Rudy's A Man With A Plan

(Weekly Standard)  This column was written by Matthew Continetti.

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Don't let the gimmicky name fool you. The "12 Commitments to the American People" that former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani unveiled in a June 12 speech in Bedford, N.H., are more than political slogans.

The pledges serve two purposes. The first is policy-oriented. So far this year, no other GOP candidate for president has laid out as comprehensive an agenda as Giuliani's. Which is saying something, because the 12 commitments are pretty sketchy in places. For example, the word "Iraq" does not appear in any of them.

The second purpose the 12 commitments serve is political. By making specific pledges to voters months before any voting occurs, Giuliani is attempting to shape the debate. By outlining goals and pledging concrete results, Giuliani is able to highlight his successes in reforming New York City during his two terms as mayor. The Giuliani campaign wants to reinforce the idea that the mayor is ready to be president right now, not just on January 20, 2009. Another aim is to draw sharp contrasts between Giuliani's record and agenda and those of his opponents, both Republicans and Democrats. "The two people in Rudy's sights now are Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton," says Fred Siegel, author of "The Prince of the City," a history of Giuliani's mayoralty.

So, what are the 12 commitments? Giuliani says he'll keep America "on offense" in the war on terror, end illegal immigration, cut spending, cut taxes, make government accountable, push America toward energy independence, introduce free-market health care reforms, increase adoptions and decrease abortions, reform tort law and appoint strict constructionist judges, prepare "every community in America" for a terrorist attack or natural disaster, introduce a school-choice plan, and promote free trade and globalization. It's an outsized agenda for an outsized political personality.

The list of commitments is flexible, with one exception. To Giuliani, nothing is more important than his pledge to keep America "on offense" against her enemies. Other commitments will rise or fall in importance at different times in the campaign. For instance, last week Giuliani said the sixth commitment, energy independence, eventually may rise to number two, since the issue relates to national security. And some new commitments may show up as well. "Could be, over a period of time, we'll add several commitments as we talk to people and listen to them more," Giuliani said in Bedford.

The 12 commitments have been in the works for some time, says an unpaid Giuliani adviser, but the campaign "moved ahead fairly quickly." One reason the mayor may have decided to unveil his pledges so early in the campaign is the looming presence of former senator Fred Thompson, who plans to announce his presidential candidacy sometime this summer. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released last week, Thompson placed second among GOP voters nationwide. Giuliani is first.

A senior Giuliani aide disputes that the rollout was in any way rushed. "That's just not accurate," says the aide. That Giuliani would outline the 12 commitments last week had been planned for a while, according to the senior aide. Even the choice of the word "commitment" was the subject of consideration. It's intended to convey Giuliani's dedication and willingness to be held accountable.

"This was an attempt to be goal-oriented," the senior aide says of the 12 commitments. Giuliani, the aide continues, is "someone who likes measurement." An example of this is Giuliani's pledge to increase the number of adoptions and reduce the number of abortions. It's a practical goal that skirts the normative, values-based questions typically associated with the abortion issue.

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[glennc7-]

CBS, the Weekly Standard and the rest of the MSM are continually trying to foist off their chosen candidates with setup pieces like this. It's called perception management. And where is Ron Paul? Not even mentioned. I am a registered Republican and very few Repubs I know choose any of the so-called "top tier" candidates. None of these top tier guys is a real conservative, they%u2019re all RINOs. Look at Rudy Giuliani, he%u2019s pro-gun control, pro-abortion, why he%u2019d be a liberal Democrat in most places.

[clestes-2009]

As usual, Weekly Standard way off the track. What does Rudy G offer as experience in the way of being president????

He is the mayor of a city. PLEASEEEEE!!!! He not qualified to lead this country and if Bush had not made such a HASH of things, better qualified candidates would be willing to run.

Rudy is a JOKE as a candidate for president.

