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Rudy's 12 Commandments

By Philip Klein on 6.12.07 @ 10:40AM

Okay, commitments, but you get the idea. Giuliani was in New Hampshire today, and unvieled a series of promises which he vowed to flesh out over the course of the summer:

* I will keep America on offense in the Terrorists' War on Us.
* I will end illegal immigration, secure our borders, and identify every non-citizen in our nation.
* I will restore fiscal discipline and cut wasteful Washington spending.
* I will cut taxes and reform the tax code.
* I will impose accountability on Washington.
* I will lead America towards energy independence.
* I will give Americans more control over, and access to, healthcare with affordable and portable free-market solutions.
* I will increase adoptions, decrease abortions, and protect the quality of life for our children.
* I will reform the legal system and appoint strict constructionist judges.
* I will ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
* I will provide access to a quality education to every child in America by giving real school choice to parents.
* I will expand America's involvement in the global economy and strengthen our reputation around the world.

Interesting, I thought, that ending illegal immigration comes right below staying on offense against terrorism. Clearly, Giuliani believes he's been gaining traction from his criticisms of the Senate bill. This makes sense to me. Over a year ago I wrote a column arguing that Giuliani's law enforcement background could help him make the case that he'd be best qualified to gain control of the borders, and because of his pro-immmigration background he'd be able to do it in a way that didn't come across as anti-immigrant. It does, of course, open him up to an examination of his immigration policies in New York City, which earned Gotham the label of a "sanctuary city." When researching my article, though, I found this quote in the midst of a pro-immigration speech he gave at Ellis Island in 1997:

"Illegal immigration is a very real problem-but it is one that lies outside of the responsibility of cities and states of this country.

"Controlling our borders is a core function of the federal government and it is a problem that requires serious attention..."

So, he could make the argument, which he has partially, that as mayor he had to deal with the reality of 400,000 illegal immigrants because the federal government wasn't doing its job properly, so as president, he'd want to ensure that other mayors and governors don't have to face the same problem.

Another interesting point is that now increasing adoptions and decreasing abortions is weaved into his 12-point plan.

Of course, as with all 12 of his commitments, the devil will be in the details. So it should be interesting to watch him expand on his ideas over the next few months.

UPDATE: Fixed to reflect that there were 12 commitments, not 10.

topics:
Taxes, Education, Abortion, Law, Immigration, Energy