Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani says one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. is maintaining a growing economy.
At a town hall meeting in Cedar Rapids today, Giuliani touted his record as mayor of New York City. Giuliani said he reduced taxes and helped create nearly 500,000 jobs, reversing an economic downturn in the nation’s largest city. "So I know how to run a government and I know how to run it like a business," Giuliani said. "I know how to run it with the purpose of returning more money to you rather than the government keeping that money."
Giuliani’s visit came the day after a big debate in California featuring Giuliani and nine other Republican presidential candidates, all of whom praised the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan. During his stop in Cedar Rapids, Giuliani also praised the current Republican president.
Giuliani says George W. Bush will be remembered as a great president because of what he did after 9/11. "He decided in a flash to put our country on offense against terrorism. He reversed years of being on defense. He reversed it immediately," Giuliani said. "…We have been safe as a result of that."
Giuliani made his comments during a campaign stop at a small business in Cedar Rapids.