Pal’s indictment a drag on high-flying Giuliani

By J. Patrick Coolican (contact), Mike Trask (contact)

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 | 7:40 a.m.

Rudy Giuliani's vulnerabilities as a presidential candidate have always lurked just below the surface, his rivals for the Republican nomination waiting for the right moment to exploit them.

On the day the former New York City mayor made a campaign stop in Henderson, his opponents were given a well-timed gift: the indictment of Giuliani's former police commissioner, business partner and close friend Bernard Kerik, who surrendered Friday to face federal corruption charges.

Giuliani had been instrumental in recommending Kerik for the job of Homeland Security secretary in December 2004. Kerik's nomination collapsed after an array of damaging news stories: He had used as a love nest a downtown apartment set aside for 9/11 rescue workers, lobbied for a company federal authorities believe has mob ties and had on-duty New York City detectives do personal business for him.

For Giuliani, who may be called to testify, the indictment couldn't come at a worse time, as the first votes will be cast in less than two months. Although the front-runner in national polls, he trails in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Wall-to-wall Kerik coverage could raise questions among voters about the judgment of the man they until now have known as the colorful mayor who stood tall after 9/11 while potentially undercutting his claims to being best able to protect Americans, given that he recommended such a deeply flawed candidate to be Homeland Security secretary.

Still, the man who became known as "America's Mayor" after showing grace, empathy and inner resolve following the terrorist attacks has real star power, especially among Republicans, as he showed in Henderson on Friday and at an Iowa stop Thursday.

Giuliani, who as a star U.S. attorney cracked down on the mob and Wall Street insider traders alike during the 1980s, deployed his signature conversational speaking style.

That rhetorical style tends to leaven his message, which is for the most part a relentless attack on the Democratic candidates.

At one point, he took on a mocking, whiny tone of voice to mimic the Democratic contenders, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards: "Let's tax the rich and give it to the poor," he said.

Giuliani said Democrats want to introduce socialized medicine and attacked former President Bill Clinton for reducing American military spending during his time in the White House.

Those cuts, which were then referred to as the "peace dividend," amounted to dangerous "happy talk," he said.

Although not unique among presidential candidates in this respect, Giuliani's statements weren't entirely true. The deep cuts in defense spending began during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. Clinton increased defense spending during his second term.

Nor have the leading Democrats proposed socialized medicine, which by definition would mean the government would own hospitals and employ doctors and nurses. Rather, they've proposed using tax credits and expanding some programs so that every American has some form of health insurance.

Giuliani said his national security priority is "staying on offense" against Islamic terrorists. In practical terms, this could mean war with Iran, as many of his foreign policy advisers, including Norman Podhoretz, have been advocating recently.

His hard-line message fires up the Republican base and inoculates him against some of his other political vulnerabilities, especially among Christian conservatives. (He's in favor of abortion rights and lived with two gay men as mayor after he informed his second wife, via a news conference, that he was divorcing her.)

Just this week, in fact, he was endorsed by Pat Robertson, the conservative televangelist, in what is a sign that many conservative Christians will support him because Islamic terrorism, and not abortion, is their animating issue.

That bit of good news must have made the Kerik indictment all the more painful as the subject has now been changed, which was evident at a brief appearance at the Crazy Pita restaurant in The District in Henderson on Friday afternoon. He sat down with the family of Mehdi Zarhloul, the owner of the restaurant.

Zarhloul, a Moroccan immigrant, said it was an honor to have the former New York City mayor in his shop, although he remained uncommitted about whom he'd support in the presidential race.

Roughly 100 supporters - including about a dozen AARP volunteers in red shirts - crammed in the restaurant as Giuliani talked with the family.

After the pita shop stop he took four questions from the local and national media in attendance. Three of the questions focused on the Kerik indictment.

"It's a sad day," Giuliani said.

And, on the 2004 nomination of Kerik, he said, "It was my responsibility. I've apologized."