WILL THE REAL RUDY GIULIANI PLEASE STAND UP-- SOONER OR LATER EVERYONE'S GOING TO KNOW EVERYTHING ANYWAY

The wingnuts who vote in Republican primaries know almost nothing about Rudy Giuliani. They certainly don't know he's a serial crossdresser and they are unsure of how he stands on even the issues most important to them. All they know is that he led his policemen on the raid that dislodged the Arab armies that invaded New York on 9-11 and he killed them all and saved South Carolina from the influx of Jews and Blacks and Puerto Ricans who would have fled New York to escape if Rudy hadn't acted so selflessly (while Bush was hiding under a desk and then flying around the country like a chicken without a head, although that must have been Bill Clinton). Other than that, no one knows anything about him north of 85th Street or south of northern New Jersey.

Today Neocon propagandist John Podhoretz-- accent on the middle syllable-- did a Rudy puff piece in Murdoch's New York Post. He explains Giuliani's popularity by identifying him as the hero who caused the piles of Arab bodies in the streets of New York after the Attack. "After all, how else can you explain a man with Giuliani's supposedly liberal social views possibly rise as high as he has-- besting John McCain among Republicans by as many as 22 points in one poll? Many on the right profess amazement at the lead he's opened up among Republican primary voters, considering his pro-choice views and sloppy personal life."

Podhoretz is much dumber than his father. I suppose it never dawned on him that the average Republican pollee is even dumber than he is. They don't know about Rudy's pro-choice/pro-gay/pro gun control/pro-undocumented work views or that he's a got a... how did he put it? A "sloppy personal life?"

The greed and selfishness wing of the GOP certainly likes Giuliani. And that explains why corporate whores like Bill Simon and Michael Boskin signed on to his campaign today (not to mention a whole gaggle of the sleaziest gambling industry crooks in Nevada who are raising him money next week: Roger Norman, Steve Wark, Mike Alonso, Randy Capurro, Glenn Carano, Ben Farahi, and John Sande). [WEDNESDAY MINI-UPDATE: MORE GAMBLERS FOR RUDY- Once it was announced Rudy would be in Reno taking money from the gambling industry, a whole slew of organized crime's most faithful servants in Nevada signed on to help: Bob Cashell (Reno), Geno Martini (Sparks), Bob Larkin (Washoe County), and State Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio.]
But they like him because he's one of them; it's all about the Benjamins in that world and they don't care if he cheats on 2 wives at once-- and wears their dresses-- or what he says about any social issues one way or the other. They're just in it for that good old fashioned GOP Greed. Now, the base voters on the other hand...

Wait 'til they find out! According to a Diageo poll that came out today 64% of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of Iraq. Giuliano isn't among them. Only 28% of voters say they are inclined to vote for a (generic) Republican for president in 2008. When you ask them the open-ended question, "Who would you most like to see elected president in 2008, it reads like this:
Hillary 18%
Obama 12%
Giuliani 8%
McCain 6%
Romney 4%
Edwards 3%
Lots of undecideds. And when you ask that question to Republicans, it reads like this:
Giuliani 17%
McCain 12%
Romney 7%
Hillary 4%
Obama 4%
Brownback 1%
Huckabee 1%
Tancredo 1%

And among Independents only Hillary and Obama are in double digits. Among all voters, only 28% describe Giuliani as pro-choice. The others don't know he is. They will. Only 26% know he supports Bush's Iraq policies. (A Zogby Poll also came out today, by the way. Only 23% of Americans say they approve of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. That's going to be tough for all the Republicans to handle.)

I saw Giuliani making his "I'm in it" speech on a Larry King show. He came right out and said "I am pro-choice." That was on CNN. I'm assuming he says the same thing on Fox. I wonder if he actually does. That creepy Romney Breck Girl memo that was leaked today makes it clear that they're going after Giulani by painting him "as a one-dimensional Lone Ranger whose social views-- he supports abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples-- could destroy the 'GOP brand.' 'We can't disqualify Dems like Hillary on social issues ever again' if Giuliani is the nominee, the document states." Something tells me that if the need arises Democrats will be less kind.


UPDATE: WILL THE GOP REALLY NOMINATE A TRANSVESTITE?

Because Adam is so whacky with his photoshop skills I think a lot of DWT readers think we're joking about Rudy being a crossdresser. We're not. Jeff Feldman has the full story-- with video today. It's worth getting to know the man the Republicans want to run for president. Maybe Rudy and Hillary can compete for who looks best in an evening gown.