Republican presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani signs his declaration of candidacy paper, filing to have his name on the ballot for New Hampshire’s presidential primary at the State House in Concord, N.H., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007.

Rudy files for President in New Hampshire. With the Mayor today is former Massachusett’s Governor Paul Cellucci and former Massachusetts Treasurer Joseph D. Malone who has endorsed the Mayor today.

Republican presidential hopeful, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, center, speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, in Boston during which he received the endorsement of former Massachusetts treasurer Joseph Malone, right. Former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Celluci, left, had previously endorsed Giuliani.

Other Massachusetts pols who have endorsed Giuliani are:

• State Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei
• State Senators Michael R. Knapik and Bruce E. Tarr
• Former Senate leader Brian P. Lees
• Former state GOP chairman Brian Cresta

The Money quote:

Rudy has a record of results he can point to when it comes to cutting taxes and controlling spending. He is without question the fiscal conservative in the race,” said Malone. “I am endorsing Rudy because he will keep his eye on the bottom line when he becomes President – just as he did when he was Mayor.”

The fight for New Hampshire continues with a jab at former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who was preceded as Governor by Paul Cellucci.
Stay tuned……….

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Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy 24% Thompson 19% Romney 16% McCain 12% Huckabee 8%

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Californians for Rudy

Rudy Giuliani Wins GOP Debate According to Florida Focus Group

Rudy Giuliani Watch: “You Have Nothing to Fear from Me”

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Competitive in Iowa?

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy’s Northeast GOP Delegate Advantage

Giuliani CNN Poll Watch: Rudy Up By 8 Points Over Thompson

Texas Governor Rick Perry Endorses Rudy Giuliani for President

Rudy to Hillary - What is Your Experience to be President?

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani visits with Katherine Miller of Edmonds, Wash., at a cafe in Kirkland, Wash., during a campaign stop Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. Giuliani made stops earlier in the day in Palm Springs, Calif., and Portland, Ore.

The INEVITABILITY of a Rudy Giuliani GOP nomination is causing some ANGST in the Christian RIGHT.

In fact, this may be the ONLY WAY Rudy beats Hillary Clinton by capturing the social middle ground with fiscal conservative policy. Painting Hillary as a corrupt left-wing pandering socialist who will raise taxes and who is weak on terror and defense works.

Being against abortion doesn’t.

If the Christian RIGHT leaves the GOP and forms a third party, it will further marginalize their influence in national politics.

And Dr. James Dobson helped how in the 2006 GOP collapse?

Stay tuned………

Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson concludes a short news conference in a hanger at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007. Thompson says he doesn’t need the support of influential evangelical Christian leader James Dobson to win over conservative voters. Dobson accuses the former Tennessee senator as being a weak conservative with ‘no passion’ in a private e-mail obtained this week by The Associated Press.

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Rudy Giuliani Video: Rudy in Santa Barbara California Part 3

Running With Rudy at National House Party Night

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Former California Governor Pete Wilson Endorses Giuliani for President

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy in Santa Barbara California Part 2

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy in Santa Barbara California

Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Catches Mitt Romney in New Hampshire

Former California Governor Pete Wilson to Endorse Rudy Giuliani for President Tomorrow

Rudy Giuliani at Joe’s Cafe, Santa Barbara, California, September 27, 2007

These videos are from two days ago when Flap attended a Giuliani public event after a mega fundraising event at the Santa Barbara Biltmore.

The crowd pressed and everyone one wanted a photo op with the Mayor. At times Rudy’s staff was pushed out of the way by the crowd - except his BIG bodyguard.

The second video is the news presser held outside Joe’s:

The Mayor has unbelievable energy and vigor. After this event he flew to Lancaster, attended two events there and then flew to Las Vegas for a fundraiser at the Venetian.

Later in the evening/early morning, Hizzoner flew back to Los Angeles where he spent the night. His next event was at 10 AM where former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan endorsed Rudy at his restaurant, The Original Pantry.

What a schedule.

