Giuliani Reaches Out to Social Conservatives in Virginia
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. _ Conjuring images of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and evoking the mantle of Ronald Reagan, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday said Democrats vying for the White House are in denial about terrorism.
Giuliani sounded exactly like a frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, accusing Democrats of being unable to confront Islamic terrorism.
“Islamic terrorists want to kill us, that is the predominant issue of our day,” Giuliani said, drawing a standing ovation from a luncheon crowd of about 650 people at Pat Robertson’s Regent University. The Democrats “are in denial. I think they can’t face this threat.”
The speech comes during a tough stretch for the Giuliani campaign. Critics have questioned Giuliani’s terrorism credentials because of claims that he missed meetings of the Iraq Study Group to make paid speaking appearances. Then last week the chairman of his campaign in South Carolina was arrested on federal cocaine charges.
Meanwhile, Giuliani’s political standing has been challenged by two politicians who haven’t even joined the presidential race yet. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, known for his acting on “Law & Order,” continues to generate enthusiasm in conservative circles. And last week, current New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg dropped his Republican affiliation, fueling rumors that the multibillionaire might join the race.
Robertson did his best to pump up Giuliani with a glowing introduction, focusing on the conservative parts of Giuliani’s background and talking about his leadership after the Sept. 11, terror attacks.
“He cut taxes. He cleaned up crime. He cleaned up 42nd Street, cleared out the pornographers,” Robertson said. “His finest hour come on Sept. 11 when he rallied the citizens of New York and the country together.”
Robertson also told the audience about his struggle with prostate cancer four years ago and the phone call he received from Giuliani a fellow survivor.
“It was such an encouragement for me I can’t tell you,” Robertson said.
Giuliani used the 30-minute speech to deride public opinion polls and chastise Democrats for calling for a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq. Giuliani said the United States must stay on the offensive against terrorists and not try to appease countries like Iran which he called “more dangerous than Iraq.”
“They do not respect weakness,” Giuliani said. “They respect strength.”
The Democratic National Committee issued a one-paragraph response to Giuliani’s charges.
“Rudy’s arrogance has gotten the best of him,” the statement read. “How can a man who failed to prepare New York City for a second attack after the first one, who sent firefighters and emergency workers into Ground Zero without respirators and quit the Iraq Study Group to raise money, keep America safe?”
Giuliani is the latest member of the crowded GOP-field to come to Virginia to court conservative voters. The visits routinely play heavily to evangelical Christians, who have become a crucial Republican voting block especially during primary races.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, gave the graduation speech at Regent in May although he only touched briefly on his religion. After harshly criticizing Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell during the 2000 presidential campaign, Arizona Sen. John McCain gave the commencement speech at Falwell’s Liberty University last year.
Giuliani did little during his appearance to clear the nagging unease from some hard-core social conservatives, who question whether the thrice-married Giuliani can talk to voters about family values. Giuliani’s history of backing gay rights and his pro-choice stand on abortion rankle some of the GOP’s core supporters.
Giuliani only vaguely alluded to those core differences.
“Don’t expect you are going to agree with me on everything, that’s not realistic,” he said. “I don’t agree with myself on everything.”
Giuliani explained after his speech that he was focusing on the topic of leadership, not trying to gloss over or ignore disagreements with GOP voters.
“My commitments do include reducing abortions,” Giuliani said. “But it wasn’t a conscious decision not to mention it.”
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