[fredgrad2000]

The GOP has a SMALL chance in 2008 (unless there is a miracle in Iraq - like al-Maliki and the others catch a clue); it should be ZERO, but luckily the Dems can be counted on to always nominate the wrong person; in 2008 it will be the MoveOn.org-approved candidate who will have run so far to the left that on anything OTHER than Iraq, the GOP candidate will be mainstream (particularly if they're smart and nominate Guiliani or McCain who are viewed, except on this left-wing board, as moderate and independent-minded). They have more than one unbeatable candidate, that could win a number of usually "red" states, but both of them are only "second tier". In addition, any congressional landslides will be mitigated by who the Dems have leading them - perfect example being Harry Reid, who can't go a week without a major gaffe and who ALWAYS looks in over his head and weak ("They're not illegal aliens, they're undocumented Americans" - Do you think he was "fed" that in his daily MoveOn.org conference call where the looney left feed him and other Dem leaders their daily talking points?).

[fredgrad2000]

"When he said "cut taxes", it's time to rule him out."

With a Dem Congress, I'm sure that's "off the table" anyhow...but to the often talked about middle class the 2001 tax cuts meant, generally, a cut from 28% to 25% in federal income tax rates and cut in taxes on gains from the sale of long-term investments, which most middle-class people have at least some of. That there are other pressures that have hurt the Middle Class; I am in complete agreement, but NONE of them would be fixed by raising taxes!! And to the other point made; spending MUST be cut, but every study has shown that tax revenues actually INCREASE with lower fixed tax rates!! WHY? Because higher taxes are a DIS-incentive to work and investment; which drive revenues and new business growth; and therefore, the based upon which taxes are taken!! 34% of $2B is far better than 39% of $1B!! Raising taxes does not solve our nation's problems or those of the middle class; it will simply push people into the unemployment line.

[qacjet]

Seems like the burning issue among the GOP candidates is which one is least decrepit. If only they could come up with someone to stand up to Mike Gravel's health and vigor.

[imnho]

Unless the Iraq situation improves between now and the election I thik anyone who gets the democratic nomination and does not have any major mistakes or scandals are sure to win.

Iraq becomes a bigger milstone around the republicans neck with each passing moment. GWB is also to arrogant to admit that he is in over his head. This is sure to lead to a disaster in the future.

[hypnotoad72]

Konabike - I hear ya, completely.

[hypnotoad72]

When he said "cut taxes", it's time to rule him out.

People who look at their paychecks have not seen much difference due to existing tax cuts.

Assuming people have jobs; offshoring is quite a fad right now... which, again, seems odd that it's a migration of jobs rather than expanding into other countries, but what do I know? Only what the media's been saying and none of that is adding up. So we're left to wait and see.

Still, any politician is going to HAVE to address the national debt. We cannot continue making tax cuts that have done few people any good... or we could add American jobs, decent paying ones, that would level the tax burden on everybody, pay the national debt, and so on.

Also, don't forget, "government subsidy" (corporate welfare) and our assisting other nations - perhaps these should be looked at in terms of cost control too?

And globalizing our cost of living to match that of India and China - after all, politicians on both sides talk of making America "competitive" - so unless there's another answer, I just gave one that actually does make America competitive again.

[konabike]

I've been aRepublican voter for long time. Rudy is a nut!

[walt1944-2009]

Among Rudy's plans are to strip search every 10th person (no matter what they have or haven't done), pardon everyone that Emperor Bush may have missed, get married 4 more times so that he can have a different "First Lady" for every day of the week (Mitt Romney, take notice), and build a statue to George W. Bush twice the size of the statue of Saddam Hussein that got torn down in Bagdad when the city fell. He intends on building it in front of the Capital with the words "Thank God, Bush was our president" carved in its base.

All this and more assuming that George Bush will not declare a national emergency and take over the government, which, children, is a very unsettling possibility.

Now all good Republicans, right-wingers, neocons, and supposed independants who are fans of Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Savage, and Coulteir, lets stand straight and tall and raise that right arm in salute:

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!