Previous:

Running With Rudy at National House Party Night

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Former California Governor Pete Wilson Endorses Giuliani for President

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy in Santa Barbara California Part 2

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy in Santa Barbara California

Giuliani Poll Watch: Rudy Catches Mitt Romney in New Hampshire

Former California Governor Pete Wilson to Endorse Rudy Giuliani for President Tomorrow

Rudy Giuliani on Iran President Ahmadinejad’s appearance today at Columbia University:

SEAN HANNITY: “You had as Mayor of New York a number of confrontations with some of these leaders and now we have this controversy at Columbia today with Mahmud Ahmadinejad and the invitation by Columbia. Your thoughts?”

MAYOR GIULIANI: “My thoughts are he should never have been invited in the first place. I think this is a distinguished lecture series, what it suggests is you make a selection right? But thousands of people conceivably would want to speak at Columbia, they only pick a certain number, and it would seem to me you don’t pick somebody who is the biggest—the head of the government that’s the biggest sponsor of state terrorism in the world, a government that is by every indication that we have presently engaged in activities that are resulting in the death of American troops., someone who has threatened the existence of the state of Israel, denied the Holocaust. I heard some of his answers on the Holocaust, of course they were absurd. The idea that it needs further research. I think the fact of the Holocaust has been pretty darn well established, doesn’t need further research. This is just part of his constant refrain of anti-Semitism, threats on Israel, threats on the United States. … Doing this, giving him this kind of status–even though the President of Columbia introduced him with an insult, he just responded with an insult–I believe this may underscore some of their fantasies that they really do have a world stage and that they really should be taken seriously and maybe they can fool us and maybe they can fool a certain number of us. So I think this is a damaging thing doing something like this with someone as deranged as Ahmadinejad is. You have no idea what you’re playing with here. So why would you invite him to a distinguished lecture series?”

HANNITY: “While Bollinger in his introduction said his views were ridiculous, the Holocaust is not an issue in dispute, that his arguments were absurd.”

GIULIANI: “But then he turned the podium over to him.”

HANNITY: “Well then he turned the podium over to him and I’ll tell you what was more frightening to me, immediately thereafter, here was Ahmadinejad basically saying he found the introduction insulting but more importantly I want you to listen to the students’ reactions and clapping for Ahmadinejad in the background. … Does that student reaction frighten you as much as it does me?”

GIULIANI: “Well here’s—this is really to my point, Sean. It frightens me because I don’t know what kind of reaction Ahmadinejad has to that, which means he comes away from this thinking, hey there’s a strong level of support for me in the United States of America, maybe I can push these people a little further, maybe I can take advantage of them a little bit more. That’s why I say in spite of the fact that the president of Columbia introduced him with an insult, he turned the podium over to him and he comes away from it. Ahmadinejad comes away from it saying, ‘Sure there are people there that don’t like me and opposed me and booed me, but hey, there were an awful lot of people there that applauded for me too. So I have some support there.’ And who knows what that results in when you’re dealing—look we have to come to the conclusion that Ahmadinejad is an irrational man. You don’t say the things he says if you’re working on, kind of a rational script. The denial of the Holocaust, the threat of—against Israel, the ways in which he gives five different versions of every single answer. This is a man who’s living in this fantasy world of jihad and world domination by Islamic extremism.”

HANNITY: “And providing the weaponry to kill American troops.”

GIULIANI: “And providing weaponry right now, right as we’re speaking possibly taking the lives of American troops. And we hand him a podium at Columbia University. And have no idea of what impact that can have on him? And the idea that it’s in the name of free speech, well that isn’t correct. Not everybody gets to speak at Columbia. …”

**********

Rudy’s again RIGHT…….

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Giuliani Poll Watch: Florida - Rudy Continues To Lead

Running with Rudy at NASCAR in New Hampshire

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy vs. MoveOn.org

Giuliani Poll Watch: New Hampshire - Rudy Playing Catch Up with Romney

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy Vs Hillary and Hillary’s Surrogate - MoveOn.org

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Hillary Clinton Smeared General Petraeus - The New York Times Ad

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Hillary Clinton Smeared General Petraeus

Will the Giuliani campaign attack the internet to contend with Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney?

