Rudy Giuliani is not done with national politics quite yet. The former New York City mayor, whose presidential campaign flamed out under a disastrous late-primary strategy, has recorded a robocall for New York congressional candidate Jim Tedisco.
In it, Giuliani underscores the closeness of the race to replace Kirsten Gillibrand and touts the Republican as the one pol who could "stand up to Nancy Pelosi, and all her plans to hike taxes and spending by trillions of dollars."
"I'm calling to ask you to join me in supporting Jim Tedisco for congress this Tuesday March 31," reads the script. "This congressional race could come down to a few hundred votes and yours could be the difference between victory and defeat. Jim Tedisco's victory will ensure that we have a voice in Congress that will stand up to Nancy Pelosi, and all her plans to hike taxes and spending by trillions of dollars. Please join me, Rudy Giuliani, in support Jim Tedisco this Tuesday."
Giuliani's appeal in upstate New York is not, it would seem, what it once was, owing to the years since he's been in office, the diminishing role of terrorism as an electoral issue, and the general political tilt of the state. But the 20th congressional district does lean conservative, and there are few other nationally known Republicans who could serve as a boost for Tedisco's candidacy. That Giuliani and the NY GOP would vilify Pelosi rather than, say, Barack Obama, has everything to do with how popular the president is at this juncture and how well he did in that district in 2008.
On the Democratic side, Gillibrand has recorded a robocall of her own for candidate Chris Murphy, touting him as most capable of getting the economy working once more.
"Scott Murphy will work with me and President Obama to get our economy moving again," she says in her call.
UPDATE: Looks like former President Bill Clinton is getting in on the act, releasing (according to one twitter account) a robocall on behalf of Murphy as well.