Giuiliani Takes a Page from 2004 GOP Playbook

Remember the 2004 Republican National Convention? It included an endless parade of increasingly conservative and virulent speakers (culminating in Zell Miller's outrageous address, followed by his challenge to duel Chris Matthews) quizzically set in the Democratic stronghold of New York city. At least superficially. The real motivation for housing the convention in NYC was to provide a backdrop of the former World Trade Center to remind Americans (for those who had forgotten) that George W. Bush was president on 9/11, so we should all vote for him again.

Sadly enough, the ploy worked, and Bush won. Now, with his eye on the 2008 Republican nomination for president, "America's mayor" Rudy Giuliani is taking a similar approach by contacting family members of individuals who died in the WTC to ask for their support.

Supporters of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani have started discussions with relatives of 9/11 victims about backing him if he runs for president in 2008, some family members told The Post.

The conversations have taken place in recent weeks, according to some victims' families, who described the talks as "casual."

Marian Fontana, who lost her firefighter husband on 9/11, said she got an invitation to go to a Giuliani exploratory committee dinner last week from a former firefighter working with Giuliani's committee. She described the invite as "last-minute."

Fontana said she was appreciative of what Giuliani did after 9/11, but would want to know a lot more about any candidate's stand on a variety of issues.

"I feel like I'm not ready to endorse," said Fontana, who added, "I could see why [Giuliani supporters] would want to reach out to family members."

Lee Ielpi, a former firefighter who lost his son in the attacks, said he discussed backing the former mayor with Larry Levy.

Levy, a former Giuliani administration official, ran the Twin Towers Fund and now works at the ex-mayor's consulting firm.

"I approached him. I said I'd like to offer my support to the mayor," said Ielpi.
Lest anyone forget, before 9//11 Giuiliani was set to finish his second and final term as mayor, his approval ratings were far from stellar, having come out poorly following the controversial Abner Louima police brutality case and his attempts to censor the Brooklyn museum from showing art he found to be offensive. And when 9/11 caused a resurgence in his popularity, he didn't gracefully pass the reins to Mike Bloomberg, his successor, but tried to amend the state constitution to eliminate the term limitation preventing him from serving a third term.

When push comes to shove, Giuliani seems most willing to do what's best for Giuiliani and not just do his job as best as possible. Searching out the families of 9/11 victims in the hopes of rekindling the same devotion that America felt for him following the terrorist attacks is not a poltical platform, it's a cheap way for him to try and get back into office and into the spotlight, which seems like his biggest desire. The GOP should look for a candidate with a political vision that extends beyond himself for a change.

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