GOP pushing Sen. Giuliani

[ccharles000]

Top state Republicans will urge former Mayor Rudy Giuli ani to abandon his interest in running for governor and run instead against unelected US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, The Post has learned.

The appeal, expected within a few weeks, comes in the wake of Giuliani's embarrassing defeat in his effort to block Manhattan lawyer Ed Cox, ex-President Richard Nixon's son-in-law, from becoming the state GOP chairman.

"I am picking up no support for Rudy for governor, but I'm hearing his name mentioned for US Senate," one of the state's most influential elected Republicans, a Cox supporter, told The Post.

State Republicans describe Giuliani's chances against Gillibrand as excellent and say the statewide organization fielded by Cox to become party leader could become a powerful base for a Giuliani Senate race.

One GOP leader said Republicans were struck by "the poor quality of Rudy's statewide political operation" as he backed Niagara County GOP Chairman Henry Wojtaszek against Cox.

"He has a terrible political organization: His people are nasty and vindictive -- not a good combination -- and I hear he's pretty upset with the advice he got on all of this," the Republican leader continued.

The GOP's pitch to Giuliani is expected to include the claim that the party's only hope for a resurgence in New York is to pick up several "secondary" statewide offices, such as senator and state comptroller, and not aim for the top spot, party insiders said.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/gop_pushing_sen_giuliani_RqZSxXw0fxIeppuGc5NUTL

[ShadowLiberal]

1. Didn't Giuliani drop out of the senate race last time because he wasn't interestedin the job?

Seriously, I read an article during the 08 presidential primary about Rudy and Hillary's face off for the senate seat that never happened. Rudy's problem there was that he didn't really want the job, he just wanted bragging rights for beating a Clinton. His staff even knew it towards the end.

[Marsala]

2. It was because of his prostate cancer diagnosis. n/t

[dsc]

3. and his disgusting personal life

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Nobody who's ever dealt with Rudy thinks he could possibly...

be the junior Senator from NY (junior to Schumer, no less) and the lowest ranking flounder in a fishbowl of 100. He's got to be the boss or he doesn't want the job. Prostate cancer my ass-- didn't stop him from screwing his girlfriend, making a bundle on the speaking tour, and magically cleared up when it came time to run for President.

Personally, if he has to run for something, I'd prefer Governor. NY's Governor is one of the weakest in the country and can't really cause too much trouble. It would be hilarious watching him squawk and scream at the legislature, which wouldn't be listening.

Cuomo never could get much done with the divided legislature, Pataki never tried to get anything done, Spitzer didn't get anything done in the short time he was there, and now Paterson, with Democrats allegedly running both houses (some of the time) looks sillier than any of the rest of them.

Giuliani would blow a gasket and end up being the laughingstock of the country.

[burning rain]

5. Actually I think he may have a better shot at the governorship.

A governor is not seen as enabling the national party as a congressman or senator is, and that's a consideration particularly for Northeastern Republicans: that part of the country reviles the national GOP and is damn tough sledding for GOP senate candidates, but does elect Republican governors pretty often. I wonder whether some Republicans dislike Rudy so much, they want to push him into a practically no-win Senate race so they can have someone they like run for governor?

[GoCubsGo]

6. Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please! Oh, please!

We could have so much fun!

[JBoy]

7. I hear he's updating his campaign theme:

A noun, a verb and 9/11 9/12

[Patsy Stone]

8. Nah, he's saving it all up to become President of Florida.

:crazy:

[saltpoint]

9. Giuliani seems uniquely disqualified for the U.S. Senate.

Part of my saying so is overtly partisan, since I consider him to be an opportunistic thug.

Another part addresses his bully-executive mode of problem-solving. The Senate ought to draw people willing to sit down over a lunch or a breakfast or a sideroom table and talk things through, work things out, give a little here, take a little there.

Am I wrong to say that Giuliani hasn't written a sentence of legislation in his life? He really does not belong in a chamber where writing legislation is the order of the day.

He's attracted to the gubernatorial race because it feeds his bully-executive ego, the part of him that wants to drive the tractor and own the tractor he drives. You can't really do that in the Senate. Power has to be jostled and shared and distributed and traded. Giuliani would suck at that.

[fujiyama]

10. He'd probably also have an easier time running for governor

I've heard that Patterson is unpopular, and it's a tough climate statewide. Nationally, the republicans have a much more difficult chance in the northeast and NY especially. I think Gillibrand will keep her seat fairly easily and any republican will ultimately be little more than a sacrificial lamb.

Granted, that is assuming the economy improves and Dems get some REAL health care legislation passed!

[saltpoint]

11. Hi, fujiyama. Do you think that Gov. Paterson is going to win

the nomination in that gubernatorial race? The chatter I'm hearing is that if Andrew Cuomo is interested in the job, the nomination is likely his to lose. The approval ratings for Paterson seem to be irretrievalby low.

Gillibrand may be a better statewide organizer than her detractors first thought. She wasn't my first choice for that seat, but it does look like she's well-positioned to keep her job. Giuliani runs a high risk of losing to her, including a lot of those upstate counties, and maybe even in the New York City area. I could see her whipping him like a rented mule.

And if he takes on Cuomo, and loses in that one, he's pretty much removed from public life. It would be interesting to know what Cuomo is thinking lately. I guess Rudy could give Andrew Cuomo a strong challenge in the gubernatorial race, but it just feels as if A. Cuomo would have the advantage.

No matter which race he finally decides on, my strong wish is that Giuliani gets stomped.

[jasi2006]

12. Well, he certainly fits the GOP "family values" mold. nt