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Former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has recorded a robocall knocking Barack Obama for opposing "mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers, and murderers."

"It's true," Giuliani says. "I read Obama's words myself."

CBS News has confirmed that the call, which you can listen to here, is being deployed in battleground states. It is being paid for "by the Republican National Committee and McCain-Palin 2008."

The script:

Hi, this is Rudy Giuliani, and I'm calling for John McCain and the Republican National Committee because you need to know that Barack Obama opposes mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers, and murderers. It's true, I read Obama's words myself. And recently, Congressional liberals introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory prison sentences for violent criminals -- trying to give liberal judges the power to decide whether criminals are sent to jail or set free. With priorities like these, we just can't trust the inexperience and judgment of Barack Obama and his liberal allies.

The Republican Party has released advance excerpts from several of the big speakers tonight, including vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and three of McCain's former rivals for Republican nomination -- Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

You can watch the video and read the text from more speeches at the convention here.

Sarah Palin

On her experience as a public servant:

"I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

On why she is going to Washington, D.C.:

"I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

On energy policies that the McCain-Palin administration will implement:

"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines...build more nuclear plants...create jobs with clean coal...and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers."

On John McCain:

"Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

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Former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani will be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday, September 1st. His Tuesday night address will follow primetime speeches from Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who are seen as two of the most likely candidates to become John McCain's running mate, were not granted primetime speaking slots. Romney is currently slated to speak on Wednesday, Sept 3rd, while Pawlenty is scheduled to join Charlie Crist, Sam Brownback and Mel Martinez to address the convention on Thursday, Sept. 4th, before McCain's convention-closing address.(The schedule could change.)

Whomever McCain selects as his running mate will give an address in primetime on Wednesday, along with Cindy McCain and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindel.

Former Democrat Joe Lieberman and Vice President Dick Cheney will speak on the convention's first day. They will be followed in primetime by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Full schedule below.

Monday 9/1:
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
Vice President Dick Cheney

Monday primetime (10-11pm Eastern Time)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.
President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush

Tuesday 9/2:
Fmr. Gov. Tom Ridge, R-Pa.
Former CA Secretary of State Rosario Marin
Fmr. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.
Gov. Linda Lingle, R-Hawaii
Fmr. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, R-Md.

Tuesday primetime (10-11pm Eastern Time)
Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska
Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.
Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, R-New York City ***KEYNOTER***

Wednesday 9/3:
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.
Meg Whitman, Ebay CEO
Carly Fiorina, former HP CEO
Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass.

Wednesday primetime (10-11pm Eastern Time)
Cindy McCain
Vice Presidential nominee
Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., will speak after the VP nominee

Thursday 9/4:
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.
Gov. Charlie Crist, R-Fla.
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla

Thursday primetime (10-11pm Eastern Time)
Sen. John McCain (video before his speech)

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said on Thursday that Barack Obama's campaign is capturing an "anti-American feeling," The Hill reports.

"Well this is why he is a popular candidate in Europe, because there is such an anti-American feeling and he is sort of capturing that," Giuliani said on MSNBC.

Giuliani's comments came in response to Obama's suggestion at a town hall meeting in Georgia that American children should learn how to speak Spanish. The former Republican presidential candidate said that while it is beneficial for English-speaking children to learn a second language, Obama wrongly assumed that immigrant families are learning English.

"The reality is that this is a country that should speak English…and if we can learn an extra language or two that would be terrific," Giuliani said.

Rudy Giuliani is playing the liberal media card.

In a new Web-only ad targeting Florida voters, "Not Endorsed," an announcer casts Giuliani's lack of endorsements from "the liberal New York Times" and other "liberal newspapers" as a reason to vote for the former New York City mayor.

“Rudy Giuliani is not endorsed by The Tampa Tribune," the announcer says in the spot. "Not endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel. Not endorsed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In fact, he’s not endorsed by any of the liberal newspapers.”

The reason, according to the ad? Giuliani wants to cut taxes, appoint conservative federal judges, grow the military, make citizens speak English, and force welfare recipients to work. And when those are your positions, the spot concludes, "you’re the last person on earth to be endorsed by the liberal New York Times."

