Salon: What Will Rudy Say to His Gay Friends?

[kskiska]

Speculation that Bush might replace unpopular veep Dick Cheney with the popular -- and extremely gay-friendly -- Rudolph Giuliani came to an abrupt halt when the president called for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Whether President Bush's decision to back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages will hurt his Democratic opponent in the 2004 election campaign remains to be seen. But it's clear that the White House announcement was a setback for at least one high-profile politician with national ambitions -- Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York.

In fact, Bush's public stance against gay marriages should end any further speculation that Giuliani might be tapped to replace Vice President Dick Cheney on the Republican ticket this year. That chatter had been building in recent weeks as Cheney's approval ratings continued to plunge, down 20 points in the last year, while Giuliani's star power has soared. But opposition to same-sex marriage is now a defining issue for the Republican base, and Giuliani has been an open supporter of gay and lesbian rights. And though Giuliani is widely believed to be considering a run for president in 2008, he once again finds himself battling the perception that as a national candidate he's too moderate for Republican Party voters.

"I just don't see Rudy Giuliani being able to sway conservatives within the Republican Party," says Michael Long, chairman of the New York state Conservative Party. "The gay marriage issue draws a line down the middle of the street, and Rudy Giuliani is something of a champion of gay rights."

(snip)

Giuliani's spokesperson did not return calls seeking comment. But Giuliani's sympathies have been no secret. During his administration, gays and lesbians in New York pressed for domestic-partnership rights. Giuliani in turn pushed the city's Democratic-controlled City Council, which had avoided the issue for years, to finally pass legislation providing broad protection for same-sex partners. In 1998, he codified local law by granting all city employees equal benefits for their domestic partners. Giuliani also had gays and lesbians serve openly in his administration, and when he divorced from his wife in 2000, he moved temporarily into the apartment of a wealthy gay couple.

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http://salon.com/news/feature/2004/02/26/giuliani/index.html

[lcordero]

1. Republicans are a different breed over here

I'm going to take the Mills guy seriously. He actually asked to run against Schumer.

[Stuckinthebush]

2. He could be Kerry's VP....

Whoa...sorry....I had a momentary fall into the looking glass....