Just saw this from the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention next month.

First lady Laura Bush, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McCain's former Republican rivals will speak as well.

The theme will be "Country First" with four days devoted to service, reform, prosperity and peace.

President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other dignitaries also get speaking roles at the convention in St. Paul, Minn.

This is probably good news, as it probably signals there will NOT be a pro-choice VP pick by McCain...given that Rudy is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, etc...  It would be highly unlikely to pick a pro-choice VP and have another pro-choicer give the keynote speech.  Would be too much like rubbing salt in the wounds.

This past weekend, Rudy Giuliani took the lead in several rounds of negative barbs with Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

On the issues of crime and healthcare, Giuliani chose to show a side that had yet to surface thus far in his run for the White House.  There’s possibly some explanation for this newfound strategy within the recent polling data which shows that Romney now enjoys a 15-point lead over Giuliani in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

The major issue Giuliani brought up was the Romney appointee’s release, without bail, of a defendant last summer who, at that time, was charged with spitting on a prison guard in February, 2006 and hitting a prison guard in December, 2005 - These assaults occurred while the defendant was serving a 16-year charge on manslaughter.  This defendant was arrested this past Monday in the State of Washington and charged with murdering two people in that state.  This suspect, had also made death threats against Mitt Romney while Massachusetts Governor and several others.

Replying to Giuliani’s criticisms, Romney stated that when he appointed Judge Kathe M. Tuttman, she had a strong record of being a law and order type, being a very strong prosecutor and being a “zealous” advocate for crime victims.  It is noteworthy that in the case itself, records show that the prosecutor in the hearing did not chose to bring up the defendants past record of making threats against Governor Romney and others and did not request a separate hearing to determine if the defendant would pose a threat if released, according to CNN.  Romney has now called on the judge to resign her position, citing what he called an “inexplicable lack of good judgment”.

Giuliani has seized on this misfortune and is attempting to turn it to political advantage, which is unfortunate.  Using the circumstances of the crimes in Washington, he has taken the opportunity to question Romney’s record on crime and that particular judicial appointee – possibly in attempts to deflect the mass criticism he is suffering regarding his own close friend and political appointee, Bernard Kerik – Who was federally indicted on November 9^TH on charges of tax fraud and obstruction of justice.

Regarding this, Romney replied to Giuliani’s criticisms saying, "[Giuliani] put somebody in place as commissioner who had a very questionable past and recommended to the President of the US this person be made the Secretary of Homeland Security," and said the former mayor should be “the last person” to make negative issues of someone’s past appointments.  "The ethical conduct in this case of Bernie Kerik reminds us very much of the administration Hillary Clinton was part of." Romney said.

While a candidate has every right to use any event at hand as a political football that they wish, Giuliani took several erroneous liberties over the weekend in attempting to disparage Romney’s crime record.  Giuliani stated that, “He had an increase in murder and violent crime while he was governor.  So it’s not so much the isolated situation which he and the judge will have to explain — he’s kind of thrown her under the bus, so it’s hard to know how this is all going to come out.  But the reality is he did not have a record of reducing violent crime.”

On Sunday Romney defended himself by saying "He's got a real problem checking facts," and said that violent crime in Massachusetts declined 7 percent while he was governor - The FBI numbers that are available while Romney was in office (Up to 2006) state that violent crime decreased 7.8 percent.  Given that both candidates actually have strong records when it comes to violent crime, it was a mistake for Giuliani to take such liberties with the facts and to raise an issue which the two can claim as a push - But, then again, a push does not help a candidate when they are behind by 15 points.

In what can only be seen as piling on Giuliani also spoke yesterday of Romney’s healthcare accomplishments in Massachusetts in saying, "When you look back on Romney's governorship of Massachusetts, there's only one accomplishment, and he's running away from that.  I don't see where he's going to make the claim to being particularly conservative as the governor of Massachusetts.”

Romney once again found himself in the advantageous position of responding to charges against him in saying, “"I was just across the country this week talking about my plan.  I'm very proud of my healthcare plan and think it should be a model for other states to adopt."  To his credit, Romney was on The Glenn Beck Program on CNN Headline News within the past two weeks discussing his plan, as well, citing its private-sector, free-market qualities.

If there is one thing that conservatives take pride in, it is the fact that we win the debate every time if we actually have facts that can stand up to scrutiny to back up rhetoric - Seldom, if ever, are conservatives fast and loose with the facts, in that regard.

Giuliani has hopefully learned a lesson over the past few days along these lines, if he wants to court the political demographic that takes pride in it's record of being "Right".

