It's difficult to pick the republican would-be candidate that would best serve the goal of seeing a Democrat administration fully installed again, but Giuliani has the kind of "feed of clay" that will surely crumble and leave their campaign fallen if the dems take proper aim...of course the same could be said for the rest of the GOP candiates with the exception of Ron Paul. I suspect however, that just like every "overly mature" organization, the dems will most likely shoot at their opponent in a way that doesn't seem relevant to the "rest of the country" or they'll point their weapons at themselves. I'm already seeing it happen by the discussion over issues that either side see only in the light of their own arguement rather than the practicality of the ideas that they promote. The constituency hates this so much that intelligent folk who want transparency in government and the knowledge that their efforts are rewarded instead of squandered and contrary to what they feel when they see small gains spent on self-glorification and not just pie in the sky, are looking seriously at alternative candidates and innovative perspectives, not much of that is coming out of those appointed by media as video-worthy candidates.

Rudy's claim to have reduced the number of people on public assistance should have a big asterisk next to it.
Rudy simply required people with psychiatric disabilities who were receiving state/city sponsored public assistance, a/k/a "welfare", to apply for federally sponsored social security. That was how he achieved the "reductions" in public assistance. The only thing that Rudy did was change the source of the payments. The idea wasn't Rudy's. It was the brainchild of a law firm that handles social security applicants. I'm a New Yorker. I know that that's how he did it.

Giuliani has a mixed record which very much reflected his role as mayor more than anything else. Giuliani consistently had a health care policy which first and foremost reduced the costs for NYC while maintaining the availability of care for as many NYC residents as possible. His efforts to move more people from "free" emergency care at the expensive of NYC and to other divisions of government paid for health insurance was good for NYC but bad national policy. In contrast his efforts to privatize the city"s troubled public hospital system, the largest in the nation, was both good for NYC and good national policy. Socialized or politician controlled health care is a disaster and bad for the country.

Giuliani mocking "socialized" medicine raises several questions.

1) Does he actually believe the current system is working?

The "privatized" insurance system, coupled with HMOs, etc. promised to control and reduce costs. That was 30 years ago. That system has FAILED. We MUST do something different.

2) Does Giuliani think that annual, often over the past 10 years double-digit, increases in insurance premiums is NOT a tax on individual and corporate budgets?

3) Does Giuliani realize that for-profit insurers need 16%-20% of revenues to administer their plans while Social (there's that word again) Security and Medicare use only 3% os revenues?

4) Does Giuliani think it's somehow better to have an insurance company bureaucrat deciding which doctor, what treatment or which medicine a patient receives versus no one telling anyone those things because they're all available at no additional charge?

5) Does Giuliani realize that roughly one-half of the country gets a version of "socialized" (taxpayer-paid) medicine? Consider Medicare, Medicaid, VA, SCHIP, active duty and retired military, all federal employees...

6) Has Giuliani forgotten that the major insurers are publically traded companies which have as its FIRST obligation to return the maximum profit to its shareholders?

Now that's not a terrible thing all by itself, and it's great if you're an investor in a drill bit manufacturer, but where do patients fit into that priority for a healthcare insurer? Someplace other than first!

7) While defending the current system, then, exactly whose interests are being defended? Patients? Doctors? Or insurance companies? Pharmaceutical manufacturers?

We've seen privatized insurance and now we've seen Bush's privatized military (Blackwater) and both have failed to deliver for the American people. No thanks, Mr Mayor. We'll have something different, please.

Given Mr. Guiliani's latest flip flop, are we to believe that he paid the entire 100% of his health insurance out of his very own pocket, or was it subsidized by the citizens of New York?

I think people are being too hard on little Rudy. Let's face it - he (nor most of the neocons on the ballot) isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer - if he had a modicum of wisdom he wouldn't be a republican as that would disqualify him right off the bat. I don't think Rudy has any idea what "socialized" means - therein lies the problem. Does he support public emergency groups (like fire fighters and police), education, and libraries? If not... well, then that says volumes in itself - but if he does stand behind all those indispensible infrastructures of any developed community - then he is all for socialized constructs as a part of progressive society.

Rudy will say anything if he thinks it'll help him. It's pretty disgusting. Kinda makes me have more respect for Fred "I wanna be president as a 6 on a scale of 10" Thompson. If ppl can't see thru this goober, we are doomed.

Who said JulieAnnie is in search of a balcony? That and Biden's liine of N, V and 9/11 got it right.

Rudy backed super liberal Mario Cuomo in the NY governors race against fellow Republican Pataki. He was going to switch parties and run for the Senate but the Dems went in the tank in the elections and Rudy backed away. Now he's super conservative hawk Rudy.

This man is evil, pure evil.

Rudy: saying one thing and doing another. That pathetic little man will say ANYTHING to get elected, won't he?

The right wing idiots have been equating "socialized medicine" with communism and being unpatriotic.As other have already commented, most politicians have healthcare policies paid for with our taxes,they are the most socialized greedy bastards on earth but god forbid those on the lower rungs might make him/her have to wait to see a doctor because there are more patients.The sooner the ignorant masses of Republicans see thru this charade the better.To these dregs of society that take their medical benefits from the very government that they say can't handle such a high priced program I ask, how many of you blood sucking leeches have refused your medical benefits and used your more than generous salary to buy your family medical insurance from these other insurers that fleece the public 24/7/365?I bet not one of our Senators or Congress persons has even given that idea a fleeting thought.So come on trolls,tell us what a bad idea"socialized medicine" is and how you trust your politicans to keep "socialist ideas" out of America.

No surprises here. It is a tribute to the extreme leftism of huffposters that you are not somewhat pleased at Giuliani's place at the table, as he is a prime example of a Republican in Name Only. Think about it. He is only blowing smoke - he is in no way shape or form conservative, w/ the exception of being "tough on crime". Whatever. You guys are going to get a Left-leaning candidate if ANY of the frontrunners win - so lighten up. But unless someone isn't a little to the left of Stalin, everyone gets there knickers in a knot.

Conservatives like myself have to choose between "absenteeing" Hillary into office or voting for McCain/Romney/Giuliani and their pathetic attempt to sound right-wing. They will get some votes due to the white hot hatred of everything she represents, but you can't build a viable candidacy on negativity and ire. Repubs have been coasting on the "come on people, at least we're not democrats" strategy for far too long. We need a real deal Conservative leader, someone inspiring and dynamic - not likely anytime soon.

Barring one of the fringe guys jumping forward you guys will win, even if you lose. We will keep charging, butt over tea-kettle, toward the socialist nanny state that all good lefties dream about. I have to find a good spot to bury my guns.

That's probably because he's a big-time 2-faced
lying crapsack that should have been booted out
of office a long time ago....

Rudy looks kinda funny, running in ever faster circles with his own tail in his mouth. Maybe it's a tactic to confuse and mesmerize the knuckle-draggers.

Might work.

Let me get this straight: Mr. G., saying he'd be a gonner if he had to depend upon "socialized" medicine for his prostate therapy, neglects to mention that he was ON THE GOVERNMENT'S DOLLAR when he was treated. He also neglects to mention, that the therapy he received, was developed in England, the very home of "socialized" medicine.

In essence, he is talking from the part of his body, they treated his prostate from.