Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani signs a baseball for James Kaklamanos of Nashua during a campa... In Nashua stop, Giuliani t
Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani signs a baseball for James Kaklamanos of Nashua during a campaign stop Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel, for a Business and Industry Association event.
NASHUA – As the call went out for one final question for Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, Joseph Reisert of Amherst swiftly rose to his feet.
“What are we going to do about our policy in Iraq?” Reisert shouted out from the back of the ballroom, raising his hand but not waiting to be called upon.
The former mayor of New York City answered, saying that the conflict, now in its fifth year, must be viewed in the context of the overall war on terrorism. Democrats, he said, view the war in a vacuum.
Giuliani was speaking at a breakfast hosted by the Business and Industry Association, the state’s chamber of commerce, at the Sheraton Hotel.
Despite recent violence, any talk of pulling out troops or the creation of a timetable for withdrawal only aids those who want to attack the U.S., he said.
More than 3,300 military servicemen have been killed in the war. Last week, 183 people were killed in four separate bombings in Baghdad, the deadliest day since President Bush’s troop surge was enacted.
After meeting with business leaders, Giuliani was scheduled to visit a restaurant in Manchester later that afternoon, then take part in a town hall meeting in Henniker.
During his speech Tuesday, Giuliani focused on the economy, saying the government must be “run like a business,” with accountability and measurable goals for agencies.
“I used to impose across-the-board budget cuts on every agency,” he said, of his time as mayor. Department heads have no incentive to cut spending, so it needs to come from the mayor or the president, he said.
Giuliani has had a turbulent ride on the political roller coaster. He was praised for his leadership in cleaning up New York City, reducing crime and murder during his tenure as mayor.
He had planned a run for the U.S. Senate in 2000, but withdrew after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. But he was quickly dubbed “America’s Mayor” after his leadership following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Adrienne Rupp, communications director for the Business and Industry Association, said her organization is looking at hosting several of the candidates as they travel through the state.
Giuliani said he would want to see tax incentives for workers to buy their own health insurance. Part of the reason the costs are going up is because health care is dominated by the government and employers, he said.
The focus shifted toward the end of the speech, as Giuliani took questions from the audience, some of which touched on the country’s dependence on foreign oil, the ongoing war in Iraq and care for veterans injured in the line of duty.
Speaking with reporters afterward, Giuliani said some parts of Iraq have been stabilized – the real question is whether military forces can maintain it. Any discussion of a withdrawal, and you start talking about defeat, he said.
During his conversation with reporters after his speech, Giuliani also commented on the controversy surrounding U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the firing of eight federal prosecutors.
Giuliani said he believes the firings of the attorneys were legal and downplayed accusations that they were political motivated. He added, however, that he had concerns about how the firings were explained to the public.
A poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center earlier this month showed Giuliani is tied with Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, in terms of support from Republicans.
Of the likely voters polled, 29 percent said they would vote for Giuliani, and the same for McCain; 17 percent said they favored former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Though there were several notable business leaders at the breakfast, some were there as supporters, hoping to hear Giuliani’s plan for the country.
Rose Marie Fordham of Amherst, in line to get an autograph from Giuliani, said her son, Ian, moved to mid-town Manhattan after graduating from Syracuse University, and was in the city Sept. 11.
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