Brownback had his meeting w/Rudy and it doesn't look good.  From The Hill:

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a potential kingmaker in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, said Thursday that he is much more comfortable with Rudy Giuliani’s position on abortion.

Brownback and Giuliani, the former New York City Mayor who is leading the GOP field in national polls, met for more than an hour in the senator’s office.

Posing with former rival before a crowd of photographers, Brownback, the Senate’s preeminent advocate of unborn life, declared after the meeting that he is “much more comfortable now that I understand the mayor’s position.”

But he stopped short of endorsing Giuliani.

Brownback said the two talked about the ways a president can affect the controversial issue of abortion rights, namely by influencing the availability of federal funds for abortion and appointing judges who rule on the Constitutionality of abortion laws.

“Justices are key,” said Brownback, referring to Giuliani’s potential impact on the Supreme Court. “And he’s stated many times his support for strict constructionists” who would be unlikely to overturn laws restricting abortion rights. ...

Sources close to Brownback said he expects to make an endorsement in the presidential race within a month. In an interview Wednesday, Brownback said he needed time to “process” the decision. At least five GOP presidential candidates have already contacted Brownback seeking his backing.

I sincerely hope the guy was just being polite...perhaps enjoying the new attention he's getting from dropping out of the race.  But the type of language he's using here seems a little more polite than is necessary. 

It's looking more and more like Brownback may be heading for a Fredo moment...as in, "taking sides against the family".

The former mayor of New York City is now...a Red Sox fan??  The NY Daily News say's Rudy has "jumped the shark":

...Now that Rudy Giuliani is running for President, he has been flip-flopping as if he were part seal. Gay rights, gun control, immigration reform. Naturally, some people wondered what Giuliani really does believe in. On Tuesday, we learned: not the New York Yankees.

The guy with four Yankees World Series rings proclaimed in Boston, within shouting distance of New Hampshire primary voters: "I'm rooting for the Red Sox." Are you not ashamed, sir? Will you stop at nothing?

First they lose the playoffs, then their coach, now their #1 politician/booster??   And to the Red Sox?  Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.  I guess Rudy figures he's got the NY primary locked up anyway and just needs a little help in New Hampshire.

What's Sam up to?

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is considering endorsing Rudy Giuliani for the GOP presidential nomination and will meet with him Thursday in Washington to hear his views on abortion.

Brownback, who ended his White House run last week and is a champion of social conservative issues, said he would consider Giuliani because he had heard that the former New York City mayor had changed his position on partial-birth abortion and has pledged to appoint to the courts strict constructionists who would not overturn anti-abortion laws.

If Brownback pledged his support, it would be a big boost for Giuliani. It might help shore up the biggest perceived weakness of his candidacy — namely, the lack of support among social conservatives because of his stance on abortion.

“I’m going to meet with him and I’m going to talk to him and hear what he is specifically saying now because he’s changed on a number of the abortion issues,” Brownback said in an interview. “He’s changed on partial-birth [abortion] and he … has said he would appoint strict constructionists.”

I sincerely hope he's just being polite here...and not making a play for a VP spot this early on, when there are still viable conservatives in the field.  We'll see.

First John McCain, and now Rudy.  From Fox News:

In a blistering online column, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson wrote that, should the former New York mayor become the nominee, "I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran — or if worse comes to worst — not vote in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life."

"Many liberal Americans will agree with the social positions espoused by Giuliani. However, I don't believe conservative voters whose support he seeks will be impressed," Dobson said on WorldNetDaily, a conservative news Web site.

A Christian evangelical based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dobson said he was speaking as a private citizen. However, his words carry considerable weight with the some 7 million listeners of his conservative radio show.

The type of people that listen to Dobson's program the type of conservative voters that make up about of third of the GOP base...and there's no doubt at all that this is a big blow for Rudy...especially coming on the heels of his shaky performance on the abortion issue in recent debates.  Not what the folks in Camp Giuliani needed.

Pat Buchanan's take on Rudy's abortion views: "After months of conflicting signals on abortion, Rudolph W. Giuliani is planning to offer a forthright affirmation of his support for abortion rights in public forums, television appearances and interviews in coming days," writes The New York Times. If true, it marks either the beginning of the end of the Giuliani campaign -- or the beginning of the end of the Party of Ronald Reagan. ... If Rudy were to be nominated as a pro-choice Republican, millions would stay home or vote third party. For it was the life issue that brought them into the party, or kept them there when they disagreed with the party on almost everything else."