RSS Feed MenuFrumForum contributor Richard Brownell makes excuses for Rudolph Giuliani’s refusal to run for the Senate from New York in 2010. “Let’s face it,” he writes,
the U.S. Senate was once considered the pinnacle of civil politics and an august body; but lately it has little more class and decorum than a rugby scrum. It’s not hard to imagine Giuliani not wanting to be a part of it.
Then there’s Rudy himself. He exhibited great leadership after the 9/11 attacks; but there are other points against him that opponents in any future campaigns would exploit — his combative governing style, his personal relations, Bernard Kerik. Giuliani supporters dismiss these items as baseless or just old news, but they would have to be dealt with regardless.
Too Bad. Winning elections is never easy; it’s hard. Winning elections requires long and arduous campaigns and vigorous campaigning.
Does Brownell think it was easy for Hillary Clinton to win election to the Senate? Hillary was beset with all sorts of problems and scandals — from Web Hubbell to Cattlegate to the McDougals. Yet, none of this deterred her from running for the Senate and winning a coveted Senate seat.
And doing so was important because it kept Hillary in the political and policy spotlight, and served as the launching pad for her presidential run, which, in turn, led to her appointment as Secretary of State. Hillary, consequently, has been a major political and public-policy force; she has helped shape the national political dialogue and public-policy debate.
As a Senator, of course, Hillary also was a reliably liberal Democratic vote. Thus she opposed Bush Supreme Court nominees John Roberts and Samuel Alito and voted against cutting taxes and spending. This while compiling an “average lifetime 90% ‘Liberal Quotient’ from Americans for Democratic Action and a lifetime eight percent rating from the American Conservative Union.”
Giuliani’s voting record, of course, would be strikingly different and better: It would be far more conservative. That’s why he’s needed in the United States Senate.
Still, Brownell insists that Giuliani isn’t “walking away from politics or the GOP.
He believes that he will be more effective to the broader Republican cause by helping out various races around the country through his campaigning and fundraising efforts, and he may be right. He was a public servant for much of his life. Maybe it is as simple as the fact that he just wants to enjoy life now.
Sorry, but Giuliani’s had plenty of time to “enjoy life.” In truth, there is no better way for Giuliani to serve his country, his state, and his party than by running for the Senate from New York in 2010.
No Republican stands as good a chance of capturing a highly coveted Senate seat from New York as Giuliani. Even if he does not win, Giuliani still will help the Republican Party nationally by moving the political and policy debate to where it rightly belongs: focused on the safety and security of our country.
Committed Democrats almost always do this. They work tirelessly on behalf of their team. They run when they must to help their party and their cause, even when doing so is personally inconvenient and challenging.
New Jersey Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg, for instance, came out of retirement to replace the corrupt Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli when Torricelli was forced to resign in 2002. Lautenberg was 78 years old at the time and had been in retirement for more than a year. Yet, he understood that if he did not run for Torricelli’s Senate seat, then in all likelihood the Republican candidate would win that election.
So Lautenberg took one for the team, threw his hat into the ring, ran and campaigned hard, and won. And, to this day, Lautenberg remains safely ensconced in the Senate. His is a reliably liberal vote, which can always be counted on to support President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, and the Democratic Party’s far left special interest groups.
Former Vice President Walter Mondale did much the same thing in 2002 when, 11 days before the November 5 election, Senator Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash.
Mondale was then 74 years old and surely enjoying retirement. But when his party and his cause called, Mondale refused to go MIA; quite the contrary: Mondale replaced Wellstone on the ballot. And although he lost that race (to Republican Norm Coleman), Mondale ran a vigorous and honorable campaign in which he held high the liberal Democratic banner.
That’s selflessness and teamwork. That’s commitment to a cause larger than yourself.
It’s not too late for Rudy to change his mind. America, the Republican Party, and the conservative cause all need him — out on the campaign trail and in the United States Senate.
Justin_Anderson // Dec 23, 2009 at 6:45 pm
As someone who has worked on both sides of the aisle, I can attest to the fact that each side views the other side as being more disciplined, committed, team players, etc. Grass is always greener and all that stuff.
