Rudy Giuliani

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Rudy Giuliani
Former Candidate forth President of the United States
Term of office
Mayor of New York City, January 1, 1994 - December 31, 2001
Political party Republican
Preceded by David Dinkins
Succeeded by Michael Bloomberg
Born May 28, 1944
Brooklyn, New York
Spouse Judith Nathan
Religion Roman Catholic

Rudy Giuliani (born Rudolph William Giuliani, May 28, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) gained worldwide fame and became a hero to New Yorkers & the nation for his decisive action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He was Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" and became known as "America's Mayor." As Republican mayor of New York City he cleaned up crime, cut taxes, built up business, fought the unions, and restored the future of the city, gaining the reputation as one of the greatest mayors in history. Previously he was United States Attorney and Deputy U.S. Attorney General. In 2007-8 Giuliani emerged as an early front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, but faltered late in 2007 and did poorly in the primaries.

Giuliani brought a new, conservative approach to the ills of New York City. He argued that crime's root cause was not poverty but poor law enforcement; poverty was not alleviated by social welfare programs but perpetuated by them; and the public schools needed not more money but fewer bureaucrats. He made major efforts to reform city affairs, opposed at every step by labor unions, social-service agencies, the school bureaucracy, and identity-group politicians. He became a media favorite based on his conservative crime fighting and his liberal positions on abortion and homosexuality. As mayor he would hold almost daily press conferences, and his personal indiscretions regarding his married life became favorite topics for the media.

Contents

Early Life

Rudolph W. Giuliani was born to a working class Italian family in Brooklyn, New York. As the grandson of immigrants, Giuliani developed a strong work ethic and a deep respect for America's ideal of equal opportunity. He attended Catholic parochial schools including Brooklyn's Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School (Class of '61). He graduated from Manhattan College (Class of '65) and New York University Law School, magna cum laude in 1968.[1]

Personal Life

Giuliani has been married three times. First to his second cousin Regina Peruggi, on October 26, 1968. In 1976 the couple split. They did not have any children. His second marriage was to Donna Hanover. Giuliani filed for legal separation from Peruggi on August 12, 1982. Giuliani and Hanover started living together later that year in Washington, D.C. A Roman Catholic Church annulment (of the Giuliani-Peruggi marriage) was granted at the end of 1983[2] because, according to Giuliani, they did not have the necessary Church dispensation.

Giuliani and Hanover then married on April 15, 1984. They had two children, Andrew and Caroline. In May 2000, Giuliani admitted to an extramarital relationship with Judith Nathan and called a press conference to reveal he intended to separate from Hanover. Hanover did not know that Giuliani intended to make such an announcement and was reportedly caught somewhat by surprise [3] Giuliani then married Judith Nathan in 2003, his third marriage.

Legal Career

After law school Giuliani clerked for Judge Lloyd MacMahon, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. In 1970, he joined the office of the U.S. Attorney. At age 29, he was named Chief of the Narcotics Unit and rose to serve as executive U.S. Attorney. In 1975, Giuliani was recruited by the Gerald R. Ford administration and became Associate Deputy Attorney General and chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General. From 1977 to 1981 he practiced law at Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler in New York City.[4]


The Reagan Administration brought Giuliani to Washington in 1981 as Associate Attorney General, the third highest position in the U.S. Department of Justice. He supervised all of the US Attorney Offices' Federal law enforcement agencies, the Bureau of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the US Marshals.

In 1983, Reagan appointed Giuliani to be US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. he vigorously went after drug dealers and organized crime, seeking to break the web of corruption in government; he actively prosecuted white-collar criminals. He achieved an unprecedented record of 4,152 convictions with only 25 reversals.[5]


Mayoral Campaigns and Service

In 1989, Giuliani ran for mayor of New York City on the Republican and Liberal tickets, losing narrowly to Democrat David Dinkins. In a rematch in 1993, Giuliani stressed quality of life, crime, business and education. He was elected the 107th Mayor of the City of New York and in 1997 he was re-elected by a wide margin, carrying four out of five boroughs.

As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani sought to return accountability to city government and improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Under his leadership, overall crime fell 57%, murder was reduced 65%, and New York was been recognized by the F.B.I. as the safest large city in America for five consecutive years. Among Giuliani's most notable accomplishments during his mayoralty was his successful assault on pornography businesses in Times Square. The neighborhood had long been a mecca for "sexually oriented businesses", but through a prolonged campaign which included maintaining an alliance of local businesses, conservative and feminist groups and the general public, Giuliani managed to clean it up and replaced it with legitimate theaters, restaurants and shops, making it a world class tourist attraction for families. In his 2008 presidential campaign, Giuliani repeatedly talked about his mayoral achievements, losing the attention of many supporters.[6]

He tried and failed to change the city's law prohibiting a third consecutive term. He began Giuliani Partners, which immediately became a consultant to businesses worldwide on dealing with terrorism. He gave many highly-paid speeches on how leadership can deal with terrible crises, like he did, and in 2002 published Leadership, recounting how he handled 9-11.

