Giuliani Another Step Closer
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Former New York Mayor Giuliani on Monday defended the Iraq war and criticized Al Gore’s global-warming movie.
As for his presidential ambitions, Mr. Giuliani coyly inched closer to a formal announcement.
“I am 100 percent committed,” he said. “That official part, I still have to do a formal announcement. But we’ll figure out how to do that. My idea is that I’m going to try to announce this in 100 different places.”
Mr. Giuliani, a Republican, said he supports efforts to move California’s 2008 presidential primary from June to February, a shift that would allow him to compete outside of conservative early voting states where his stands on gays, guns and abortion have been viewed as too liberal.
A number of other states are also considering moving up their primaries.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr. Giuliani emphasized his experience as mayor during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his record on reducing crime, unemployment and other problems in the city.
He said the war in Iraq is crucial to combating global terrorism.
“What America needs is probably a reminder of why this is happening and why the sacrifice of those American lives, which is heartbreaking, is necessary,” he said. “It’s necessary because having a stable situation in Iraq will quicken our ability to defeat terrorism.”
Pulling out of the country too quickly, he said, will allow terrorism to “get a home and a headquarters attached to Iran and Syria.”
When asked about former Vice President Gore’s Oscar-nominated documentary about global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Mr. Giuliani criticized the film as lacking in solutions.
Mr. Giuliani said he believes global warming is occurring but is not sure how much is caused by humans, and he suggested America should look at expanding its use of nuclear power and other alternative energy sources.
He also said the American health care crisis must be solved by “preserving the private, competitive market-driven nature of health care.”
“That’s a much better solution than a topdown government plan,” he said.
