Dec 6, 2006 7:36 pm US/Eastern
Giuliani Hires Financial Wiz, Schedules Fundraiser
Ex-Mayor Making All Requisite Moves For Presidential Run
by Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) ―
It was the perfect photo op for someone thinking of running for president, a campaign to honor firefighters in Manhattan. And for Rudy Giuliani it was better than perfect because it plays to his strong suit -- his leadership during 9/11.
Wednesday's event came just as Giuliani took two giant steps toward running for president. He hired a top financial wiz from President Bush's 2004 campaign, and scheduled his first presidential fundraiser.
"I have no idea what the time frame will be," Giuliani said. "We've just gotten started. It's only just begun."
When asked how he's been treated during his explorations into a possible run at the Oval Office, Giuliani said he can't complain.
"Generally, the response is very enthusiastic and very supportive, but of course that's the nature of how the process works," Giuliani said.
The move came as Hillary Clinton moved closer to a run, inviting Democrats from key presidential primary states to her Washington mansion.
Is Giuliani worried? Not yet.
"No, she's not running in the Republican primary I don't think," he said. "At this stage you really don't give much thought to who the Democratic candidate will be."
Rudy? Hillary? On the streets of New York the opinions are mixed.
"I want to see what it's like to have a woman president," one person said.
Added another: "I have some doubts about Hillary, but I think she'd be a far better president."
The Giuliani supporters we spoke to were from out of town.
"I'm for Rudy -- strong leader good presence, did a great job in New York and I'm from Texas," one person said.
"I'm from Georgia. I think he has a good blend of conservative values, but he's socially liberal a little bit," another said.
In the fundraising race it's Hillary by a mile right now. She has about $13 million in her war chest. Rudy's only got about $2 million, but tickets to his Dec. 19 fund raiser are going for $2,100 a pop.
Also on Wednesday, Giuliani said a possible presidential run forced him to drop out of the Iraq study group that issued its recommendations later in the day.
"It seemed to me that it should be apolitical," Giuliani said. "The people who were on it are all people who have had very, very distinguished careers, but none of them are actively involved in politics or considering running for office."
Giuliani said that if he had remained on the commission, "a lot of the recommendations'd get viewed from a political light. They'd have to be partisan."
The bipartisan panel co-chaired by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee Hamilton recommended that the U.S. reduce political, military and economic support for Iraq if the government in Baghdad cannot make substantial progress toward providing for its own security.
Giuliani said he had not read the study group's report.
"All I've had a chance to do is look at kind of the report on television quickly and on radio," he said. "I think they were very useful recommendations. I think the goal has to remain the same. The goal has to be an accountable, responsible government in Iraq that defuses terrorism rather than promotes it."
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