Well, they have the resources. Let’s see if they use them on the NEW MEDIA and solicit contributions from his support base.
Stay tuned.

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Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy Leading Hillary 47% to 44% in Latest National Rasmussen Poll

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Today’s Presidential Polls

Rudy Giuliani Watch: National Review - Rudy Gets an “A” on Health Care

Rudy Giuliani Watch: The Florida Firewall

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy Leads Thompson By 15 Points in Latest Fox News Poll

Cross Posted from the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog 

Republican presidential hopeful former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani poses for photos while signing autographs at a speaking engagement in Del Mar, Calif. Wednesday Aug. 22, 2007.

Rudy cintinues to rack up double digit leads on Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney with John McCain fading into fourth place.

The GOP Nuts:

Undoubtedly Fred Thompson will get a bump up when he announces his official candidacy in the next week. However, Romney’s attacks on Rudy have fallen flat and he continues in third place.

The main question: Will John McCain go on the attack against Romney, particularly in New Hampshire?

Flap says yes.

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Rudy Giuliani Watch: “Leave My Family Alone” Rudy Tells Derry New Hampshire Mother Katherine Prudhomme-O’Brien Part 2

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Retreating on Gay Issues?

Giuliani Notes: Florida - Rudy 30% Thompson 17% Romney 15% McCain 7% in Latest Rasmussen GOP Poll

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Giuliani - McCain Ticket?

Rudy Giuliani Watch: “Leave My Family Alone” Rudy Tells Derry New Hampshire Mother Katherine Prudhomme-O’Brien

Giuliani Notes: Florida - Rudy 34% Thompson 18% Romney 10% McCain 8%in Latest Strategic Vision Poll

Rudy Giuliani Watch: California Field Poll Has Rudy With 21 Point Lead

Rudy Giuliani Watch: New Radio Ad Highlights Illegal Immigration

Rudy Giuliani Watch: I’ll Stop the Invasion

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Rudy and Huckabee To Be 2008 GOP Presidential Ticket?

In which I satirize the film “300″ in order to make a very important point.

With the latest poll from Gallup/Sparta Today showing Leonidas with a commanding lead over his rivals for his party’s nomination, some Spartans are beginning to feel that a sense of inevitability is building around Leonidas’ candidacy. Not so fast, say certain members of Leonidas’ own party, many of whom are concerned about Leonidas’ views on issues other than the war with Persia.

“He’s right on Persia, but so are all the other candidates,” said Spartan religious seer Dobsonopolis. “We Spartans aren’t just fighting a war against Xerxes, but a culture war at home that is equally important! Will Leonidas end the anti-life practice of leaving the Spartan young in the wilderness to die?!”

Dobsonopolis is referring to the age-old Spartan tradition of rejecting Spartan young who fail to meet certain physical qualifications, a practice increasingly opposed by Leonidas’ party. Leonidas has promised to let the people of Sparta decide whether to maintain this policy, though Leonidas admittedly personally supports the practice. His deference to the people isn’t good enough for some on this issue. Likewise, many Spartans are concerned about Leonidas’ position on sword control.

“Leonidas has a long history of being a sword grabber! He claims that only Spartans properly trained to fight should wield them!” argued the head of the Spartan Sword Association. Leonidas has promised not to implement the sword control policies he has supported in the past on a community-wide basis if elected, but again, this just isn’t good enough for some.

And then there’s Leonidas’ seeming disinterest in Mount Olympus.

“We have seen YouTube clips of Leonidas mocking the priests of the oracle!” exclaimed Perkinsopolis, head of Spartans for Families. “Leonidas is just too secular to lead Sparta! The man talks about logic and reason. But what about Zeus?! This party cannot exist without people of faith in the gods! Leonidas’ supporters are trying to push us out!!!”