When the Times is mentioned, the screen shows the newspaper's banner and the words "The New York Times Endorses John McCain and Hillary Clinton." It's a double-shot at McCain, linking Giuliani's rival to both the Times and to Clinton. Script and video here.

Giuliani, who has staked his campaign on winning the Florida primary, sits in third or fourth in most Florida polls. Voters in the state go to the polls tomorrow.

How non-confrontational were the Republican presidential candidates in last night's debate? They were so nice to one another that even Rudy Giuliani resisted the temptation to get into an argument with anti-war candidate Ron Paul. It was so friendly that the harshest comment came in the form of a joke by nice-guy Mike Huckabee when he suggested that Mitt Romney is chipping away at his children's inheritance by spending so much of his personal fortune on the campaign.

It may have been an amicable exchange but coming just days before Tuesday's important Florida primary it was hardly inconsequential. Some thoughts on the ballet in Boca:

The most recent polls have shown Romney building a very slight lead over the past few days and his debate performance can only help that trend. In a debate with almost no candidate-to-candidate attacks, Romney shined. His grasp of details on a range of issues and his optimistic disposition helped him stand out in a still-crowded field. It didn't hurt that he appeared to get the most time to speak. One trouble spot: Romney was yet again asked about how his Mormon faith might impact voters' willingness to back him. It wasn't a problem because of his answer but because it remains an issue for him. Still, if Romney wins on Tuesday, we might look back at last night as a key moment.

John McCain looked like the front-runner he is, at least nationally, and the rest of the field was very deferential to him, which gives him some gravitas everyone else lacks. And his strong stances on the war and flashes of humor serve him well in these debates. But McCain stumbled a bit on economic issues, falling back on generalities and well-worn rhetoric about spending restraint and bridges to nowhere.

For a candidate who may be facing his final days in the race, Rudy Giuliani didn't appear anxious to find ways to separate himself from the field. His appeal to Florida voters on issues like a national fund to help the state's hurricane insurance problems was clear but he didn’t find ways to hammer those points home. The most telling moment was when he compared his chances to those of the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Being that big an underdog at the most important moment in his campaign doesn't exactly project a lot of confidence.

Mike Huckabee's populist economic message may make a lot of sense to many voters but they're probably not the ones who will be voting in Florida on Tuesday – or many other Republican primaries to come. Sounding like FDR at times, Huckabee's suggestion that the federal stimulus package would be better spent building roads seemed out of place. Huckabee's biggest economic worry is the financial health of his own campaign, something that won't be corrected by anything he said last night.

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Rudy Giuliani has a new ad out that criticizes the press corps for treating the presidential election like a sporting event. It began running today in Florida, perhaps the most crucial state for Giuliani in his quest for the Republican nomination.

The spot, "Super Bowl," opens with a quick-cut montage of television pundits discussing the election. An announcer says: “With pundits and politicos handicapping the campaign like the Super Bowl, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s at stake. An economy in peril. A country at war. A future uncertain. The media loves process. Talking heads love chatter. But Florida has a chance to turn down the noise. And show the world that leadership is what really matters.”


Giuliani has good reason to encourage voters not to listen to the media, as he has garnered relatively little coverage in recent weeks. The press corps, as it normally does, has focused heavily on the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where Giuliani placed sixth and fourth.

Giuliani's unorthodox campaign strategy has been to expend little effort in the early states, instead focusing on winning in Florida on Jan. 29th. His hope is that a Florida win would providing him momentum going into "super-duper Tuesday" on Feb. 5th, when 20 Republican contests will be held, some in delegate rich states.

But the strategy relies on surviving through January, when Americans finally begin voting and turn their focus to the presidential race. The former New York City mayor has benefited from the fact that no clear Republican frontrunner has yet emerged, but it doesn't help Giuliani that the media are focused on Republican candidates other than him: Iowa winner Mike Huckabee, New Hampshire winner John McCain, and dual runner up Mitt Romney. This ad looks like an attempt to encourage Florida voters to tune out the talking heads and focus instead on Giuliani's message.