But, to say that Noun Verb 9-11 would shape the political dialogue in the country is laughable. The guy got absolutely zero traction in his ill-fated presidential race. So I’m at a loss to figure out how his running for Senate from NY would shape national political trends. Then, of course, there is also the problem that Mr. Safety and Security placed OEM in 7 World Trade Center, despite the 1993 bombing of the WTC.
Chekote // Dec 23, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Enough with Giuliani. He is damaged goods and needs to move on.
teabag // Dec 23, 2009 at 7:56 pm
If Rudi 9/11 Giuliani is incapable of beating “Walnuts” McCain in a GOP primary then he is toasted 9/11.
He ran an abysmal campaign in o8, quite the worst of a terrible bunch of losers.
JeninCT // Dec 23, 2009 at 10:05 pm
If Rudy wanted to run in NY he would win it easily. NYers love him, and no one blames him for stepping down. Lazio will most likely take on the senate race and he’s a fine candidate.
Joe In NH // Dec 23, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Why no Rudy on the ballot? Try $$$$$$$. The guy makes millions trading on his reputation.
John Guardiano // Dec 23, 2009 at 10:11 pm
JeninCT,
Lazio is running for governor, not Senator. There’s still a void in the New York Senate race.
Regards,
John
franco 2 // Dec 24, 2009 at 7:36 am
Too many writers here in Frum Forum can’t seem to face reality.
This is really absurd. Giuliani is done. He made a serious miscalculation when he ran for President, he’s making tons of money in the private sector. Maybe he’d win the election in NY but he’s not running.
I have my problems with Rudy, but he’s not on the same level of craven vacuity as Lautenberg and Mondale, besides he ISN’T retired – he’s got a relatively easy lucrative consulting business. ( He can just say “9/11″ and he gets the contract)
Hillary only ran for the seat as a steppingstone. The seat is no steppingstone for Guilani since his POTUS possibilities are dead.
Also the GOP needs to get over running these has-beens and celebrity candidates. Swarzennegger comes to mind… It isn’t productive. Lazio is a lightweight. The operative questions are , Why is the GOP bench so thin? Why can’t these guys like Lazio articulate a message? ( ans. They are GOP drones) Why do we need celebrities rather than citizens who have some savvy and cahones?
tdawg11870 // Dec 24, 2009 at 12:04 pm
To think a guy who fired his police chief for getting too much media attention for the drop in crime is the definition of “does not play well with others.” No to criticize his record as mayor, Rudy has zero history of compromise and collegiality, both of which are needed to be a good Senator.
If he runs (unlikely) and gets elected (no sure thing either), it will take a week or so before he realize that his fellow senators won’t anoint him King of the Senate. After that, he’ll get bored quickly and after one term (or less) focus on helping America from the comfortable confines of his lobby shop.
tdawg11870 // Dec 24, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Yeah, the grammar on that last post sucked. Such happens when you’re alt-tabbing between this and real work.
JeninCT // Dec 24, 2009 at 2:06 pm
My mistake, I thought he was running for senate.
Rudy isn’t senator material in any case, he’s a leader not a concensus builder by nature. I’d rather see him as governor but I vertainly don’t blame him for not wanting to run for another office. Unlike certain senators that stay for life, Rudy knows when to move on.
PracticalGirl // Dec 24, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Brownell has it right. While declining to run for Governor of New York to represent a population he understands surprised me, his bowing out of the GOP race for Senate did not. The national focus/priorities/style of the GOP isn’t something that either embraced Rudy (for President) nor something that I think Rudy (in the Senate) could embrace, either.
handworn // Jan 3, 2010 at 11:49 pm
What Giuliani needs to stand for is his own values. “Taking one for the team” to one extreme or the other too often means ceasing to stand for your own beliefs that are inconvenient to a national agenda, liberal or conservative, and just shutting up for the sake of one or another irritating national power-grabber. There was just about never anything less American ever said by a Republican than “Republicans don’t criticize other Republicans.” Only the good ones do.