Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is due in Iowa next week for a two-day campaign swing. Former Congressman Jim Nussle, a Giuliani consultant, has gone to work in the White House but Giuliani says Nussle’s departure hasn’t changed his Iowa strategy.
"Our campaign is fine," Giuliani says. "We have focused on the Caucuses in January. We think that given the time that we started and amount of time that we had and reaching out to the most people in Iowa, it was best to do that." Giuliani has been a leading contender for the Republican Party’s 2008 presidential nomination, but recent polls have shown former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson gaining in popularity among Republicans, even before Thompson formally enters the race.
"Fred is someone I know. I have great respect for Fred. I think he was a really good member of congress," Giuliani says. "But I’m not kind of focused on anybody else’s campaign. I’m kind of focused on mine and I’m focus on the fact that I believe what I offer the people of Iowa is the same thing that I offer the people of America — probably of all the people running in the race — the most executive experience."
Giuliani describes his former job as New York mayor as "complex" and "difficult." New York City has the fourth-largest government in the country, according to Giuliani. "I think at this time of real difficult challenges that we face — terrorism, fiscal discipline, the size of government, out of control Washington — I think somebody with my background has a real good chance of getting elected," Giuliani says. Giuliani made his comments this morning during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa.