Some on the right begin to warm to Giuliani

Strong showing in straw poll
And yet despite Long’s misgivings and despite what most attendees thought was lackluster speech by the former mayor, in the straw poll of 1,705 attendees at the CPAC event, he finished a respectable second to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Giuliani got 17 percent, four points behind Romney.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who unlike Romney and Giuliani, didn’t address the CPAC gathering, garnered 12 percent. Booing broke out throughout the ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel when McCain’s name was mentioned as the straw poll results were announced Saturday.

Speaking before the poll outcome was revealed, Long said conservatives “perceive Giuliani as being quite liberal on a lot of issues and they’re not comfortable. But, look, two things are happening here: one, there are people looking for someone to beat Hillary, so Hillary gives Rudy a lot of cover. And, two, Rudy to his benefit does give an optimistic vision. Whether that’s enough to carry him through this race, I’m not convinced.”

But Maltese is convinced.

“You saw the enthusiasm,” he said as he left the hall after Giuliani’s speech. “A lot of social conservatives are in this room. I’ve been an ACU (American Conservative Union) board member for 20 years. I’m very strong on the social issues and yet I feel the overwhelming concern for all of us and our constituents is the war against terror and protecting our country from the Islamic fascists.”

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He added, “I am one of the strongest pro-life advocates in New York state. My bills have opposed same-sex marriage. But Rudy Giuliani is now not running for mayor — he’s running for president of the United States to protect our country under attack. And I have to put some of those (social conservative) considerations aside. I have to hope he will listen to our concerns, because he’s indicated he will.”

Polls and straw polls are interesting, but Giuliani will face his first real-world test in Iowa’s caucuses next January.

How will Rudy play in Iowa?
A leading Iowa conservative, Republican Rep. Steve King, who addressed CPAC Saturday on the need to stop illegal immigration, hasn't yet endorsed any contender but said Romney is moving closest to his views on immigration and also happens to be the best organized right now in Iowa.

As mayor, Giuliani enforced a policy which ordered municipal agencies to not report illegal immigrants to federal authorities for deportation.

King is at war with him on that: “I’m all for compassion, but he is at same time saying they should go without deportation. If you’re not willing to send people back to their home country who are here illegally, you can’t enforce any kind of immigration law whatsoever.”

King also said that Giuliani signed an executive order that continued the sanctuary policy of the city of New York. “That means New York has become a sanctuary city, a magnet city for illegals. We don’t need to become any more of a magnet country for illegals that we are today. Hopefully Giuliani will be able to go back and revisit that position.”

Visit Iowa, “revisit” past positions — that’ll be Giuliani’s routine from now until January.

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