Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in Iowa yesterday, part of a cavalcade of Republican all-stars who — in Mary Matalin’s words — were trying to “gin up” interest in the Iowa Republican Caucuses. Giuliani says he wanted to tell the other side of the story. Giuliani says only one side of the story’s been told for the past few months. He says that’s understandable, since the Democratic presidential campaign has been playing out in Iowa, but Giuliani says the President has been “effective” and taken the country through one of the worst things that’s ever happened and Giuliani says the country’s emerged stronger. Giuliani will return to Iowa on January 29th to deliver a speech, but he deflects talk that he’s laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign in 2008.Giuliani says his efforts this year are on getting President Bush reelected, and Giuliani says Iowa’s an important state since Bush lost Iowa by a few thousand votes in 2000. Giuliani says he’s not going to think about 2008 until 2004’s over. Giuliani says he thinks “about returning to public service in the future” but he’s focused right now on building his business and doing other things.
