We do need Guiliani's leadership right now.

However, what we don't need is Guiliani running for President in 2008. We already have the Democratic party pushing for more Abortion-On-Demand, we don't need a Republican President stoking the fires.

Good idea using Rudy. I really want to believe Ace when he says Rudy wouldn't be another RINO, but I'm not sure I can take that chance. I'm going to have to see what happens as we get closer to the election.

If you think Guiliani is going to push an abortion-on-demand agenda, alienating his base, then you obviously also think the man is mentally retarded.

He doesn't seem retarded to me.

He will backtrack on abortion and adopt a position closer to Bush's. He will promise to appoing Scalia-type judges, and will justify not funding anti-abortion efforts around the world by saying that he doesn't believe the US should spend money on such controversial programs which a significant fraction of the population believes to be immoral.

He will not be forward-leaning on overturning RvW, but he will definitely be on the right side of the issue, although not as stridently as some might like.

But he's not stupid enough to think he can win the Republican nomination as a pro-choice candidate.

Whether social conservatives can accept a rightish Clintonesque fudge on the issue is up to them. But he's not a stupid man.

gIUliani! Gak, how many times has his name been mangled this week?

I think Rudy G. would be perfect. It's his skill set, he's an outsider so he can be frank and owes nothing to anyone, and he's got the credibility to do the job...plus it would piss off the democrats no end to have a reminder that Republican Rudy and on the ground in a developing crisis can show more leadership, initiative and smarts than any number of democrats on the ground - the NOLA mayor and chief of police, and theLA governor were all MIA on this one.

As far as him being a RINO - let's not sacrifice the excellent to the perfect, okay?

Ace, you said:

"He doesn't seem retarded to me...He will backtrack on abortion and adopt a position closer to Bush's."

Well, I do not think Rudy G. is retarded.

What I would like from a President is someone who believes that abortion is wrong, not someone who will temper his position for poilitical gain.

Rudy G. is on the wrong side of the Abortion issue and no Clintonesque political maneuvring will help him convince me or conservatives like me to vote for him.

If you want Hillary as your President, then continue to push for Rudy G.

And it is not "Pro-Choice" as you state, it is "Pro-Abortion".

Do not, mess with my man Rudy G. He took on the mob and killed it, raised my city from the ashes of the Dinkins administration and made it a city that was liveable again. He showed us what a true leader can do in a crisis on 9/11. If I have a chance to vote for him for President I will get up at the crack of dawn and be at my voting place to cast a vote for him. I might disagree with him on some issues, but make no mistake he is a LEADER and true leaders are hard to find in this day and age.

For some strange reason, Ace, I get the impression that you're something of a fan of Rudy G. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm definitely getting a vibe there...

...from the ashes of the Dinkins administration...

The Dinkins administration response had it been around on 9/11 would have been exactly what the NOLA administration did.

Look, if you're going to convene the Republican Sanhedrin every time somebody who's not pro-life runs for prez, you can make up your mind to have a whole lotta Democrats in office, because most of the country is not as die-hard on this issue as you are.

If Giuliani is willing to adopt even a Clintonian "safe, legal, and rare" position, I'll go for him. The President has other jobs besides raging Lear-like at the abortion industry, you know.

Look, if you're going to convene the Republican Sanhedrin every time somebody who's not pro-life runs for prez, you can make up your mind to have a whole lotta Democrats in office

Just the opposite I would say. Who's the last pro-abortion Republican to be elected? And we've won 7 of the last 10 presidential elections. And two of those were lost without the winner getting 50% of the vote.