Nussle Fallout For '08

Posted: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 1:38 PM by Chuck Todd

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Pres. Bush's gain is Rudy Giuliani's loss. Former Iowa GOP Rep. Jim Nussle's decision to accept Bush's appointment as Budget Dir. means Giuliani loses his main Iowa sherpa. Nussle was always a good answer to the question: "Who's handling your Iowa campaign, mister mayor?" And the answer "Nussle" was usually enough to keep the "Rudy's got no organization in Iowa" griping at bay. But with Nussle gone, the answer of "Paul Pate" (the person who is Giuliani's state chair) won't be satisfactory to some Iowa observers. Giuliani heads to Iowa tomorrow to give a fiscal discipline speech (Nussle would be proud) but he also needs to get some bigger names on board to convince folks that he is, indeed, trying to "win" Iowa. Remember, Giuliani can "win" Iowa without coming in first, but he certainly has to play if he wants to make a second place showing a "win."

With Fred Thompson attempting to fire up a campaign and fighting for Iowa supporters, Giuliani's challenge in Iowa is only getting tougher. The next few months of insider angling in Iowa will tell us alot about Giuliani's chances.

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Comments

Good ridens for this bonehead

Terry, Disabled Vet, Des Moines, IA (Sent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 3:46 PM)

Chuck,

As an Iowan, the people of Iowa firmly rejected Jim Nussle as Governor. As someone who will support a Republican in '08, Rudy signing Nussle up was an indication of Rudy being out of touch with Iowa.

The smartest thing Rudy has done in Iowa was pull out of the straw poll. If he chooses to compete in Iowa, he will finish 3rd at best. Nussle's departure is even more reasoning for Rudy to completely fore-go Iowa.

I hope Rudy chooses to compete in Iowa if for no other reason so that Iowa can show the rest of the country the damage he would do to our country both at home and abroad. (No matter what the New York media & Fox News thinks of him.)

John Stevens, Iowa City, Iowa (Sent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:19 PM)

Hey Chuck, you make it sound like when the Tibetans see a clunky, doofus westerner, they say "Look, A Hawkeye...hahaha". Sherpas are born-handlers, guiding oxygen-starved people up mountains they don't belong in. Nussle proved he needed a Sherpa, early on, and in doing so, proved to not be Sherpa-material, himself. Giuliani might need a Sherpa, but Nussle will always need one.

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:19 PM)

What do you call it when the shrub stops quickly? A Nussle up the wazoo

Terry, Disabled Vet, Des Moines, IA (Sent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 5:17 PM)

Terry, everyone can detect that you are disabled and probably have been so since you were imperfectly conceived by a monkey and a marmot. Put some grease on your mental wheelchair and race for the end of the pier. Bon voyage.

Dez Moynes, Waterloo, IA (Sent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 10:19 PM)

Dez Moynes, Waterloo, IA, obviously you must fit in the Nussle up the wazoo category. Don't follow to closely because you just might taste what's up the wazoo. By the way you must be FUBAR as well. In case you don't know what that means since you must be full of crap it means F@cked Up Beyond All Recognition.

Terry, Disabled Vet, Des Moines, IA (Sent Wednesday, June 20, 2007 9:52 AM)

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