Giuliani strongly recommended in 2004 that his business partner and former city police chief Bernard B. Kerik be named Secretary of Homeland Security. President George W. Bush was about to do so when it was learned that Kerik was involved in multiple scandals. In November, 2007, Kerik was indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges relating to his former position under Giuliani, as well as personal tax evasion charges. The indictment seriously weakened the Giuliani presidential bid.[7]

September 11 Terrorist Attacks

In 2000 a diagnosis of prostate cancer had led him to drop out of a run for the Senate seat eventually won by Democrat Hillary Clinton.

On Sept. 10, 2001, Giuliani was known as a crime fighter; his approval rating hovered around 50 percent. He was a lame duck, barred by term limits from seeking re-election, in a city that in any case felt increasingly worn out by eight years of his combative style. And while his supporters talked of a presidential bid, the prospect seemed a long shot for a Republican who supported abortion rights and restrictions on gun sales.

A week after the 9/11 attacks, due to his almost universally acclaimed leadership in the aftermath of that tragedy, his approval rating hovered at nearly 80%. Since then he has been on almost every short list of Republican contenders. In his talks, Giuliani uses Sept. 11 to make two points. The first is that he has proven himself to be a leader, and having a proven leader in these troubled times, he tells audiences, is more important than whether you agree with everything he stands for. The other is that his handling of the aftermath of the terrorist attacks proved his competency. [8]

The International Association of Fire Fighters, America's largest union of firefighters, posted a grievance against Giuliani's November 2001 decision to reduce the number of firefighters searching the rubble of Ground Zero for the remains of some 300 fallen comrades.[9]

2008 Presidential Campaign

Main article: Rudy Giuliani 2008 Presidential Campaign

Giuliani ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2008. After the John McCain campaign apparently collapsed in mid 2007, Giuliani took the lead in national polls until December 2007, when he began to fall behind other candidates.[10]

Sack editorial cartoon parodies Giuliani's overemphasis on 9-11 Oct 6, 2007

Downplaying his moderate views on abortion, gun control and immigration, Giuliani emphasized his heroic leadership of New York City after 9-11, as well as his cutting crime in the city and his hard-line stance against terrorism. Although he campaigned vigorously, he was so focused on his own record in New York that he did not make contact with what the voters were interested in. Worse, he could not shake off charges of corruption. He lost most of his support in the last two months of 2007. He won only 3.5% of voters in Iowa; 8.5% in New Hampshire; 2.8% in Michigan; 4.3% in Nevada and 2.1% in South Carolina. Pulling out of other states, he concentrated all his efforts in a losing battle for Florida, where he ran third with a mere 15%. Analysts noted the more voters saw of Giuliani, the fewer supported him.[11]

Horsey editorial cartoon shows conservative dismay regarding Giuliani's morals; March 23, 2007

He left the race after Florida and endorsed McCain. When McCain was nominated Giuliani criss-crossed the country speaking on his behalf.

Political Views

Abortion

Rudy Giuliani supports "responsible" restrictions on abortion such as parental notification with a judicial bypass and a ban on partial birth abortion – except when the life of the mother is at stake. He holds that he and his fellow Republicans can "respectfully disagree" on this issue.[Citation Needed] However, In 1997 Giuliani said that then - President Bill Clinton made the right decision when he vetoed a ban on partial birth abortion. During his 2000 Senate campaign he said that he would "vote to preserve the option for women.” Giuliani has also given six contributions to Planned Parenthood in the 1990s. The payments, totaling $900, were made in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999. Planned Parenthood is one of the top abortion advocates and abortion providers in the United States.

Death penalty

Giuliani only favors capital punishment for murder in certain circumstances. One such example is that he has advocated the death penalty for terrorists following September 11.

Education

Giuliani supports school vouchers for lower-income students. He is also a supporter of privatizing failing schools.

Government Spending

Rudy Giuliani supports a large decrease in federal spending and a Balanced Budget Amendment to ensure responsible fiscal management. As New York City mayor, he cut the size of city-funded government bureaucracy by nearly 20% - excluding the number of cops on the street and teachers in the classroom.

