Oh-eight (R): 'I order in English'
Posted: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 9:33 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Republicans
As if the GOP didn't have branding issues when it comes to national security, now the WSJ notes the GOP's problems of holding its title as the party of business.
GIULIANI: The one good news about the third-party threat issued by some Christian conservatives if Giuliani gets the nomination, it continues the trend of making this GOP campaign a referendum on Giuliani's conservatism.
Let me give you the harsh reality for social conservatives. Evangelical groups are unified in their opposition to Giuliani but they are split on how best to proceed. There are three choices and they are very simple; stick with the GOP candidate in the General Election no matter what so Hillary Clinton has a chance at being defeated; come up with a third party candidate and put purity ahead of politics or just simply sit on your hands and not vote. Those last two options could very well indeed put a Democrat in the White House.
It’s important to note that these Evangelical groups are still trying to find a viable candidate out there. They believe there are some alternatives to Rudy. Fred Thompson is definitely still on the table, Huckabee is receiving some support too and Romney is intriguing. All three would probably get General Election support, but what about now when these candidates really need it?
The Giuliani campaign aggressively pushed back on the story yesterday regarding whether he was conservative enough.
The campaign had one supporter, Texas Congressman Pete Sessions, telling the CBN's David Brody that if Giuliani were in Congress today, his voting record would be considered by pro-life than pro-choice. Examples Sessions points to regarding Giuliani's abortion positions that would make him seem more pro-life than pro-choice: parental notification and his oppositon to so-called "partial-birth" abortion.
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Does any campaign do conservative symbolism better than Giuliani? His appearance with the
English-only Philly cheesesteak guy gets Rudy what he wants.
But NBC/NJ’s Matthew Berger reports that Giuliani was mobbed Monday night at Geno's Steaks. Amid a rowdy group of supporters, a handful of protesters yelled above the mayor and mobbed him as he toured the famous cheese-steak shop. Protesters are angry at Geno's owner Joey Vento, who placed a sign on his wall last year that read "This is America, when ordering speak English." They said Giuliani was endorsing an anti-immigrant stance by visiting Geno's.
Giuliani and wife Judith tried to walk around the stand and greet supporters, but were consistently stopped by reporters, supporters and protesters. When he tried to answer questions from the media, he was shouted at by the protesters, and signs reading "Philadelphia Loves Immigrants" were at his back. "This is America; people have the right to have their opinions," Giuliani said. "When I come here, I order in English."
Representatives from the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition said they were disappointed Giuliani was visiting Vento's restaurant, given the former mayor's support for immigrants in New York City. "As mayor, he saw the contributions immigrants make," executive director Regan Cooper said. "Now he's flip-flopping."
Giuliani did place an order of several cheesesteaks, with provolone cheese. Many people there were cognizant John Kerry had made news across the street at Pat's in 2004 for ordering a cheesesteak with swiss cheese. Provolone is considered more appropriate, but not as good as the Philly standard Cheese Whiz. But Giuliani had to go inside to eat, and remained secluded there for 15 minutes, while the media waited outside. He had to be escorted back to his car by police amid a sea of reporters and fans.
"Anyone would expect any Republican showing up (to South Philadelphia) would have protesters," said Michael Shiely, 22, who came with a group of University of Pennsylvania College Republicans.
Shiely said he didn't understand what was wrong with Vento's policy. "I would think people coming to this country would want to learn English." Vento, who announced he was endorsing Giuliani on Fox News Channel before the mayor arrived, paraded Giuliani around the shop, and declared him the "First Italian President."
MCCAIN: This could be fun for McCain in tweaking Giuliani should McCain and not Rudy get the
endorsement of "Tony Soprano."
McCain writes an op-ed, railing against his pet issue of earmark in the
New Hampshire Union-Leader: “Despite the growing evidence that earmarks and pork-barrel spending corrupted the Republican Party, and even put some lawmakers in jail, these practices remain business as usual. Congress is the national legislature and should be focused on national priorities, not divisions by squabbling over who gets a bigger piece of the federal pie.”
Jewish groups
criticized McCain for saying “he would prefer a Christian president over one of a different faith.” Joe Lieberman came to his defense.
THOMPSON: Some may classify this as
another Thompson gaffe, but Thompson wouldn't concede this. The candidate reiterated that he believed Iraq did have WMD in 2003. “We can’t forget the fact that although at a particular point in time we never found any WMD down there, he clearly had had WMD. He clearly had had the beginnings of a nuclear program,” Thompson told an audience of about 60 at a Newton cafe. Thompson later said he was referring Saddam’s attack on Kurdish northern Iraq with banned weapons in the 1980s.
It's
not quite a Sister Souljah moment, but Thompson is sticking to his guns on gay marriage, backing a Constitutional amendment that would ban marriage but leave open the possibility states legalize the practice. "Everyone I have talked to in my meetings like this, the answer has been yes," said Thompson. He conceded there are reservations. "I think they prefer their own wording. They are primarily concerned about marriage being a union between a man and a woman," said Thompson. He said his solution strikes a balance. More: “In my estimation, his intent never did change,” Thompson said. “And by today, he clearly would have had that (weapons program) rejuvenated.”
Meanwhile, the
Des Moines Register notes Thompson's opposition to the '03 Medicare Rx drug bill by juxtaposing his opposition to Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley's support.
Thompson is going to have his share of
Nashville celebrities backing his candidacy, like he did yesterday in Iowa where the "Rich" half of "Big N Rich" stumped for Thompson.
