William Safire is Nuts

In his piece today, the apparently clairvoyant columnist took a break from channeling the deceased Richard Nixon and instead looked into his crystal ball and foresaw "a G.O.P. ticket the next year with Rudy Giuliani or John McCain on top and Schwarzenegger as running-mate." (The piece was arguing for a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to allow naturalized U.S. citizens to become president. Call me biased or, as Safire puts it, a "nativist," but somehow I just like the idea of that job only being open to someone born and raised in the U.S. You can't really argue discrimination...it's only ONE job in the entire country that's only open to billionaire white guys anyway, it's not like we're disenfranchising people.)

Anyway, forget that.

Rudy Giuliani? As the GOP choice to replace Dubya? Here's one good reason why that will never happen:

Yes, that's right folks. That is Mr. Rudy Giuliani appearing in public in drag. Am I supposed to seriously accept that all these "moral values" voters are going to stump for a man who has appeared -- more than once -- in public in a dress? A man who is on record as saying, "I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-gay rights."

He's also Catholic. Could we expect the same Catholic bishops who urged withholding communion from John Kerry on the same grounds to likewise publicly and loudly come out against Giuliani?

He was divorced in 2002. His ex-wife's lawyer went before the press and said, "If there's going to be a divorce, let's have the truth about why — Rudy's open and notorious adultery."

Now, before people accuse me of smearing Giuliani's character and trying to sabotage his presidential bid, let me just say this: I would totally vote for a cross-dressing, pro-choice, divorced Catholic who supports gay rights.

I officially endorse Rudolph Giuliani for Republican candidate for president in 2008. Maybe he could use this photo in his campaign ads: