a primary for right?" said Giuliani with a laugh. "We are letting the Republican party decide. Republican members decide, who should represent the Republican party. I think I have a pretty good claim on it."

In Sparks, Nevada, on Friday, Mitt Romney, R-MA, said "I tend to be a candidate that is a real Republican through and through. And, on that basis I think we reignite the excitement in our party."

Romney's comments have caused a good deal of uproar among the Republican candidates with John McCain, R-AZ, and several other campaigns responding yesterday.

Today Giuliani was asked about the issue publicly for the first time and without pointing out discrepancies in his fellow Republicans, Giuliani chose to focus on his own fiscal record and ability to cut taxes in New York City.

"I think in one area I have the strongest results. Honestly, I have the only results, I’m the only one who really reduced taxes," said Giuliani. "I reduced taxes 23 times, I reduced them by over 9 billion dollars."

Giuliani also noted that he thought the discourse among the Democrats was much worse, citing the discourse the top three Democrats have made about each other. Specifically, he cited Hillary Clinton, D-NY, calling Barack Obama, D-IL, "naïve" at one time.

The former New York City Mayor did indirectly answer one of his critics in John McCain, R-AZ.

On CBS’ Face The Nation this morning, McCain criticized Giuliani for opposing the line item veto while he ran New York City.

"His advocacy of opposing the line-item veto is opposing what 43 governors or 50 governors have taken to court so they can preserve pork-barrel projects," said McCain.

"It is a direct contradiction, I think, to a fundamental Republican principle of being economic conservatives and eliminating waist and pork barrel projects if you oppose the line-item veto," he later added.

Answering McCain’s criticism, Giuliani said that he supported the idea of a line item veto but that it was unconstitutional.

"Here’s the truth… Straight talk?," said Giuliani using one of McCain’s catch phrases. "You have to have a constitutional amendment to get a line item veto. If you were to try it again, like we did it last time, we would be wasting the taxpayer’s money."

"… Reality is you need a constitutional amendment. And if we want to… I would, I would support a constitutional amendment to create a line item veto, but we got to do it the right way. We don’t get to re-write the constitution to fit our whims. This is what us conservatives complain about, we complain about activist judges who make up the constitution."

October 14, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (5)

User Comments

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James Dobson sure doesn't thing Giuliani is a "Real Republican". This is what Dr. Dobson said this week about Giuliani on the Frank Pastore show.

"Dobson: Here’s why I cannot vote for Rudy Giuliani. He’s pro-abortion. He’s never repudiated gay marriage in New York City or at least the civil unions in New York City. He’s called a champion of gay rights. Rudy is opposed to school choice. He’s in favor of open borders. He lived with a mistress in the mansion in New York while he was married to his wife—and she was in the same house. He’s been married three times. When his second wife got sick of it she threw him out and he went to live with two homosexuals. He appointed terrible liberal judges as a mayor; he says now he’ll appoint Scalia-type judges, you can believe that if you want to, I don’t because his record says otherwise. He dressed up in drag and appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in a very disrespectful manner—I just can’t see a presidential candidate doing something like that. He’s a Catholic, but says he will not be guided by it. He has utter disdain for the pro-life and pro-family movement. I mean it goes on and on and on.

This is the guy that conservative Christians are about to vote for and they’re made at me because I won’t? When people are tired of me and through with me I’m gone. I can do something else. But I will not compromise my principles, I will not do it. That’s just where I stand."

Posted by: Jhopolong | Oct 14, 2007 2:44:49 PM

How does a supposed journalist working for a network news department not know the difference between "waist" and "waste"?

Posted by: Deepdiver | Oct 14, 2007 3:08:39 PM

"us conservatives" Rudy???
What a crock!!!!!

Posted by: Thomas Oliveri | Oct 14, 2007 7:39:38 PM

Giuliani is a true Republican right enough -- he is part and parcel with the "Enemies Domestic" who have gutted the Constitution and will say and do anything to get elected. The running dogs of Imperial Privilege (be it Big Business, Old Money, or would-be Dynastic Names) have no conscience except to their masters (which the Common People of the US are not).

If you look at the news of scandals beginning to surround Giuliani, yes indeed his record does say what a true Republican he is. I remember the country I was born in -- that country no longer exists thanks to all the wonderful Republicans and their Democratic cohorts who serve the Money rather than the People.

In theory Representational Democracy is a good idea, until it gets subverted by the very individuals charged with guiding same. In reality Representational Democracy gives way to Dictatorship before it becomes Empire and finally fails.

Posted by: Sphinx-Kat | Oct 15, 2007 8:54:32 PM

Rudy is about as conservative as Hillary.

That's why I'm voting for Ron Paul.

Posted by: Michael | Oct 16, 2007 12:44:55 PM

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