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Posted: June 26, 2007 4:27 PM
Giuliani's S.C. Campaign Chairman Indicted
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The past week was a rough one for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, starting with his South Carolina campaign Chairman Thomas Ravenel getting indicted on federal cocaine charges. In a press release, political director Mark Campbell said, “Our campaign has no information about the accusations pending against Mr. Ravenel. Mr. Ravenel has stepped down from his volunteer responsibilities with the campaign.”

Within a day, Giuliani’s campaign appointed a replacement, former South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Barry Wynn, and a team of regional chairs days later.

Then, on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Giuliani was part of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan panel charged with proposing a plan for Iraq, but withdrew citing his possible presidential bid.

“I thought it would work, but then after a month or two I realized the idea that I was possibly going to run for president would be inconsistent with that,” Giuliani said at a campaign stop in Iowa. According to the article, Giuliani skipped two meetings during his two-month period on the panel to attend paid speaking engagements.

Giuliani also commented on the possible entry of another New Yorker into the 2008 race — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who Giuliani supported as his successor. Bloomberg recently dropped his Republican affiliation, and analysts speculated an independent run. “He says he’s not running, so I’ve got to take him at his word. If he does run, he has every right to do it,” said Giuliani.

Over the past week, Giuliani’s campaign message focused on restoring fiscal discipline in Washington, one of his 12 commitments if elected president. In a Des Moines, Iowa stop, Giuliani touted himself as the most fiscally conservative candidate and called for an end to anonymous congressional earmarks, or special spending projects; a constitutional amendment to establish a line-item veto; a reduction in the number of federal employees; and a requirement for federal agencies to cut budgets by 5 percent to 20 percent each year.

The Giuliani campaign said it still views the frontloaded primary calendar as an asset and is confident about the early contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as well as Nevada, Wyoming, Maine and Florida. In a letter to supporters, Giuliani’s strategy director Brent Seaborn placed particular emphasis on Florida, where Giuliani is leading in polls: “Florida is a critical state in the pre-Feb. 5 primary lineup. … Florida may prove to be the most important primary of this election.”

In a campaign stop in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, Giuliani expressed his opposition to Cuban leader Fidel Castro before a group of Cuban Americans. “Castro is a murderer. I will never forget it. So is his brother.”

Giuliani’s abortion stance — that he personally opposes it but believes a woman should be able to choose it — resurfaced in a New York Times article
that detailed frustration among Catholic leaders with Catholic political leaders such as Giuliani who do not firmly oppose abortion.

Off the campaign trail, Giuliani’s name came up on Capitol Hill at a congressional hearing Monday on the environmental impacts of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Lawmakers questioned former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman about air quality warnings. Whitman denied she misled New Yorkers about safety hazards and said she felt former Giuliani’s administration “did absolutely everything in its power to do what was right” in handling the health concerns, according to the Associated Press.

Giuliani’s campaign released quotes from Whitman telling the public not to be concerned about air quality.

Over the next week, Giuliani plans to speak at the Regent University Executive Leadership Series in Virginia Beach, Va. before heading to Rockville, Md. to address the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. He also intends to visit Sunseri’s Market in Pittsburgh and attend several public events in Sacramento and Orange County, California.