But Leonidas’ only problems aren’t with Spartans on the Right. The Spartan Left is equally disdainful of Leonidas’ seemingly brash and hawkish policies.

“The man will stretch executive authority to its limits,” said one scruffy protestor. “He totally disregarded the Council’s authority to choose whether or not to declare war and, as a consequence, he got us into an illegal war with Xerxes! And all this time he said he was going out for ‘a walk’ when he took the troops out to the battlefield. Leonidas lied, Spartans died!!!”

“Not only is the man a war criminal, he’s a bigot!” said leftist leader Sharptoncles. “Leonidas discriminates between Spartans and hunchbacks. Are we going to turn the clock back in Sparta to a time when hunchbacks had to get to the back of the line?” Sharptoncles is referring to Leonidas’ decision to exclude a resident hunchback from the Spartan fighting force due to the applicant’s inability to meet the physical requirements. The SCLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the hunchback alleging due process and equal protection violations. “What about the right to a hearing, Leonidas?” Sharptoncles demanded.

When asked about these various charges by reporters, Leonidas, after unsheathing his sword and edging the reporters unnervingly close to the Bottomless Pit in the center of town, responded with only the words, “What! About! Sparta!”

Leonidas’ campaign staff later released the following statement: “Leonidas is respectful of the opinions of all Spartans. But as Leonidas himself has previously stated, Sparta’s 80 percent friend is not Sparta’s 20 percent enemy. Leonidas is the only candidate in the field who has demonstrated the ability to decisively win this war against Xerxes, the central issue of our time.”

Scoffing at this statement was conservative commentator D’Souzacles, who has been increasingly abandoned on the Spartan Right for his kind words about the Persians. “I mean, I can see why they call us barbarians,” said D’Souzacles. “We leave our young to die. We’ve lost all faith in the gods. When was the last time you heard anyone pray to Hermes? Forget Xerxes. What about Hermes? We’re focusing on the enemy abroad when we should be looking for the enemy at home!”

Given the opposition to Leonidas amongst Spartans, Xerxes is optimistic about Persian chances. “Spartans are divided and unfocused. That is good. They are right to reject Leonidas,” Xerxes said, surrounded by that dude with the crab arms and the guy with the goat head. “Leonidas asks Spartans to put aside petty differences, to prioritize, to reason, and to think. I ask them only…to kneel.”

I had the honor of sitting in on a blogger’s conference call today with representatives of Team Giuliani which included Director of Strategy Brent Seaborn, Lead Pollster Ed Geoas, and Deputy Communications Director Maria Comella.

The highlights:

1. Since Rudy has made it clear that he is “100% committed” to running, doubters have changed their theme from “Rudy won’t run” to “Once GOP’ers find out about Rudy’s social views they will change their mind”. This is contradicted by polling which shows that Hizzoner’s main base of support is from self-identified “conservative” and “very conservative voters” of which half to two-thirds correctly identify Rudy as a social moderate.

2. An underreported statistic from the most recent Gallup Poll is the favorable/unfavorable ratings of the various 2008 candidates is Rudy’s amazing 78% to 10% rating among Republicans, 34% of which (half of the total favorables) “strongly” support Hizzoner.

3. Polling suggests that there is a strong awareness of Rudy as “center-left” on social issues and “center-right” on fiscal issues. Hizzoner’s strong support among self-identified “conservative” and “very conservative” voters suggest that the prosecution of the GWOT may have surpassed social issues in the minds of many of these voters. The specter of President Hillary Rodham Clinton may also be a small factor as well.

4. Is polling regarding the 2008 election “soft” at this point? There is much to suggest that voters in both parties are much more attuned to the forthcoming election than they were in 2000 & 2004, including perhaps even the Democratic base prior to the 2004 election.

Some very interesting points… My overall impression was that although the Giuliani campaign is pleased with Rudy’s current standing in the polls, they are not content to simply ride out the numbers until the voting begins, but are focused on working hard to communicate Hizzoner’s shared conservative beliefs and accomplishments with Republican voters.