Gun Rights

Giuliani has changed his views on guns over time. As mayor of New York, he was a proponent of urban gun control, but, while running for President, has stated that he thinks differently about more mid-west environments. As Mayor of New York, Giuliani became a nationally visible figure in favor of gun control measures, beginning with an appearance on Meet the Press in late 1993. He was in favor of the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. In 1995, Giuliani called member's of the National Rifle Association "extremists." And that anti-gun control positions of many Republicans are "terrible for America."

Health Care

On February 26, 2007, Giuliani said that he was against any notion of universal health care in America, which would mean a "socialization" of American medicine. "That would be a terrible, terrible mistake. [Solutions] have to be free market solutions. They have to be a competitive system." He wrote an article for the Boston Globe on his official position on health care. In it he stated that taxes should not be raised to provide more health care but instead lowered for "individual empowerment". He talked about the creation of a tax-free Health Savings Account that would allow individuals and small businesses to stock up on health insurance and in effect lower rates.

"America is best when we solve our problems from our strengths, not our weaknesses. Healthcare reform must be based on increased choice, affordability, portability, and individual empowerment." (Giuliani)

Homeland Security

Giuliani has supported President George W. Bush's tactic of using domestic surveillance.

Immigration

Rudy Giuliani's position on illegal immigration has changed over the years. In 1996, he said that "We're never, ever going to be able to totally control immigration in a country that is as large as ours." He went on to say, "If you were to totally control immigration into the United States, you might very well destroy the economy of the United States, because you'd have to inspect everything and everyone in every way possible." As Mayor, Giuliani said that, "There isn’t a mayor or public official in this country that is more strongly pro immigrant than I am. Including disagreeing with President Clinton when he signed an anti immigrant legislation about 2 or 3 years ago." In 2007 his rhetoric became more conservative. In February 2007, he told a meeting with California Republicans, "We need a border fence, and a highly technological one."[12]

Iraq

Giuliani strongly supports completing the mission in Iraq and hunting for terrorists and insurgents. Giuliani was described by Newsweek magazine in January of 2007 as "one of the most consistent cheerleaders for the president’s handling of the war in Iraq."

Personal Tax

Giuliani is known to be a strong fiscal conservative. He cut taxes 23 times in New York and turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus, while balancing the city’s budget. Because he turned his conservative principles into action, New York City taxpayers saved more than $9 billion in taxes and enjoyed their lowest tax burden in decades, while the economy grew and city government saw its revenues increase from the lower tax rates. Club for Growth, a conservative political action committee which supports lower taxes, school choice and free trade has said that, "it is impossible to ignore Giuliani's overall commitment to a pro-growth philosophy and his executive talent for implementing that philosophy in a hostile political environment."

Same-Sex Marriage

Although Rudy Giuliani does not support same-sex marriage, he does support "domestic partnerships" that provide stability for Americans who are in non-traditional relationships.

Endorsements for the 2008 Presidential Election

Congressional

Governors

Hollywood


Bibliography

  • Polner, Robert, and Jimmy Breslin, eds. America's Mayor, America's President?: The Strange Career of Rudy Giuliani (2007) Hostile essays. These authors catalogue mayor's vindictiveness, pettiness, totalitarian approach to governing, and his tight control of information and the press.and text search
  • Siegel, Fred, and Harry Siegel. The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life (2005), analytical and academic study in-depth excerpt and text search

References

  1. ↑ "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [1]
  2. ↑ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0212072giuliani12.html
  3. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E7D8163BF932A25756C0A9669C8B63&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=2
  4. ↑ "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [2]
  5. ↑ "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [3]
  6. ↑ "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [4]; See also"Time's 2001 Person of the Year Rudy Giuliani"
  7. ↑ John Solomon and Matthew Mosk, "Ex-Partner Of Giuliani May Face Charges," Washington Post March 31, 2007
  8. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/us/politics/12topic-giuliani.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
  9. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/09/giuliani.firefighters.ap/index.html
  10. ↑ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-192.html#polls
  11. ↑ Matthew Continetti, "The Giuliani Implosion: From frontrunner to also-ran in eight short weeks," The Weekly Standard Jan. 21, 2008; Justin Wolfers, "How Rudy's Bet Went Wrong," Wall Street Journal Jan. 23, 2008; Michael Powell and Michael Cooper, "For Giuliani, a Dizzying Free-Fall", New York Times Jan. 30, 2008
  12. ↑ Rudy: Illegal Immigration Not a Crime, NewsMax, September 7, 2007
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