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Katharine Zaleski

Katharine Zaleski

Posted: February 6, 2008 07:15 PM

McCain Snubs Giuliani While Thanking Top Supporters


Poor Rudy Giuliani. The man hasn't had the best week -- and John McCain probably made it a lot worse today. In his post-Super Tuesday press conference, the straight-talker made sure to thank the other men on stage with him, Senator Lindsay Graham and Senator Joe Lieberman, and two prominent recent supporters, Florida Governor Charlie Crist and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the name "Rudy Giuliani" was conspicuously absent -- like the man himself, who was, oddly, a fixture at McCain's side in the days following Giuliani's endorsement of McCain.

Watch it:

You'd think that McCain would want to take extra care to thank Rudy. The man has put his ego and the remaining political clout he has behind his former rival. It was only a week ago when Rudy limped out of the ashes of what was once the "front-runner" campaign to endorse McCain. Not only did he endorse his former rival, but he campaigned for him...in states that McCain won last night! He also went along as McCain's sidekick on the "Tonight Show" and he stood next to his candidate while Schwarzenegger was endorsing him. They spent enough time of the last few days together that you'd think he'd have a lot of Rudy on the brain.

The bigger question is why did Giuliani spend so much time with McCain? One would guess that Giuliani wants to be McCain's vice president. But Giuliani deflated that idea when he was making his way to endorse McCain last week. He told reporters,

"I am not seeking any position in government," he said. "I am going to be a very enthusiastic and active supporter of John McCain. I have offered, anything he or his campaign believe I can do, I will do for them."

The New York Times' blog "The Caucus" runs two plausible theories for why Rudy is spending so much time with McCain:

1. Mr. Giuliani doesn't want to leave the limelight.

2. Mr. Giuliani doesn't want to go home and face the letdown of no longer being on the trail and/or the potential difficulties in rebuilding his business.

If the hunch that Giuliani wants to stay in the limelight or doesn't want to get off the trail turns out to be true then McCain isn't helping him at all. He certainly cut Giuliani out of the limelight today by not thanking him AND he certainly bumped him -- at least inadvertently -- off the campaign trail.

Follow Katharine Zaleski on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kzaleski

 
 
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06:55 PM on 02/08/2008
What makes Katharine's post so amusing (and frankly, an embarrassment) is that on that very night, as it was reported on January 7th by Page Six in the New York Post...

"RUDY Giuliani escorting John McCain, his wife, Cindy, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, into Fresco, where the regulars whipped out their cellphones to take pictures..."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072008/gossip/pagesix/sightings_______sightings_821573.htm
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
bar1ed
midnight toker!
06:35 PM on 02/07/2008
they all use one another !!!
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
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06:21 PM on 02/07/2008
no, guiliani wants to keep the money valve wide open for more government contracts. he's found that nothing pays like a good case of terrorism
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elkabong
Campaign finance is the disease.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jubo
Celestianish
03:30 PM on 02/07/2008
Lieberman! Think he's vindictive?
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
TAC
Every happy ending needs to have a start
01:43 PM on 02/07/2008
The good that Rudy did, his Mafia busting, his clean up of Times Square, still rankles people who hate him. It is unfortunate that he took himself so seriously and damaged his reputation by thinking he was as good as he believed. I disliked a lot of what he did, but in the end, he still did more positive thinks for NYC than Dinkins.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
MuseScavenger
09:39 PM on 02/07/2008
Turned Times Square into a whorehouse for Disney; took it away from the independent contractors is all...
01:05 PM on 02/07/2008
Good for McCain, distancing himself from that vermin Rudy 911 Giuliani.
Now, if McCain could only distance himself from that blithering idiot George W. Bush...
12:00 PM on 02/07/2008
Rudy? Rudy, who?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
OhgReaTone
Ohg Rea Tone writes for thefiresidepost.com
11:27 AM on 02/07/2008
I hope John McCain does not succumb to the un-holy alliance between radical factions that falsely call themselves evangelicals and republicans.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/07/evangelicals-republicans-two-tar-babies/
10:51 AM on 02/07/2008
I keep trying to forget you Rudy
I feel much younger since you've gone,
Try to realize there's no point holding on.
How could you put me through this hell,
Then say you meant no harm to me,
Nevermore shall I speak you name,
Now, get lost and leave me be!
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
johnnygoodwud
09:25 AM on 02/07/2008
hey rudy, your 15 minutes are up,,,,,get used to it. now go grab some bench, and make room for mitt. oh yeah if the bench is a bit hard, ask mitt to maybe upholster it for you guys. you were a lair, a cheat, and a bully, and the american people knew it. the 9/11 fear factor is so 'yesterday'.
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Cunningham
I intend to live forever, or die trying. GrouchoM
02:02 AM on 02/07/2008
McCain is an old, old man. Don't be too hard on him for being forgetful.

Just don't vote for him.
12:43 AM on 02/07/2008
Let's all hope McCain chooses Lieberman as his running mate to give himself some conservative appeal:)

Rudy will go home to piles of money. Although most of New York hates the guy (see the Times endorsement for laughs), so... 'home' might be somewhere new. He seemed to like Florida, but then they didn't really like him back... what's a crime-fightin' super-hero to do?
10:28 AM on 02/07/2008
OH Yeah... that's very funny
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
TAC
Every happy ending needs to have a start
06:45 PM on 02/07/2008
"Let's all hope McCain chooses Lieberman as his running mate to give himself some conservative appeal:)"

McCain wants some of that youthful Jomentum!
12:27 AM on 02/07/2008
So now Rudy becomes one of McCain's "lesser human beings" just like his former wife whom he left when she was ill because he saw a sweet little rich girl named Cindy so he divorced her to be with a younger richer woman. Will he treat America like that? will he keep us in Iraq till all of the wealth of our country is gone and our brave young men come home physically and mentally spent. Rudy has been used and now abused according to this article, but Rudy is a big boy and should have known better
12:14 AM on 02/07/2008
or maybe:

3. Mr. Giuliani doesn't want to go home and face Judi. She was dying to wear her tiara at all those inaugural balls. She is not going to be happy with the way things turned out for her and her "high-testosterone" husband