Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani will not participate in the Iowa Republican Party’s Straw Poll in August. Former Congressman Jim Nussle, an advisor to Giuliani, says the former New York Mayor will spend more time and campaign resources on the Caucus campaign rather than on the "circus" that is the Straw Poll.

"To be able to focus like a lazer on winning the actual Caucuses to us also gives us an advantage as opposed to the distraction that many of the other candidates are facing in having to deal with the Straw Poll," Nussle says.

Giuliani aides say to be competitive in the Straw Poll, the campaign would have had to spend at least $3 million. "We can now focus on the Caucuses," Nussle says. "…The resources, instead of being diverted toward this kind of a side show effort, can actually be applied to what is the most important mision here, and that’s winning and that’s showing the kind of momentum toward the nomination that a candidate would need."

Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime rejects the idea a candidate has to compete in the Straw Poll to be competitive in the Caucuses. "This type of campaign has never been waged before and I realize the convention wisdom is going to say certain things about how we should and how we should not run our campaign," DuHaime says. "The bottom line is we’re going to do what we feel is right."

Giuliani will not participate "in a financial way" in any straw polls this campaign season, according to DuHaime.  To read more, click on The Blog.