DES MOINES -- Rudy Giuliani campaigned far less in Iowa than his opponents in the run-up to the caucuses, and he wasn't expected to do well here. And he didn't: With most precincts reporting, Giuliani had less than ten percent of the GOP vote on Thursday night. It was a poor showing for the onetime national frontrunner, even considering the diminished expectations.

But there was some upside for Giuliani tonight: Mike Huckabee beat Mitt Romney. And that means that the Republican field continues to have no real frontrunner. It's good news for Giuliani, whose strategy depends on the field remaining fluid until the larger, delegate rich states vote.

"We congratulate Mike Huckabee on a hard-fought victory in Iowa," Giuliani Campaign Manager Michael DuHaime said in a statement. "This race is wide open and we will continue to run a national primary campaign designed to win the number of delegates necessary to become the Republican nominee."

Romney outspent Huckabee 20-1 here, and his loss severely diminishes his standing in the Republican field. He now goes to New Hampshire to battle John McCain, with whom the former Massachusetts governor is neck-in-neck in state polls. Despite his win here, Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, has fewer campaign funds than his rivals, and he may have less appeal nationally than he does in Iowa, which has a relatively high-percentage of religious GOP caucus-goers.

Ron Paul's campaign, meanwhile, didn't have the breakthrough here it had hoped. But with roughly 10 percent support, and a win over Giuliani, Paul's campaign is spinning his showing as a victory.

"I think it's a pretty big statement that we finished substantially in front of the national frontrunner," said Paul spokesman Jesse Benton. "This was a difficult environment and we did not have a lot of time, but we were able to build to double-digit support. It speaks to the grassroots support Dr. Paul enjoys."

Rudy Giuliani has a new ad out, "One Hour," in which he approvingly cites Ronald Reagan and suggests that Iranian mullahs released American hostages in the early 1980s because Reagan was inaugurated.


"Iranian mullahs took American hostages and they held the American hostages for 444 days," Giuliani says in the spot. "And they released the American hostages in one hour, and that should tell us a lot about these Islamic terrorists that we're facing. The one hour in which they released them was the one hour in which Ronald Reagan was taking the Oath of Office as president of the United States."

Adds Giuliani: "The best way you deal with dictators, the best way you deal with tyrants and terrorists, you stand up to them. You don't back down."

The ad, which will run in New Hampshire and Boston, comes at something of an odd time in the campaign. Just two days ago, the National Intelligence Estimate report suggested that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, news that seems likely to make Iran policy a less significant factor in the presidential race.

And the implication that the mullahs released the hostages simply because Reagan was being inaugurated is misleading. As the New York Times' Bernard Gwertzman notes, “While it is certainly true that the hostages were not freed until a half hour after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 1981, their release was negotiated over a period of months first in Bonn, and then in Algiers by Warren Christopher."

Though there was speculation at the time that the mullahs held the prisoners in order to keep President Jimmy Carter from claiming credit for their release, Christopher attributed a delay in their release to difficulty rounding up the hostages – and suggested to Gwertzman, who was the Times' diplomatic correspondent at the time, that the timing of their release was coincidental.

From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro, on the trail with the Rudy Giuliani campaign:

Campaigning in Greensboro, N.C., Monday, Rudy Giuliani animatedly attacked the legitimacy of today's education system, saying government bureaucrats telling parents where to educate their children is the main reason behind the deterioration of K-12 education in America.

"What the heck are we doing?" Giuliani asked as he spoke with several hundred members of North Carolina Women for Rudy. "Don't you think it's the biggest civil rights issue we face?"

Giuliani said allowing parents the same degree of choice for K-12 education that they have when it comes to picking a college would cause underperforming schools to close, with those left standing improving as they competed to bring students into their classrooms. “If we want to change K through 12 in America, we do school choice, we do vouchers, we offer it as an option," he said.

Giuliani received cheers when he summed up his view of the best way to judge schools.

“All this discussion about standards in schools getting measured in Washington, and getting measured in the state capital, and getting measured by a school board," he said. "Who the heck can measure the standards in schools better than the parents selecting the schools? Isn’t the best answer that a school is a good school that lots of parents think, 'We want our child to get into this school.'"

The former New York mayor will spend the rest of Monday at private fundraisers in North Carolina, and resurfaces for public events in Florida on Thursday.